Find a Class
California
Certified) denotes teacher is certified by Dance for PD®Licensed Dance for PD® Partners:
Featuring: Dance for PD® Certified Teacher Susan Weber
Susan Weber founded the Dance for PD® Program at Berkeley Ballet Theater in 2008, motivated both by her father’s twenty-year experience with Parkinson’s disease and by her long friendships with Mark Morris and founding teachers David Leventhal and John Heginbotham. The first Dance for PD® certified teaching artist in California, Susan holds M.A. and B.A. degrees in Dance from UCLA, where she began teaching as a graduate student.
Ms. Weber performed in the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company, touring extensively in North America and Europe and assisting Mr. Lubovitch in setting works at the Royal Danish Ballet, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, and on Lynn Seymour of the Royal Ballet, among many others. More recently, she assisted Mark Morris as he created new works at San Francisco Ballet: A Garden, Later, his full-length Sylvia, and Joyride. She has also helped set his works at the Royal Ballet and English National Ballet.
Susan is a certified yoga instructor and a lifelong student of anatomy. At Berkeley Ballet Theater, Susan directs the Dance for PD® Program, leads two weekly Dance for PD® classes, teaches advanced ballet and serves as Advisor to the pre-professional Youth Company.
Photo credit: Natalia Perez
Featuring: Dance for PD® Certified Teacher Claudine Naganuma
Claudine Naganuma co-founded the Dance for PD® program with David Leventhal and Herb Heinz of PD Active at Danspace in 2007. She is the director of dNaga dance company and created the PEACE Project in 2009 to explore finding personal peace through the lens of those living with Parkinson’s disease. dNaga was filmed as part of Dave Iverson’s documentary Capturing Grace and her choreography was performed at the World Parkinson Congress in 2016.
Naganuma holds a B.A. in English Literature, Creative Writing from Dominican College and an M.F.A. in Dance in Choreography and Performance from Mills College. Naganuma founded the GIRL Project in 2014 which offers dance and empowerment classes for 11 to 14 year old girls in East Oakland. She served as the Artistic Director of Asian American Dance Performances from 1992 – 2004 and was a founding member of the Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center in San Francisco. She received a Young Presenters award from Jacob’s Pillow and a Jack Loftis and Vibeke Strand Honorary Fellowship as a Djerassi Artist in Resident. In 1999 she was selected as an international exchange artist between the Hong Kong Fringe Club and the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.
Naganuma serves as the director of Danspace where she teaches weekly Dance for PD® classes and offers an inter-generational class for people with Parkinson’s and youth dancers. For more information, please visit www.dNaga.org.
Photo by Esperanza Urueña
Northern California
Bay Area Consortium
The Bay Area Consortium is comprised of five established Dance for PD programs that share teachers, methods and resources to provide high quality classes in five communities in the San Francisco Bay Area. Other Bay Area programs not affiliate with the Consortium are listed below.
Berkeley | 
Dance for PD®
Two classes every week:
Mondays, 12:00-1:15 PM
Thursdays 2:45-4:00 PM
Preregistration required
No charge
Sponsoring organization: Berkeley Ballet Theater
Lead teachers: Marika Brussel, Erin Carper, Megan Low, Alyce Maurer, Susan Weber (Dance for PD Certified Teacher)
Lead musicians: Gerry Grosz, Chris Houston, and Gaea Schell
Dance styles/techniques/content covered in class: modern, ballet, jazz, folk, improvisation, Mark Morris repertory
Berkeley Ballet Theaterr
Berkeley Ballet Theater
1370 Tenth Street
Berkeley, CA 94710
For information and registration, please call (925) 457-8170. To watch a video about the Berkeley Ballet Theater program, please click here.
Oakland |
Dance for PD®
Thursdays, 10:30-11:45 AM
Classes held year-round
No charge
Sponsoring organizations: Danspace, PD Active, dNaga
Lead teachers: Claudine Naganuma (Dance for PD Certified Teacher), Freesia Paclebar Huth, and Yasmine Oiknine
Dance styles/techniques/content covered in class: modern, ballet, improvisation and composition
Musician: Roz Aronson
Danspace
473 Hudson St.
Oakland, CA 94618
For information and registration: call (510) 479-6119 or email dance@pdactive.org
San Francisco |
Dance for PD®
Thursdays
12:45 – 2 pm
Presenting partners: LINES Dance Center and PDSF Network
Lead teachers: Marika Brussel, Erin Carper, Susan Weber (Dance for PD Certified Teacher)
Dance styles/techniques/content covered in class: modern, ballet, jazz, folk, improv, Mark Morris repertory with live musical accompaniment
Alonzo King LINES Ballet
26 Seventh Street, 5th Fl
San Francisco, CA 94103
San Francisco (T)
Dance for PD®
Select Sundays, twice a month
12:00-1:15 PM
Drop-ins welcome
Free; donations gratefully accepted
Sponsoring organizations: Joe Goode Performance Group, PDSF NetworkLead teachers: Joe Goode Performance Group company members with live musical accompaniment.
Joe Goode Annex
401 Alabama St. @17th St. in the Mission
San Francisco, CA 94110
Street parking available
For information: call (415) 285-7377 or email PDSFNetwork@gmail.com
Read the article about this class that appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle
San Rafael/Marin (T)
The Parkinson’s Dance Project
Weekly on Tuesdays, 1:00-2:30 PM
Pianist Rob Ellis leads an informal sing-along at 12:30 on the first and third Tuesdays.
Preregistration requested, drop-ins welcome
$10 suggested donation
Sponsoring organizations: Marin Dance Theatre
Lead teachers: Torri Campbell and Brigid Hoag
Dance Styles: ballet, modern, jazz, folk, improv, choreography
Marin Dance Theatre
One St. Vincent Drive
San Rafael, CA 94903
For information and registration: call (415) 819-2066 or email torriacampbell@yahoo.com
To watch an information video about the class, please click here
Stanford (T)
Dance for Parkinson’s Disease (PD)
Mondays and Fridays
1:30 – 2:45 p.m.
Free of charge; RSVP required
Presenting organization: Stanford Health Care, Stanford Movement Disorders Center
Lead instructor: Damara Ganley
Stanford Neuroscience Wellness Center
213 Quarry Road Room 1511
Palo Alto, CA 94304
For more information, please contact Stanford’s Neuroscience Supportive Care Program at 650-721-8500.
Sunnyvale (T)
Dance for PD: Poetry in Motion
Fridays, 10:30 – 11:45 a.m.
Drop-ins welcome
$12.00 per class or $100.00 for a ten pack
Sponsoring organization: Parkinson’s Institute
Lead teachers: Damara Ganley and Becca Dean
Dance styles/techniques/content covered in class: Modern, ballet, folk, improvisation, choreography
The Parkinson’s Institute and Clinical Center
675 Almanor Avenue
Sunnyvale, CA 94085
For more information: call Parkinson’s Institute at (408) 734-2800 or Damara Vita Ganley at (831) 251-5397, or visit the Parkinson’s Institute website.
To see a video about the Sunnyvale program, please click here.
Davis (T)
Dance for Parkinson’s
Tuesdays, 2:00-3:15 PM
Weekly
Preregistration required
No charge
Sponsoring organizations: Mondavi Center, Pamela Trokanski Dance Workshop, Parkinson Association of Northern California
Lead teachers: Pamela Trokanski and Bobbie Bolden
Dance styles/techniques/content covered in class: modern, ballet, jazz, improvisation
Pamela Trokanski Dance Workshop
2720 Del Rio Place
Davis, CA 95618
For information and registration: call Ruth Rosenberg at (530) 752-6113
Additional information: Davis Dance for Parkinson’s webpage
Emeryville (T)
Dance Moves Me! for Parkinson’s
Fridays, 12:15-1:30 p.m.
Weekly
No Charge. Students need to join Emeryville Senior Center: $10/year for Emeryville residents $20/year non-Emeryville residents
Lead teachers: Debbie Sternbach and Woodrow Thompson
Sponsoring Organization: City of Emeryville
Dance Styles/techniques: jazz, ballet, tap, musical theater, vintage, improvisation, choreography, voice work
The Bridgecourt Room
3990 Harlan (off 40th St.)
Emeryville, CA 94608
Contact the Emeryville Senior Center to register: 510-596-3730
Contact Debbie Sternbach for information: 510-653-8362 or visit www.dancemovesme.com
Merced (T)
Dance for Parkinson’s
Class time is 2:45-3:45 Tuesdays
Merced Academy of Dance
www.mercedacademyofdance.com
645 West Main Street
3rd floor
Merced, CA 95340
Classes are drop-in friendly, $10 each, and free for care partners.
Sacramento (T)
Dance for Parkinson’s
Wednesdays, 1:00-2:15 PM and 2:45-4:00 PM
Weekly
Preregistration required
No charge
Sponsoring organizations: Mondavi Center, UC Davis; Pamela Trokanski Dance Workshop, Parkinson Association of Northern California
Lead teachers: Kathy Van Hoof and Elaine Silver
Dance styles/techniques/content covered in class: modern, ballet, jazz, improvisation
Eskaton Monroe Lodge
3225 Freeport Boulevard
Sacramento, CA 95818
For information and registration: call Ruth Rosenberg at (530) 752-6113 or contact Ruth via email.
San Francisco (T)
San Francisco Ballet’s Dance Class for People with Parkinson’s Disease
JOIN US IN OUR BEAUTIFUL STUDIOS
Location:
Chris Hellman Center for Dance
455 Franklin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
2020 WINTER CLASS DATES
Saturdays: January 11, 18, 25 / February 1, 8, 22,29 / March 7
Time: 3:00–4:15 pm
Wednesdays: January 15, 22, 29 / February 5, 12, 19, 26 / March 4, 11
Time: 2:00-3:15pm
Classes are Free of Charge
Registration closes January 8th
Lead teacher: Cecelia Beam, San Francisco Ballet School Faculty for Adult Ballet and Dance Class for Individuals with Parkinson’s Disease
Dance styles/techniques covered in class: Seated warmup and chair dances. Ballet barre exercises and movement in patterns, circles, with partners, and across the floor. Many dances are inspired by current SF Ballet Repertory. Class is designed to accommodate a range of abilities.
For more information contact Cecelia via email.
Santa Cruz (T)
Dance for Parkinson’s
Wednesdays, 1:00-2:15pm
Classes held year-round
No charge
Drop-ins Welcome
Sponsoring organizations: ComForCare Santa Cruz and Motion Pacific Dance
Lead teachers: Damara Vita Ganley, Katie Griffin and Molly Katzman
Musician: John Malkin
Motion Pacific Dance
131 Front Street Suite E
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
motionpacific.com
For information: call (831) 457-1616 or email abra@motionpacific.com
Santa Rosa/Sonoma (T)
Dance for Parkinson’s
2nd and 4th Thursdays, 1:15—2:45 p.m.
No registration necessary; Drop-ins welcome
$10 suggested donation
Sponsoring Organization: Parkinson’s Support Group of Sonoma County
Head teachers: Torri Campbell, Brigid Hoag
Musician: Rob Ellis
Dance Styles: Ballet, modern, jazz, folk, improv, choreography
The Odd Fellows Hall
545 Pacific Avenue (at Mendocino)
Santa Rosa, CA 95404
Map
Parking Adjacent to Hall
For information call: (707) 942-4234 or email
Download the class flyer
Visalia (T)
Twist & Shout: a dance class while seated and standing for Parkinson’s people and their circle of care
On hiatus
Lead teacher: Kathy Page
For questions and information, please call (559) 240-3200.
Walnut Creek (T)
Dance Moves Me! for Parkinson’s
Every Tuesday, beginning September 8th
1-2:30 p.m.
$10/class – care partners are free
Pre-registration required
Instructors: Debbie Sternbach and Woodrow Thompson
Dance styles taught: jazz, ballet, tap, musical theater, vintage, improvisation
Sponsoring organization: Parkinson Network Mt. Diablo
Ace Dance Academy
1825 Mt. Diablo Blvd. (behind Fitness Superstore)
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
For information and registration, please contact Debbie Sternbach at 510-653-8362 or visit www.dancemovesme.com.
Southern California
Los Angeles–Pasadena (T)
Dancing with Parkinson’s
Wednesdays 2:00-3:00 p.m.
Drop-ins welcome
Free of charge
Sponsoring organizations: Lineage Dance, San Gabriel Chapter of the American Parkinson Disease Association
Lead teachers: Michelle Kolb, Hilary Thomas
Dance styles/techniques/content covered in class: modern, ballet, jazz, improvisation, Lineage Dance repertory
First United Methodist church
500 East Colorado Blvd
Pasadena, CA 91101
Parking lot and entrance are on Green Street in the back of the building.
For more information: call (213) 500-3457 or (626) 844-7008.
Los Angeles–Mid-city (T)
Dancing through Parkinson’s
Thursdays, 1:30-2:30 PM (except for Major Holidays)
Drop-ins welcome
No advanced registration or payment is required. Participants are encouraged to make a $15 donation per session.
An engagement program of: Invertigo Dance Theatre
Lead teachers: Heidi Buehler and Linda Berghoff
Culver-Palms YMCA Dance Studio
4500 Sepulveda Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90230
Free parking behind the building
Click here for a map
For more information about the program and the class locations: call Monica Miklas at 424-229-2141, email dancepd@invertigodance.org, or visit www.invertigodance.org/parkinsons
Los Angeles–West LA (T)
Dancing through Parkinson’s
Mondays, 1:30-2:30 PM (except for Major Holidays)
Drop-ins welcome
No advanced registration or payment is required. Participants are encouraged to make a $15 donation per session.
An engagement program of: Invertigo Dance Theatre
Lead teachers: Linda Berghoff and Rachel Whiting
Electric Lodge
1416 Electric Ave.
Venice, CA 90291
Free parking lot
Click here for a map
For more information about the program and the class locations: call Monica Miklas at 424-229-2141, email dancepd@invertigodance.org, or visit www.invertigodance.org/parkinsons
Los Angeles–Beverly Hills (T)
Dancing through Parkinson’s
Tuesdays, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 PM (except for Major Holidays)
Please call to confirm dates before coming to your first class
Drop-ins welcome
No advanced registration or payment is required. Participants are encouraged to make a $15 donation per session.
An engagement program of: Invertigo Dance Theatre in partnership with the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts
Lead teachers: Heidi Buehler and Linda Berghoff
Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts
9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Underground parking $1/hr for first two hours. Click here for map
For more information about the program and the class locations: call Monica Miklas at 424-229-2141, email dancepd@invertigodance.org, or visit www.invertigodance.org/parkinsons
Los Angeles–Lincoln Heights (T)
Dancing through Parkinson’s
First Tuesday of every month, 11 AM to 12 PM
Drop-ins welcome
No advanced registration or payment is required. Participants are encouraged to make a $15 donation per session.
An engagement program of: Invertigo Dance Theatre
Lead teacher: Laura Karlin
Plaza de la Raza
3540 N Mission Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90031
Free parking in lot
Click here for map
For more information about the program and the class locations: call Monica Miklas at 424-229-2141, email dancepd@invertigodance.org, or visit www.invertigodance.org/parkinsons
Los Angeles–Tarzana (T)
Dancing with Parkinson’s
Tuesdays 1:30-2:30 PM
Drop-ins welcome
No advanced registration or payment is required. Participants are encouraged to make a $15 donation per session.
An engagement program of: Invertigo Dance Theatre
Lead teacher: Heidi Buehler
LA Star Dance Studio
19320 Ventura Blvd, Tarzana, CA 91356
Plentiful street parking
Click here for map
For more information about the program and the class locations: call Monica Miklas at 424-229-2141, email dancepd@invertigodance.org, or visit www.invertigodance.org/parkinsons
Orange County–Fountain Valley (T)
Dance for Parkinson’s
Mondays 10:00-11:15 AM
Drop ins welcome; no charge
Sponsoring organization: Orange Coast Memorial
Lead teachers: Gina Quintana, Rebeca Ramos-O’Reilly and Meg Teran
Dance styles/techniques covered in class: Modern, ballet, jazz, tap, improvisation
Mariposa Shopping Center (next door to hospital, two doors down from Togo’s)
18225 Brookhurst St., Suite 12
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
For more information, please call (714) 378-5022 or email Teri Brown.
Ventura County–Thousand Oaks (T)
Tango for PD
Mondays 1:00pm – 2:30pm
Drop-ins welcome
Free of charge
Lead teacher: Dennis Cante
Dance styles/techniques covered in class: Seated warmup, partnered Argentine tango with a focus on posture, balance and walking.
Seven Oaks Physical Therapy & Fitness Center
141 Triunfo Canyon Rd.
Westlake Village, CA 91361
Free parking
For more information, please contact Dennis by email or call 323-896-2373. More information online at http://www.energyofdance.org.
Ojai (T)
Dancing with Parkinson’s
Dance classes for people with Parkinson’s Disease
Mondays 1:00-2:00 pm (except holidays)
Weekly
$5 Suggested donation
Lead teacher: Irina Dukhon
“The Barn” at St. Joseph’s Retirement Center
2464 East Ojai Avenue
Parking is available through the Villa Giuseppe entrance
For more information, please contact Irina at (206) 909-8918 or by email.
Riverside (T)
Movement for Life – BRAVA
Weekly on Tuesdays
12:30 – 1:30 p.m.
Lead instructor: Glenda Carhart
6465 Sycamore Canyon Blvd.
Suite 110
Riverside, CA 92507
Accessible studios with sprung dance flooring
Call for more information (800) 870-6069 or visit www.movementforlife-brava.org.