Professionally trained actress and sketch comedian Tera Feigen moved to New London less than two years ago and immediately noticed something missing from the dozens of offerings of the city’s recreation department.

“I saw there was nothing in the way of performing arts,” Feigen said.

Feigen, an instructional assistant for special needs students in the Lyme school system, set out to change that. She said the recreation department was open-minded and listened to her ideas. Performing arts programs have since blossomed.

“I feel like in this town there was a real thirst for it,” Feigen said. “This community is very active in the recreation department.”

She is now an instructor in numerous programs, mostly one-week classes aimed at developing talents, building confidence and at the top of the priority list — having fun.

The performance class is just one of the many Parks & Rec offerings that include Zumba, martial arts, hip hop dance, basketball, tennis and other pre-school sports. There are also swimming classes held at the University of Connecticut Avery Point campus in Groton. The classes are open to youth, adults and even newborns in a program called “Baby and Me.”

Along with comedy improv classes – she just started one for adults — Feigen is the instructor in a program called Storytime Actors where kids ages 4 to 7 are guided to write their own stories and watch them come to life as they are act them out.

The Friday Night Live program, ages 9 to 18, spend three days producing their own Saturday Night Live show that is acted out before a live audience.

This month, Feigen enlisted a half dozen members from her comedy improv class to form a team going by the name of Super Squad Improv. The group of smiling quick-witted youth have been practicing their improv skills at the Martin Center for a shot at entering the annual New London Youth Talent Show.

Three of the team members – Jahira Ross, Amaris Rosado and her sister Arina Rosado – recently demonstrated their improve skills in a game called “story, story,” taking turns completing a story in the vein of “Whose Line Is It Anyway.” She compares the rehearsals to sports drills where the participants are asked to come up with lines or act out stories on the fly.

Feigen said she is always on the lookout for new performers and venues for the performers since sometimes the age of the actors can narrow options. You won’t see the pre-teens performing at a bar anytime soon.

For more information on Feigen’s programs and the full list of recreation department offerings visit the department website.

g.smith@theday.com