Tai Chi is a tradition of purposeful movement and principles of mind/body awareness and self-protection. It includes gentle movements which teach us to move in a more intentional, healthy way. It is a dance with all the energies of life that leads you to open heart and mind. The benefits of practicing Tai Chi include relaxation, balance of mind and body, improved circulation and general health and well-being. Students should dress comfortably, be prepared to be patient with their own individual practice and enjoy Tai Chi and all it has to offer.

This course is offered on campus.

Narrative Biography:
Maureen Dowling is a retired Correctional Sergeant of the State of California, and has a background as a legal secretary. She currently teaches a formal Tai Chi class at Create Center for the Arts and an introduction to Tai Chi at Sunnylands. She began practicing Tai Chi in 2014. She is certified in all three segments of the Yang Family 108 Long Form and was certified to teach in 2021 by Master Lu Molberg, currently of Tai Chi Circle of the Desert.

Tai Chi is a tradition of purposeful movement and principles of mind/body awareness and self-protection. It includes gentle movements which teach us to move in a more intentional, healthy way. It is a dance with all the energies of life that leads you to open heart and mind. The benefits of practicing Tai Chi include relaxation, balance of mind and body, improved circulation and general health and well-being. Students should dress comfortably, be prepared to be patient with their own individual practice and enjoy Tai Chi and all it has to offer. This course is offered on campus.

Narrative Biography:
Maureen Dowling is a retired Correctional Sergeant of the State of California, and has a background as a legal secretary. She currently teaches a formal Tai Chi class at Create Center for the Arts and an introduction to Tai Chi at Sunnylands. She began practicing Tai Chi in 2014. She is certified in all three segments of the Yang Family 108 Long Form, and was certified to teach in 2021 by Master Lu Molberg, currently of Tai Chi Circle of the Desert.

Freddie De Tommaso, Michele Angelini, Irakli Kakhidze, Benjamin Bernheim and Allan Clayton. Recognize any of these tenors? Probably not...because they are the Carusos...the Pavarottis...the Domingos of tomorrow. Join Barry on a musical trip featuring these tenors, and more. Explore their pasts, their training, their heroes, and their best operatic videos from the world's most famous stages. This course is offered on zoom.

Narrative Biography:
Barry Schoenfeld has over 40 years’ experience in business in New York and Los Angeles, and currently Palm Springs.
He graduated from Cornell, and has taught at UCLA, USC, the University of Arizona in-person and online for OLLI at Duke, Tufts, University of California at Riverside, and Cal State San Bernardino. He saw his first opera at 10, and was instantly hooked. He has subsequently seen hundreds of productions of operas, ballets and dance, all over the US, Europe, and Asia. He delights in sharing this knowledge through facts, figures, anecdotes, audio, video and discussions.

Ladies First, as we begin our double feature day with award winning female lead performances. You may have seen them when they were first released. Get out of the heat, relax in the cool theatre and enjoy them again. Discuss your new perspective with one of our favorite OLLI instructors, Frank Furino. “9 to 5” (Dolly Parton, Lilly Tomlin), “First Wives Club"” (Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn, Diane Keaton) and “The Help” (Viola Davis, Bryce Dallas Howard). What's not to love? This course is offered on campus. 

Narrative Biography:

Frank brings 25 years of Hollywood experience to his Osher courses, including writer/producer credits for major hit shows Dynasty, Dallas, General Hospital, Falcon Crest, New Year’s Rockin’ Eve and more. He was also staff director with ABC News covering political conventions, space launches and major news events and later owned an advertising agency. He taught creative writing at UCLA and is a member of the Rancho Mirage Cultural Commission. Frank is a successful playwright and is currently working on his first novel.

Chill this July as we stay cool in the hot summer afternoons. Part two of our double feature day includes three classic films starring strong male lead performances. This series includes: “Deliverance” (Burt Reynolds), “True Grit” (Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon) and “Legends of the Fall” (Brad Pitt, Aiden Quinn).

This course is offered on campus.

Narrative Biography:

Frank brings 25 years of Hollywood experience to his Osher courses, including writer/producer credits for major hit shows Dynasty, Dallas, General Hospital, Falcon Crest, New Year’s Rockin’ Eve and more. He was also staff director with ABC News covering political conventions, space launches and major news events and later owned an advertising agency. He taught creative writing at UCLA and is a member of the Rancho Mirage Cultural Commission. Frank is a successful playwright and is currently working on his first novel.

DOUBLE FEAUTURES! Join us for an all-day extravaganza and enjoy both sets of films at a discounted price! 

Ladies First, as we begin our double feature day with award winning female lead performances.  This series includes: "9-5”, “First Wives Club” and “The Help”. Get out of the heat, relax in the cool theatre and enjoy these films! Then after a lunch break, enjoy three classic films starring strong male lead performances. This series includes: “Deliverance”, “True Grit” and “Legends of the Fall”.This course is offered on campus. 

Narrative Biography:

Frank brings 25 years of Hollywood experience to his Osher courses, including writer/producer credits for major hit shows Dynasty, Dallas, General Hospital, Falcon Crest, New Year’s Rockin’ Eve and more. He was also staff director with ABC News covering political conventions, space launches and major news events and later owned an advertising agency. He taught creative writing at UCLA and is a member of the Rancho Mirage Cultural Commission. Frank is a successful playwright and is currently working on his first novel.

Birds have a unique anatomy with some special adaptions; it takes more than just a good coat of feathers to enable an animal to fly. In this three-week course, we will answer some of the hottest bird questions. How do birds chew without teeth? How do birds fly? How do birds migrate great distances without Siri to direct them? Join us for an in-depth look into the wondrous secrets of birds! This course is offered on zoom.

Narrative Biography:
Phil has been teaching for over 15 years at the community college level and has been an avid birder for much longer. He has led bird walks in a variety of desert ecosystems. He is co-editor of the Desert Cities Bird Club Newsletter, providing articles and input.

In Steven Spielberg's Oscar-Winning "Schindler’s List" (1993), a character cites a line of scripture from the Hebrew Talmud “He who saves a single life saves the world entire.”  In other notable directorial efforts such as "Saving Private Ryan" (1997) "Munich" (2005) and “Bridge of Spies” (2015), Spielberg has continued to explore this idea while putting a spin on it in each. In this online course, through instructor analysis and class discussion, we will explore the practical implications and deep philosophical questions that arise as we look at these three post-Schindler films with the application of the above idea in mind.

Note: The screening order with available rental streaming sources will be provided one week before the first class. Registrants will be expected to watch the assigned weekly movie ahead of time before each class meeting. Also, keep an out eye for a special on-campus screening of “Schindler’s List” with separate online analysis and discussion in the Fall. This course is offered on zoom.

Narrative Biography:

Butch Epps has received his MFA degree from the UCLA Department of Film and Television’s Independent Producers Program where he focused on story development and working with screenwriters. He also served as the academic liaison to high profile professional faculty, including studio heads, development executives, and others. Butch has taught over 30 film appreciation courses in the Coachella Valley over the past 9 years while developing a book - his magnum opus - on Orson Welles’s Mercury Production of Citizen Kane.

Ballet is a demanding career. Even with lifelong training, very few make it to the top, and even fewer stay there.
What will make a dance star of tomorrow? How do they train? Who do they base their style on? What have they done so far? How do their roles compare with the greats of yesterday? Join Barry as he shines a spotlight -- with facts, figures and videos -- of some not-very-well-known dancers, some who may be the stars of tomorrow! This course is offered on zoom.

Narrative Biography:
Barry Schoenfeld has over 40 years’ experience in business in New York and Los Angeles, and currently Palm Springs.
He graduated from Cornell, and has taught at UCLA, USC, the University of Arizona in-person and online for OLLI at Duke, Tufts, University of California at Riverside, and Cal State San Bernardino. He saw his first opera at 10, and was instantly hooked. He has subsequently seen hundreds of productions of operas, ballets and dance, all over the US, Europe, and Asia. He delights in sharing this knowledge through facts, figures, anecdotes, audio, video and discussions.

Did the kids tell you they don't want your candlesticks? Are you attached to your treasures, collections and sentimental items? If so, this virtual class is for you! During this online program organizing humorist and author of Keep This Toss That, Jamie Novak reveals her method for decluttering sentimental items, how to appraise, and even sell or share them. By the end of this series, you will have a plan for how to keep the memories without keeping all the stuff. This course is offered on zoom.

Narrative Biography:
You may have seen her on morning TV or read her newest bestseller, Keep This, Toss That. Jamie Novak hosts a 10 Minute Podcast and has a popular YouTube show. She spends most days presenting virtual programs on how to de-clutter, with a humorous twist. When not on the computer Jamie is clipping out recipes she’ll never prepare.

The American Film Institute released a list of the best film scores, that includes many well-known classics and some surprises. Some of these scores even outlive the film they sound tracked. The composers of those scores had fascinating lives and solid careers. Let’s enjoy the ride through the process of creating those historical pieces that convey what the movie is trying to say without words and evoke an emotional response even the most brilliant bit of dialogue cannot. And even more exciting, let's build our own Top 25 list!!! This course is offered on zoom.

Narrative Biography:
Emanuel Abramovits is a Mechanical Engineer with an MBA and has been a concert promoter since 2000, directly involved in many events by international artists, like Itzhak Perlman, Gustavo Dudamel, Sarah Brightman, Roger Hodgson, ASIA, Journey, Kenny G and many more. He designed and staged many original orchestral events, including an Event of the Year winner and several world premieres. He served as the Cultural Director at UNION ISRAELITA DE CARACAS from 2008 to 2019, releasing books, organizing film cycles, concerts and art exhibits. He has been consistently teaching online since 2020.

Have your flash cards at the ready as we watch, analyze, and discuss three critically acclaimed award-winning films that are notable for their non-traditional narrative approaches on the relation between memory and personal perspective. Listed in screening order, the films we will ruminate upon are “Rashomon” (1951) “Memento” (2000) and “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” (2004). Prepare to be intellectually challenged and remember nothing is as what it seems. Now where was I…

This course selection will meet on campus.

Narrative Biography:

Butch Epps has received his MFA degree from the UCLA Department of Film and Television’s Independent Producers Program where he focused on story development and working with screenwriters. He also served as the academic liaison to high profile professional faculty, including studio heads, development executives, and others. Butch has taught over 30 film appreciation courses in the Coachella Valley over the past 9 years while developing a book - his magnum opus - on Orson Welles’s Mercury Production of Citizen Kane.

Have your flash cards at the ready as we watch, analyze, and discuss three critically acclaimed award-winning films that are notable for their non-traditional narrative approaches on the relation between memory and personal perspective. Listed in screening order, the films we will ruminate upon are “Rashomon” (1951) “Memento” (2000) and “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” (2004). Prepare to be intellectually challenged and remember nothing is as what it seems. Now where was I…

This course selection will meet on zoom.

Narrative Biography:

Butch Epps has received his MFA degree from the UCLA Department of Film and Television’s Independent Producers Program where he focused on story development and working with screenwriters. He also served as the academic liaison to high profile professional faculty, including studio heads, development executives, and others. Butch has taught over 30 film appreciation courses in the Coachella Valley over the past 9 years while developing a book - his magnum opus - on Orson Welles’s Mercury Production of Citizen Kane.

The American Civil Rights Movement profoundly changed this country through two decades of courageous non-violent protests and civil disobedience. The collective efforts of millions of citizens of all races dismantled a centuries-long system of White supremacy enforced through enslavement, Jim Crow laws, intimidation, and violence. This course will explore the highlights, key personalities and strategies of the Civil Rights Movement in Alabama (Montgomery, Selma, and Birmingham) and the resulting legislation that advanced equal access to public accommodations, voting, schools, and housing in the South and nationwide. It will also explore what changed and what remains to be done. This course is offered on zoom.

Narrative Biography:
Lorenzo Taylor was born in Birmingham, Alabama and was a witness to the civil rights movement in that city in the Sixties. He has studied African American history and international affairs at the University of Michigan and Georgetown University. He worked for Walter Mondale while getting a Master’s Degree in Public Affairs at the Hubert Humphrey Institute at the University of Minnesota. He is retired after a career in public health policy and intercultural exchange with the Federal Government. He has taught online courses in Civil Rights, Voting Rights and Black Poetry.