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The Future
37
thePeorian.com
Yes, that is a mission
statement, but one con-
versation with Knuppel
shows she means what
she says. She is like many
teachers who see the
financial struggles the
education system faces
each year and the threat to
arts education that results.
“It worries me, sure.
It should worry every
parent. I want to do what
I can to see our kids —
mine, yours, everybody’s
— get the education and
instruction they need,”
she said.
Knuppel began taking
dance classes at age 3
and continued through
college. When she began
teaching special needs classes,
“I just felt like something was
missing. At first I couldn’t put my
finger on it.”
Later, as she thought about
pursing her dream of opening a
dance studio, she realized what
it was that was
missing. “I felt I
needed to find a
way to combine
fine arts with my
hobby and my
profession. The
idea kept grow-
ing as I talked to
people about it
and other teach-
ers approached
me about what
they could offer
and I think now,
it has become
something that is really pretty
cool,” she said.
“It’s certainly not just another
dance studio,” she added.
Other instructors at the
Inspired Arts Academy include
Maggie McMenamin, who
teaches theatre classes and is
also the Morton Youth Theatre
director; Julie Walker, the owner
of Music Together and a teacher;
Audra Metesis, who teaches art,
and Cynthia Brennan, who is the
fitness instructor for children and
adults.
Knuppel ex-
plained she is big
on fitness and
believes that also is
something children
need to learn early
on.
“Good fitness
instruction encour-
ages mind, body
and soul. There is a
good tie-in there,”
she said.
Among the dance
instruction is ballet,
jazz movement, tap
and hip hop. Competitive dance
is part of the plan, as well.
Theatre instruction includes
acting, play writing, and impro-
visation.
Music instruction includes
voice, violin, guitar and other
instruments.
Art instruction includes
paint, sculpture, sketch
and mixed-media.
Knuppel said aside
from classes at the Acad-
emy she wants to partner
with area schools to offer
after-school instruction in
genres not being covered
by the schools.
That, she said, will be
one form of giving back to
the community. “That is
important to me because
through my life I have
been fortunate enough
to be able to pursue my
dreams. I want to help
others do that,” she said.
Another way of giving
back will be charitable
donations, either in funds
or in-kind contributions. Every
spring, Knuppel said, the In-
spired Arts Academy will have a
concert with proceeds going to a
charity the Academy will choose.
It also will have children’s
events with proceeds going to
The Penguin Project, which each
year presents a musical at East-
light Theatre in which children
with special needs make up the
cast. Students of Inspired Arts
Academy theatre classes will
have the opportunity to assist
with The Penguin Project, she
added.
The academy has scheduled a
performance of “The Lion King”
at 6 p.m. Aug. 3 at Idlewood Park
in Morton. It will be the kickoff
to the academy’s fall schedule,
Knuppel said. Registration for
fall classes is open.
Carter Kendall, above, laughs while getting ready
for a guitar lesson at the Inspired Arts Academy
in Morton. Below, Alyssa Knuppel, daughter of
academy founder Sarah Knuppel, learns dance
steps with her classmates.