By Jennifer Glickel
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MIDTOWN EAST — Bryant Park will have a new attraction this summer — and it involves swords.
The Bryant Park Corporation will host free fencing lessons in the plaza in front of the New York Public Library for one hour each Friday beginning on April 9.
"We're really excited to be offering these classes," said Julia Gelman, director of the Manhattan Fencing Center, which Bryant Park is partnering with to run the classes.
"We're doing it to introduce fencing to the general public, because not many people know about fencing in general," said Gelman, who is the daughter of Yury Gelman, the three-time coach for the United States Olympic fencing team.
Coaches from the Manhattan Fencing Center will run two simultaneous classes at a beginners pace each Friday at 1 p.m., teaching participants basic footwork, how to use the weapons, basic attacks and basic parries.
Gelman said she's hoping that former Olympians who trained at the Manhattan Fencing Center, by displaying their medals and talking about fencing, will to attract people to join in the classes.
