How to Take a Tennis Lesson from Serena Williams—for $90
Ninety bucks could snag you a skirt at Zara that you’ll wear once or twice—or it could score you a tennis lesson from Serena Williams. Or an acting class with Dustin Hoffman. Or a singing tutorial from Christina Aguilera. Or a writing seminar with James Patterson. Yes, really.
In what might be the coolest start-up ever, MasterClass offers online courses from virtuosos in various fields for $90 a pop. Class times vary: Learning Hoffman’s method takes five hours, for example, while you’ll need just two if you’re looking to conquer Williams’s tennis technique.
Even cooler: Each class was created by the instructor and includes extensive video content, a class workbook, interactive assignments, and community activities. While there’s a suggested workflow, students can move at their own pace and have the opportunity to ask their classmates (and, sometimes, even the instructor) questions via Skype.
Founded by two Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, MasterClass has gained over 30,000 users since its May debut. Users can either take classes themselves or give them as a gift—a clever option for die-hard fans of a particular skill. And, once you sign up, you have lifetime access to each class you take, allowing you to watch the tutorials as many times as you’d like.
The site’s tagline—”Access to genius”—isn’t an overstatement. In addition to the above superstars, users can soon learn photography from Annie Leibovitz and performance from Usher, and more courses are set to roll out this year.
