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New Dance Studio Opens in North Adams

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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Freedom Dance, a dance program for young children and advanced dancers that is based on the foundations of classical ballet, jazz, tap and modern dance, has opened in the heart of the city.

Dance instructor Olivia Moran has been teaching beginning to preprofessional students for 15 years. Her students have gone on to participate in some of the most prestigious pre-professional programs in the country. She is a seasoned ballet, tap, jazz, modern, yoga and pilates Instructor. She has studied classical ballet, pointe, modern, African dance, voice and choreography with some of the best instructors in New York City, including Edward Ellison, Finis Jhung, Virginia Johnson, Chet walker and Edward Kresley.

Moran attended Marymount Manhattan college in New York City, where she received her B.F.A in dance and performed in many collegiate off Broadway dance concerts. She is also a seasoned yoga Instructor and has taught a variety of yoga classes, including Hatha, Vinyasa, Mediation, Restorative with Thai yoga massage, family, baby and prenatal yoga. She is the creator of "move with me," a signature program for preschoolers, and has taught her movement program in area preschools such as Williamstown Community Preschool and Child Care of the Berkshires.

The majority of the classes will be for ages 2 to 10, a hatha yoga class for adults on Monday morning and a monthly workshop for the advanced and preprofessional dancer. Plans include adding a fitness series in the mornings and afternoon with guest teachers with new, exciting innovative classes.

Freedom Dance is located in a new 900-square-foot studio at 40 Main St., at the southwest entrance of the Holiday Inn, directly off the parking lot closest to the bridge. There is a separate entrance with a large waiting room, new professional dance floors and plenty of parking. For more information, visit freedomstudio.dance.

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Clarksburg Sees Race for Select Board Seat

CLARKSBURG, Mass. — The town will see a three-way race for a seat on the Select Board in May. 
 
Colton Andrews, Seth Alexander and Bryana Malloy returned papers by Wednesday's deadline to run for the three-year term vacated by Jeffrey Levanos. 
 
Andrews ran unsuccessfully for School Committee and is former chairman of the North Adams Housing Authority, on which he was a union representative. He is also president of the Pioneer Valley Building Trades Council.
 
Malloy and Alexander are both newcomers to campaigning. Malloy is manager of industrial relations for the Berkshire Workforce Board and Alexander is a resident of Gates Avenue. 
 
Alexander also returned papers for several other offices, including School Committee, moderator, library trustee and the five-year seat on the Planning Board. He took out papers for War Memorial trustee and tree warden but did not return them and withdrew a run for Board of Health. 
 
He will face off in the three-year School Committee seat against incumbent Cynthia Brule, who is running for her third term, and fellow newcomer Bonnie Cunningham for library trustee. 
 
Incumbent Ronald Boucher took out papers for a one-year term as moderator but did not return them. He was appointed by affirmation in 2021 when no won ran and accepted the post again last year as a write-in.
 
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