We still have openings in these upcoming classes. Please join us at the Bethesda Chevy Chase Regional Services Center for these Spring catalog classes. You can view our catalog and register online at www.liveandlearnbethesda.org call us at 301-740-6150, or email us at info@liveandlearnbethesda.org
 

Berenguela of Castile was one of the most powerful women in medieval Europe in her own day, though until recently she was largely forgotten by modern historians.  This was largely because, although she inherited the kingdom of Castile in her own right, she was believed to have abdicated immediately in favor of her son.  We will explore how Berenguela used Castilian tradition, medieval ideals about good women, and her unique position as lord of strategically important territories to acquire and exercise power throughout her life, and to navigate a complex personal and political partnership with her son, King Fernando III.  

 

Janna Bianchini, PhD, Professor of History, Author

Tuesday        1:00 PM to 2:30 PM        June 23

1 Session      $15                                   Class 635

 

How did "Impressionist" painting come to be, and why has this style's popularity proven so enduring?  Focusing attention on the 1874 exhibition from which this makeshift group received its name, this class introduces a group of artists committed to representing modern life as they saw it, including Édouard Manet, Edgar Degas, and Claude Monet.  Their art corresponded to new theories of beauty, in which the ephemeral and the particular counted as much as the ideal.  We will consider the myths about these artists' careers and their critical reception alongside the reality of their working practices.

 

Juliet Bellow, Assistant Professor of Art History

Wednesday    1:30 PM to 3:00 PM          June 24 

1 Session       $15                                     Class 589

 

Musical and lyrical brothers George and Ira Gershwin created 15 Broadway shows and three Hollywood film scores contributing hundreds of classic songs to the great American songbook. This class, the fourth in a series of classes on American musical theater, will present selections from several Gershwin musical and film scores.  Join Steve Klitzman, lawyer, professor and a long time aficionado of show and film music with both a deep knowledge of and passion for these American art forms as he examines and plays these tuneful Gershwin songs performed by such terrific artists as Fred Astaire, Ella Fitzgerald, Ethel Merman, and even opera diva Dame KIri Te  Kanawa! As "I've Got Rhythm" concludes: "Who could ask for anything more?" 

 

Steve Klitzman, Professor and Aficionado of Broadway Music

Thursday        2:00 PM to 3:30 PM          June 25 

1 Session       $15                                     Class 642