M sara McMahon, MA, a Flynn Arts Faculty member, has been involved in the research, teaching, performing of movement as a form of artistic and personal development for over 40 years. Along with being a movement artist/educator she worked for over 20 years as a Clinical Mental Health Counselor in Vermont and Alaska. When her husband was diagnosed with Parkinson’s – PSP in 2012 she began to shift her focus to teaching movement classes to the Parkinson’s community in Vermont. After attending an Intro to Dance for PD workshop in 2013 she knew she found the program that would provide the education and support needed to develop the Movement for Parkinson’s program in Vermont. Most importantly was that the DfPD incorporated a teaching philosophy similar to hers, specifically that of focusing on the dancer within everyone. In 2013/14 the Movement for Parkinson’s (MfPD) program at the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts was born.

MfPD has grown to providing classes not only in Burlington but other communities as well. This continues to be a goal especially living in a rural state where the opportunities for movement/dance are limited for the PD participant. Movement for Parkinson’s involves itself in the larger community through providing Lecture/Demonstrations, informal presentations, and performances. In 2018 the MfPD dancers performed their first Flash Mob in honor of World Parkinson’s Day. Movement for Parkinson’s developed a Volunteer Teaching Assistant program to insure that MfPD classes have adequate support for each MfPD dancer.

M sara returns to MMDG annually participating in the DfPD advance professional development workshop. Through the workshops she has met many wonderful and creative teachers who share a similar goal of providing dance/movement classes to the PD community. More at movementforparkinsons.com