Find a Class

Brooklyn

(**) denotes charter affiliate program - (T) one or more teachers in this location have completed a Dance for PD training workshop. - ( Certified) denotes teacher is certified by Dance for PD®
As a preventative measure to decrease risk associated with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), Dance for PD is suspending all NYC classes, programs, and activities from March 15-29, 2020. Click here to read the full announcement.

Brooklyn, NY (Flagship Program)

Dance for PD®

2019-2020 Season (beginning September 4):

Wednesdays 1:30-2:45 PM
Weekly
Drop-ins welcome
Free of charge

Hosting organizations: Mark Morris Dance Group, Brooklyn Parkinson Group
Lead teachers: Janelle Barry, David Leventhal, Sarah Marcus, Uta Takemura, Heather Waldon, Megan Williams, and MMDG Company Dancers (Richard Bennett, Philip Hamilton, Adreas Brade, and Marco Jimenez, musicians)
Dance styles/techniques covered in class: Modern, Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Folk, Improv, Mark Morris repertory

Mark Morris Dance Center
3 Lafayette Avenue
Fort Greene, Brooklyn

For more information: email us or call (800) 957-1046. To find out about cancellations due to bad weather, please call (718) 218-3373. Cancellations will be recorded on the outgoing message by 9 AM the day of the class.

Dance for PD® PRO
Mondays 5:45-6:45 PM

Winter/Spring 2020 Session:
January 6, 13, 27
February 3, 10, 24
March 2, 9, 16, 23

Advanced registration required
Free of charge

Designed for the working professional or those who seek a level of mastery, comprehension, and focus through more rigorous dance experience. Modeled after the award-winning Dance for PD® program, Dance for PD Plus classes integrate elements of ballet, modern and tap technique to help people with Parkinson’s build and master a specific set of dance skills through a focused, intensive approach. To provide a comprehensive learning experience, David Leventhal and Janelle Barry, both experienced Dance for PD teachers, will combine technical training, improvisation and a focus on structural alignment with information about dance vocabulary and history, all in an intimate, personalized workshop environment. The 60-minute class, which features live music by Richard Bennett, will include a progressive standing warm-up, standing barre work and traveling steps.

Mark Morris Dance Center
3 Lafayette Avenue
Fort Greene, Brooklyn

Returning participants may register online. First-time visitors or those who wish to sign up by phone are invited to call us at (718) 218-3373. Cancellations will be recorded on our outgoing message by 9 AM the day of the class.

Additional opportunities available at our Brooklyn location include Sing for PD and PD Movement Lab. Click on either class name for more information!

Dance for PD is made possible through generous support from our community. We gratefully acknowledge contributions from individual Dance for PD members, donors, and Friends of MMDG along with public and private institutions: Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund, a community grant from the Parkinson’s Foundation, Billy Rose Foundation, US WorldMeds, Bossak/Heilbron Charitable Foundation, The Dillon Fund, General Catalyst, Sills Family Foundation, Lily Auchincloss Foundation, and Stanley J. Wertheimer Fund. Public support for Dance for PD is provided by New York City Council Member Helen Rosenthal, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, and the New York State Council on the Arts with support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

Press for the Flagship class

Video: Combating disease with dance: a new approach to Parkinson’s on CNN The Next List (Rebecca Bluitt)

Video: Inspiring Dancers on Better TV

Video: Dance Helps Parkinson’s Patients Harness Therapeutic Power of Movement on PBS NewsHour (by Special Correspondent Dave Iverson)

Audio: Parkinson’s Patients Find Grace in Dance on National Public Radio

Getting Their Groove Back, With Help from the Magic of Dance in The New York Times

Dance Class ‘Uplifting’ for Parkinson’s Patients in USA Today

Finding New Life Through Movement in Neurology Now

Gentle Exercise in Neurology Now

They dance for their health, and to defeat dreaded Parkinson’s Disease in New York Daily News

Dancing for Parkinson’s: Aesthetics, not Symptoms in exploredance.com

People with Parkinson’s Discover the Joy of Dance in Parkinson’s Disease Foundation Newsletter

Mark Morris Dance Group Reaches Out in The Hill

Mark Morris Dance Class Aids Parkinson’s in New York Daily News

The Benefits of Dance for People with Parkinson’s Disease in SmartMoney.com

Dance for Parkinson’s Disease in Dance Informa

Video: David Leventhal and Olie Westheimer receive the Alan Bonander Award at the 2013 Parkinson’s Unity Walk

Former Mark Morris principal dances for Parkinson’s in The Lybbaverse

Dance for PD is listed in NYC Arts’ Cultural Guides for Seniors. To view a guide for your borough that lists all arts activities open to seniors, please click here