About The Director
Johanna R. Friesen
Offerings for the 2022-2023 School Year will be Tutoring, Spanish, Dance,Musical Theatre, and Creative Writing.
My credentials and qualifications for these offerings follow.
Tutoring
I hold a California Multiple Subject Teaching Credential. I began tutoring in eighth grade. I have tutored all subjects through college level with most aptitude in mathematics. I use a multiple media, multiple learning modality approach to tutoring. I enjoy learning immensely and I work to transfer my love for learning to my students. By quickly identifying my students' strengths and interests, I am able to build their confidence and quickly enhance their skills.
Spanish
Born to a Puerto Rican mother, I was raised in a bilingual and multicultural household with English and Spanish spoken. I began academic education in Spanish in seventh grade and continued into college. At Lowell High School in San Francisco, I attended advanced placement courses in Spanish and studied Latin literature. I scored high on the advanced placement Spanish exams in both spoken and written Spanish and received eight college units for such. I am fluent in reading, writing, and speaking Spanish.
I taught for three years in bilingual English/Spanish public school classrooms. I teach Spanish and Latin culture in my classes incorporating Spanish songs, music, and dances as well as folktales and traditional games.
Dance
As someone who danced before she could walk, I consider Dance to have been the essence of my life. I began formal dance training on my seventh birthday at San Francisco Ballet. During my twelve years of Ballet training at San Francisco Ballet, I performed in The Nutcracker, Thais (a San Francisco Opera production), and at local schools and outdoor venues as a member of the San Francisco Ballet Junior Company. I also served as a Teacher's Assistant for the Dance In Schools Program.
I expanded my dance education at San Francisco State University to include Modern, Jazz, African-Haitian, Ethnic and Flamenco dance techniques as well as choreography. I received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Physical Education with Dance Emphasis which gave me the opportunity to study Anatomy, Physiology, and Kinesiology in addition to Dance History, Music Theory, Theatre and Stage Production. After university, I continued to study, perform and teach all of the dance forms listed as well as Ballroom, Country Line dances, and Bellydance in California, New York and Kentucky.
As a Dance Instructor, my goal is to provide professional quality technical training in a joyful, non-competitive atmosphere to build strong, graceful dancers who can enjoy Dance throughout their lives.
Musical Theatre
Although I had always been interested in singing and had performed in school choir since middle school, I was invited to perform in musical theatre productions in Kentucky because of my dance abilities. I took the opportunity to use and enhance the acting skills I had begun to develop in college. Most recently, I assisted in the direction of The Lion King Junior performed by sixty fourth through sixth graders. I feel that my greatest achievement was to develop self esteem in the students I chose for the principal roles.
Creative Writing
Because I was a very shy child, I have been writing down my thoughts since I was four years old. In Junior High School, my writing was first published in a collection of short stories and poems. I continued writing essays, short stories, poems, and songs for personal satisfaction. From 2002 to 2005, I began publishing Whistle Stop Magazine, a monthly periodical, that served as a family oriented guide to activities along the San Francisco to San Jose CalTrain corridor. Recently, I have coauthored a nonfiction book with my husband.
I teach most genres of creative writing with an open mind to nontraditional forms while providing traditional technical guidance.
About the Center
Garden Valley Eden Center is located in downtown Garden Valley, California. It offers a dance studio
a classroom
and an arts and crafts room.