Find a Class
Brooklyn
Certified) denotes teacher is certified by Dance for PD®
Brooklyn, NY (Flagship Program)
Dance for PD®
2021-2022 Season (beginning September 4):
Thursdays 3:15-4:15 PM
Offered in person and online
Weekly
Free of charge
Advanced registration and proof of vaccination is required for all attendees, including care partners.
To participate online, registration opens at 3:00 PM the day of the class
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, Andreas Brade, and George Lykogiannis, 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, call (800) 957-1046, or click here. 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
Thursdays 5:15-6:15 PM
Offered in person and online
Weekly
Registration, full vaccination and masks required for in-person participation
To participate online, registration opens at 3:00 PM the day of the class
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
Additional opportunities available at our Brooklyn location include Movement Studio.
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 Kathy Hochul 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
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