Join us for an Introductory Training Workshop

About our workshops

Our introductory workshops, whether offered in person or online, are specially designed to help trained dancers and dance instructors adapt their expertise to work effectively and comfortably with the Parkinson’s population under the guidelines and methodology of the Dance for PD® program. You'll cover special modules that focus on class structure, pedagogy and exercise design, and participate in a practicum class to develop class content and teaching techniques with founding teachers and other trainees, in addition to covering general modules about safety and working with Parkinson’s participants. Download our complete training guide here for more information.

Although these workshops are specifically geared toward dance teachers, we welcome a diverse group of individuals who may be interested in the workshop for Educational & Professional Enrichment (EPE). The EPE program is designed to provide a comprehensive and intimate look at core components of the Dance for PD® program so that a wide variety of individuals without dance training or dance teaching experience can learn about our methods and benefit from our resources.

Prerequisites

All trainees must satisfactorily complete an asynchronous 8-module prerequisite online training program before enrolling in our On Demand training. 

The cost of this 8-module course is $145 ($132 for members). It is expected that the self-directed course will take 8-10 hours to complete. You'll receive a link to this course when we approve your training application.

Workshop details

The blended format of this workshop is designed to fit more easily within your schedule. Learning takes place at your own pace during the week through our brand new On Demand training portal, with interactive seminars taking place over four Fridays via Zoom. These four days, along with assignments in between sessions, comprise a complete and comprehensive training workshop experience.

Training schedule

Start and end times are fixed; other times subject to change. All times refer to US Eastern Daylight Time (New York time).

July 14-18

Begin On Demand coursework

July 18 via Zoom

11 AM - 1 PM | Meet & Greet + Discussion session

July 21-25

Continue On Demand coursework

July 25 via Zoom

11 AM - 1 PM | Discussion session

July 28-August 1

Continue On Demand coursework

August 1 via Zoom

11 AM - 1 PM | Discussion session

August 4-8

Continue On Demand coursework

August 8 via Zoom

10 AM - 2 PM | Practicum and wrap up 

Workshop facilitators and trainers

David Leventhal, Dance for PD Program Director and founding teacher, and Maria Portman Kelly, Dance for PD Programs and Engagement Manager, with other Dance for PD-approved trainers.

How to apply

To maintain the quality of our online training experience, enrollment is limited, and an application is required.

Please click below to complete our application. We will notify you upon acceptance into the workshop, and then again approximately three weeks prior to the start of the training with information about final registration and payment.

Tuition

Tuition covers all digital materials and sessions, free lifetime On Demand access to five Dance for PD At Home instructional videos and five music albums (a complete package valued at $140), and a one-year membership to Dance for PD (valued at $120). Tuition does not include the prerequisite course, which is a separate fee.

Standard rate: $399

Dance for PD Member rate: $379

Returning trainee (refresher course): $175

Payment deadlines

Payment for the prerequisite course will be requested once you have been approved to join our training program. We recommend registering for the prerequisite course as soon as possible. Final registration for the workshop will open on or around June 1, 2025.

Fellowships

Fellowships and scholarships may be available on a case-by-case basis. For information on Fellowships, please click here. We prioritize scholarships for teaching artists from under-represented communities. Please contact us for more information about scholarships.

Post-workshop assessment

After the workshop, complete the online assessment and earn an Ofqual-accredited Level 4 qualification to wrap up your introductory training process.

Important note: If you have already completed our training application process and would like to participate in this workshop, please write to us at admin@danceforpd.org to pre-register for this workshop. You do not need to click through to complete a second application.

Feedback from our online workshops

I was worried about the online format of the workshop, but other than occasional eye fatigue, it definitely met and exceeded my expectations. It was still very interactive and collaborative, allowed adequate time for discussion/questions and provided a solid base of knowledge for the Dance for PD technique. It was awesome to meet and greet with the dancers [with Parkinson's] and see how much they love the Dance for PD program.
Online workshop participant

The mix of online and live interaction spread over a few weeks was perfect as I could fit learning in between other activities.
Online workshop participant

I found this to be a deeply inspiring experience. I was also delighted by how much of the training is applicable to teaching dance to anyone. I also became much more comfortable as both a student and a teacher on Zoom.
Online workshop participant

The workshop was so well-structured that you almost forgot you were on Zoom.
Online workshop participant

I am amazed and appreciative of the wealth of resources you provide.
Online workshop participant

You have put together a very well-coordinated engaging and informative online program that flows seamlessly! Not an easy task!
Online workshop participant

The excellent relational approach by the facilitators was brilliant and really condusive to having participants fully engaged.
Online workshop participant

Thank you for such an enriching experience. I very much enjoyed the program and thought that it was so well done via zoom.
Online workshop participant

I was understandably wary of doing this training online, but decided to go for it for time's sake with our current uncertain global situation. And I am so thankful I did. David and Marie and Janelle made this workshop engaging and interactive. It was so easy to ask questions and make comments. Having all the class videos on one webpage so we could just flip back and forth from Zoom was so simple.
Online workshop participant

The workshop was such an amazing experience, and I was thoroughly impressed by how collaborative and interactive it was despite the online format!
Online workshop participant

About Dance for PD®

The Mark Morris Dance Group's Dance for PD® program invites people with Parkinson's and their families in more than 400 communities and 30 countries around the globe to experience the joys and benefits of dance while creatively addressing symptom-specific concerns related to balance, cognition, motor skill, depression and physical confidence.

Through its innovative, internationally-replicated in-person and online classes, acclaimed teacher training program, and high quality media resources, Dance for PD​'s fundamental working principle is that professionally-trained dancers are movement experts whose knowledge about balance, sequencing, rhythm and aesthetic awareness is useful to persons with PD. In class, teaching artists integrate movement from modern, ballet, tap, folkloric, traditional, improvisation, and social dancing, along with choreographic and cultural repertory to engage participants' minds and bodies and create an enjoyable, social environment for artistic exploration.​​

Dance for PD has been featured in The New York Times, USA Today, Dance Magazine, The Guardian and hundreds of other publications,​and has been honored by several local, national and international awards, including the Parkinson Awareness Award, Alan Bonander Humanitarian Award, and the Sapolin Public Service Award from the New York City Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities.

Evidence from more than 50 peer-reviewed scientific studies from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, Italy and Germany serves to underpin the effectiveness and benefits of the Dance for PD teaching practice and suggests that dance provides a range of benefits, including improved walking and short-term mobility, enhanced quality of life and self-efficacy, and improvements in mood and social inclusion among people with Parkinson's.

Dance for PD, which began in 2001 as a collaboration between MMDG and Brooklyn Parkinson Group, leverages technology—online classes, on demand resources, and training and a popular instructional At Home video series—to make the program more available to its diverse and expanding network of constituents around the globe.

Dance for PD and the Dance for PD logo are Registered Trademarks of Discalced, Inc. dba Mark Morris Dance Group.