About the Program
Dance Moves Me! brings a fresh and fun approach to dance and rhythmic movement for people living with Parkinson’s disease (PD).
Dance Moves Me! classes will engage, inspire and motivate participants to explore moving in different ways to music, while creatively working on such PD-specific concerns as balance, gait, flexibility, coordination and voice. We provide a safe and friendly environment within a community of warmth, compassion and understanding.
Dance Moves Me! is modeled after the internationally acclaimed Dance for PD® program developed by Mark Morris Dance Group in collaboration with Brooklyn Parkinson Group. In addition, our program integrates strategies from other top, movement-based Parkinson’s programs, including PD expert John Argue’s Parkinson’s Disease & the Art of Moving and Dr. Becky Farley’s PWR! Moves.
We welcome everyone with PD to our classes and also invite care partners, family and friends to join us.
Why Dance?
For people living with Parkinson’s disease, exercise is essential for maintaining mobility and quality of life. Dance provides a creative, fun and mindful way to work on skills that are affected by Parkinson’s.
“The fundamentals of dancing and dance training—things like balance, movement sequencing, rhythm, spatial and aesthetic awareness, and dynamic coordination—seem to address many of the things people with Parkinson’s want to work on to maintain a sense of confidence and grace in their movements.”
—David Leventhal, Dance for PD®
founding teacher, Brooklyn
Dance increases awareness of where the body is in space.
Dance is a stimulating mental activity that connects mind to body.
Dance develops flexibility and balance.
Dance instills confidence.
Dance is mindful, using the brain to consciously guide the body.
Dance breaks isolation.
Dance expresses emotion.
Dance develops rhythmic skills.
Dance is fun!