School teachers aren’t the only teachers preparing for classes.

Teresa George, a dance and acting teacher, has begun registering students for her classes this school year, which are scheduled to start Aug. 15.

George has taught dance for more than 35 years and has taught acting on and off throughout that time. This year, she is looking to expand her acting classes.

“I did acting in the past and I’ve tried to get the acting started up again,” she said. “The majority of my stuff is dance. I just added the acting because nobody else is doing it, it’s a fun thing and I do acting myself.”

George has played multiple roles in the melodrama “Gold in the Hills” throughout its 80-year reign in Vicksburg including Nellie the heroine and Lizzie the housekeeper.

She started dancing as a child because her mother, who always wanted to be a dancer herself, put her in classes.

“My mom would have liked to have danced, but she grew up during the depression, and they didn’t have money for dance lessons,” George said. “So she put me in dance classes when I was little, and I really liked it. I’ve just been doing it ever since.”

Dancing for her is a creative outlet. Interpreting a piece of music through movement gives her a sense of fulfillment, even if no one ever sees the dance, she said.

“There is a joy you get from dancing that you don’t get from anything else,” George said.

Students sometimes can come to class with a bad attitude, she said, but just listening to the music and learning a new move can change their outlook and give them a spark. George said dance can also help shy students express emotions they may not communicate otherwise. Her favorite part of teaching children is watching them learn and enjoy what they are doing.

“It’s just my passion and my joy,” she said.

Each year she takes on a different facet of dance to teach her students, like in ballet sometimes she does a little more lyrical style, in a jazz class she taught a more hip-hop style once and other times she’ll teach a musical theater style.

“I try to switch up from year to year so they don’t do the same thing all the time,” George said.

Teresa George School of Dance, 4308 Halls Ferry Road, offers ballet, jazz, tap, acrobatics and acting. Dance classes are available for ages 3 1/2 and up, and acting class are for ages 7 and up.

“We strive to make dance a fun, positive experience for all students regardless of age or ability,” she said.

There is no age cap on lessons, and she said occasionally she teaches adults. Class sizes vary depending on demand but typically don’t exceed 12 students. The class schedules will also depend on how many students register.

“We welcome all who desire to learn the art of dance,” she said.

To register for classes, visit tgdance.com.