Urban Bush Women: Dance for Every Body
In celebration of Black History Month, we invite you to join Urban Bush Women (UBW) on Saturday, February 22 from 2:30-4 PM for an intergenerational movement experience and designed for the community.
This movement jam/dance class embraces the ideas that each individual has a unique and powerful contribution to make, and
that our bodies are a powerful source of agency. The goal is for “every body” to find their level of challenge and comfort and partake according to their abilities, and to appreciate the groups’ diversity as an attribute to their community. No prior dance experience is needed. Participants explore UBW’s technique with close attention to the use of breath, weight, call and response and polyrhythm. Click here to learn more and to register. If you plan to participate as a seated dancer or require additional accommodations to support your engagement and enjoyment, please email adultprograms@mmdg.org with your
needs.
Living Well with Parkinson's: An APDA Educational Seminar + Dance for PD Open House
Join us online or in person on Friday, March 28 from 11:30 AM-3:30 PM for a free Lunch & Learn seminar presented by Dr. Rebecca Gilbert, movement disorders physician and Chief Mission Officer for the American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA). Following lunch, you'll have the opportunity to enjoy
demo Sing for PD, PD Movement Lab, and Dance for PD classes. Click here to learn more and to register!
This week: February 17-23, 2025
Please note our offices will be closed and we will not offer live programming on Monday, February 17 in observance of Presidents' Day.
Dance for PD programs will be canceled if New York City Public Schools are closed due to inclement weather. The class may also be canceled if extreme weather conditions make travel too difficult. In the event of cancellation, a live or on-demand digital class will be made available to enjoy from the safety and comfort of home
free of charge.
Cancellation information will be posted on our website home page by 9 AM on the day of the class: www.danceforpd.org. Information will also be left on the outgoing message of our registration/cancellation hotline: (718) 218-3373. As
always, we encourage you to use your best judgment! Please join us for classes in person only when it is a safe and comfortable option for you.
In-person classes | New York City
We currently offer in-person classes in Brooklyn, Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island. Registration is now open for classes taking place in our Winter 2025 sessions! Click here to sign up to dance throughout the start of the
new year! Advanced registration is required for all locations other than Brooklyn.
Dance for PD Staten Island
Dance for PD PRO (all standing class)
Moving Brains, Dancing Souls
Join us on the second and fourth Mondays of each month for a new dance fitness class. Please note the session on Monday, February 24 will take place from 3-4:30 PM at the Mark Morris Dance Center in
Brooklyn. Led in Spanish and English by Bethina Sayegh-Flores in collaboration with Dr. Jose Cabssa from Moving Brains Foundation, the session includes a brief health evaluation before a fun, energetic
90-minute dance-based workout. The event is offered free of charge. For more information, visit movingbrainsfoundation.org or email movingbrainsneuro@gmail.com.
Registration will open 15 minutes before the scheduled start time of each session. All classes/events are listed in Eastern Time (ET):
Our live-streamed community classes are offered via Zoom. Click here to learn more about how to download the free application on your home computer, tablet, or smartphone. Program staff will be online and available to help troubleshoot technical difficulties 15 minutes before class start time. Each session includes an opening welcome and time for small group conversation after the class. Miss a class? Want to revisit a class? Dance for PD Members have special access to our digital class library of Dance for PD, Sing for PD, Pilates and Yoga classes originally offered on Zoom. Not a member or need to renew? Click here to join!
In-person classes | NY Metro Area
In-person Dance for PD-affiliated classes are offered throughout Westchester, Long Island, New Jersey and Connecticut. Click here to explore locations and contact information through our global map.
For 23 years, support from community members like you has helped ensure our vital Dance for PD programming continues free of charge. When you make a donation, become a member, or include Dance for PD in your planned giving, your contribution makes a real difference in the lives of people with PD, their care partners, and loved ones—helping us continue to share the joys and benefits of dance throughout the year.
Learn tap from Dance for PD founding teacher Misty Owens in this Tap for PD 6-class series now available on demand in the Dance for PD digital library. Members can click here to log in and access the series. Not a member? Join today.
Member exclusive: Featured On Demand Classes of the Week
Our Members' Digital Class Library, with more than 350 selections at your fingertips, features a different On Demand class each week. Just log in with your member credentials, visit the On Demand portal, and find the Featured Class channel to revisit a gem from our archives.
Volume 5 of our best-selling
Dance for PD® At Home series features a set of exhilarating new movement activities that draw upon jazz, tap, modern and dances from the African diaspora - as well as Mark Morris repertory - to deliver a rigorous, stimulating and energetic experience. Led by Misty Owens, Pat Hall, and David Leventhal, the video is available now as a digital product that can be streamed or downloaded. Click here to learn more and purchase a your digital copy. Click here to purchase
Dance by phoneDesigned for persons more comfortable connecting by phone or those without computer access, Dance for PD is pleased to offer on-demand audio-described movement activities
by phone. You can dance by phone anytime by calling our toll-free number (1-800-957-1046) and selecting from a menu of movement activities starting with Extension 20. Learn more about this new free resource by clicking here.
Sunday socialDance for PD is pleased to provide space in the digital world for members of our global community to connect for unstructured weekly group conversations on Sundays from 12-1 PM. Pop in at the top of
the hour to say hello! All topics of conversation are welcome, but here are ideas (courtesy of Arlene Scorzelli) to get you started: ▪ | What's the last book you read? What are you reading now? |
▪ | Do you have a favorite family recipe you'd be willing to share? |
▪ | What's your favorite movie and/or TV show? |
▪ | How do you handle loneliness? |
▪ | How do you make best use of your time alone? |
No registration required; click here to join via Zoom or login with these credentials:
Meeting ID: 971 5639 4867 Passcode: 567834
Connect at homeYou're invited to be a member of the Dance for PD Connect at Home team through Ryver, a free online platform that allows members to communicate in four ways: group chats, discussion forums,
private messages, or calls. This is also a wonderful resource to share news and events you think may interest others! Click here to learn more and get started!
Share your experienceWe are excited to include a new page on our website listing research opportunities available and relevant to our community members. While we do not vet each project, we do require that all listed opportunities have IRB approval, ensuring ethical and non-injurious study designs. Click here to view opportunities - which currently include paid and unpaid surveys about a cognitive skills coaching program, Young Onset
perspectives, and communication experiences - and get involved in advancing the field of Parkinson's research. Thank you for your participation!
For more information regarding BPG community programming, contact Judy Dean at judithdean@earthlink.net or (718) 643-1130. |
Writing about PD is an important way to explain what it is and how it feels like to live with it. There is a need for us to tell our own stories and we need to tell them not just to each other, but to everybody.
The Writing Circle provides a forum to support the writing process of people living with PD and group meets on the third Fridays of each month from 3:30-5 PM at The Mark Morris Dance Center. It is open to anyone living with PD who is willing to contribute actively with text
contributions according to our work plan.
The Downtown Brooklyn Speech and Hearing Clinic at LIU-Brooklyn is pleased to offer an in-person, voice and communication group for individuals with Parkinson’s (PD) on Thursdays at 1 PM. This group is student-led and supervised by a licensed speech-language pathologist with expertise in working with individuals with PD. The program is specifically tailored for individuals with PD who have completed voice or speech therapy. It will also incorporate self-advocacy training, caregiver engagement, and education on alternative communication devices that participants may utilize.
Participants will have the opportunity for socialization and practice using their strong, dynamic voices by maintaining and extending the skills they have learned in therapy. For more information, please contact Erin Bestreich, MS, CCC-SLP, at (347) 509-4974 or erin.bestreich@liu.edu.
Fitness for PDIn person or Online Tuesdays from 9:45-11:15 AM Join us at LIU Brooklyn for free exercise classes developed
specifically for people with Parkinson’s. Led by Tracye Rawls-Martin and LIU students, participants build physical fitness and skills by challenging their abilities in a friendly, caring, and rigorous environment. Advanced registration and medical clearance are required for all participants;
for schedule details and to enroll, email Tracye.Rawls-Martin@liu.edu or call (718) 780-4081. Click here for more information.
Speech for PDJoin Teachers College at Columbia University online for free intensive speech treatment for people with Parkinson’s. Led by Gemma Moya-Galé, Carol Normal, and TC graduate students, the focus of
these sessions is to enhance social participation by focusing on voice and breathing exercises that target intelligibility as well as on functional speaking and cognitive tasks. Participants will work in both big group and smaller subgroup formats, which offers many opportunities to practice in a fun, engaging, and interactive way from home. To learn more and receive information for upcoming sessions email Gemma Moya-Galé at gm2446@tc.columbia.edu.
Online General Support Group* First, third, and fifth Wednesdays of the month, 5:15-6:15
PM In person General Support Group Second and fourth Wednesdays of the month, 1-2 PM @ Mark Morris Dance Center Join us to reconnect! People living with PD are invited to participate in our online and in-person community conversations to share challenges and best practices for staying health and engaged.
Click here or call (646) 876-9923 and enter meeting ID 818 0390 3715# to join the online meetings on first and third Wednesdays of each month. You can also tune in by entering the Zoom meeting
ID and passcode: Meeting ID: 818 0390 3715 Passcode: 449910 *Online support group meetings will be offered via Zoom. Click here to learn
more about how to download the free application on your home computer, tablet, or smartphone. Technical support will be online and available to help troubleshoot difficulties 15 minutes before meeting start time
Care Partner Support Group Heights and Hills is proud to offer in-person and online support groups for spouses, partners, or family members caring for a person living with Parkinson's weekly on Wednesdays. Sessions run from 12-2 PM on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month at the Mark Morris Dance Center in Brooklyn;
participants have the option to connect in person or remotely via Zoom. For more information, contact Yulin Liu at (718) 596-8789 or yliu@heightsandhills.org.
Peer 2 Peer Support Group Informally started by participants in the Dance for PD PRO Manhattan class, this peer-led group was formed from an organic need to talk to others living with PD, share experiences, get ideas, and learn from one
another. Meetings take place in person on Thursdays from 6:30-7:30 PM at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan, located at 334 Amsterdam Avenue at W. 76th Street. Click
here for more information or contact Whitney Champman at (646) 505-4383 or wchapman@mmjccm.org.
Happy Black History Month!
The Mark Morris Dance Center proudly acknowledges the remarkable contributions of our Black teaching artists, faculty, staff, company members, and the broader Black community.
We invite you to join us this month and throughout the year to learn about and share the diverse cultures, traditions, history, and contributions of Black people in America and in the world
of dance. We're pleased to feature one of many opportunities below:
Join Brandon Barker on Tuesdays, February 25-April 1 from 7:30-9 PM for an introduction to the fundamentals of Lindy Hop. Designed for absolute beginners with relatively little experience, this class will be an exploration of solo jazz movement and partnered dancing, while intertwining layers of historical context highlighting the timeline that
led to the creation of Lindy Hop and what came after. Click here to learn more and to register. If you plan to participate as a seated dancer or require additional accommodations to support your engagement and enjoyment, please email adultprograms@mmdg.org with your needs.
Join us at The Joyce this summer
From July 15-26, Mark Morris Dance Group launches its milestone 45th anniversary season at The Joyce, presenting two stunning programs that showcase the breadth and versatility of Mark Morris’s choreography. With live music and Mark Morris’s signature blend of wit, musicality, and emotional depth, this much-anticipated engagement features both
new works and beloved repertory. Tickets are now on sale! Click here to learn more about each program and secure your seats.
Music Mark Morris wants you to hear
In celebration of Black History Month, we invited former MMDG Music Director and frequent Mark Morris collaborator Ethan Iverson to put together a playlist of pianist and composer James P. Johnson's music, which will be featured in a world premiere at The Joyce Theater this summer. Click here to listen on Spotify. Enjoy!
We want to hear from you! |
Your feedback and ideas in
support of our growth and continued success are welcome! Click here to share your experience about a specific class you've attended or call us at (800)
957-1046. Have you joined us for class in person at the Mark Morris Dance Center in Brooklyn? If so, we want to hear about your experience! Click here to complete a 3-question survey. We thank you for your feedback! |
We look forward to seeing you! |
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: AbbVie American Parkinson Disease Association Adira Foundation Billy Rose Foundation Bloomberg Philanthropies Bossak/Heilbron Charitable Foundation The Dillon Fund General Catalyst Bernard F. and Alva B. Gimbel Foundation Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund Lily Auchincloss Foundation Lucy Bowen Fund Medtronic, Inc. A community grant from the Parkinson’s Foundation Sence Foundation Sills Family Foundation Stanley J. Wertheimer
Fund Public support for Dance for PD is provided by New York City Council Member Crystal Hudson, 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 the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
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©2024 Mark Morris Dance Group/Dance for PD® | Dance for PD® is a program of Mark Morris Dance
Group | 3 Lafayette Ave. | Brooklyn, NY 11217 |
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