Holiday notice: Summer Recess Please note there will be no live Dance for PD programming from August 25-September 7. While we won't have live classes during this short recess, we invite you to enjoy select activities and a sample class from our digital class library that are available on-demand and free of charge. Dance for PD members have unlimited access to the full library, featuring more than 400 on-demand classes. If you're not already a member, you can click here to join us.
Please allow 2 business days for memberships to be confirmed. NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital will present a panel presentation and conversation on Navigating Care Options on Tuesday, August 26 from 2-4 PM at the Hospital's Center for Community Health, located at 515 6th Street in
Brooklyn. Topics include senior living and home care options, as well as social adult programs. Learn about available services, how to choose the right care path, and get your questions answered by professionals in the field. Light refreshments will be provided. Contact Rose Brown at eqa9001@nyp.org or (646) 704-1792 with questions and to register. 🎉 Happy birthday, Mark Morris! 🎉 Mark Morris celebrates his 69th birthday on August 29! We continue to be inspired by his endless creativity, stylish vigor, and his fierce vision for the future which motivates us all. To celebrate, we invite you to listen to this specially curated playlist featuring songs by artists he
enjoys – sharing 2 songs by each, back to back. Click here to listen on our Spotify channel and click here to read Mark's memoir Out Loud to learn more about his life and work. This week: August 25-31, 2025 In-person classes resume September 8Fall 2025 class registration now open We currently offer in-person classes in Brooklyn, Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island. Registration is open for classes taking place in our Fall 2025 session! Advanced registration is required to join in person at all NYC locations. Dance for PD Staten Island Dance for PD PRO (all standing class) Live-streamed classes resume September 8Registration 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 AreaIn-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 more than 20 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. Digital + Community ResourcesNational Make-A-Will Month August is National Make-A-Will Month, a gentle reminder of how important it is to take care of the people, values, and causes that matter most. For many in our Dance for PD community, that includes the joy, creativity, and connection found through dance. We’ve partnered with FreeWill, a secure, no-cost tool that allows you to make or update your will in just 20 minutes. Whether or not you include a gift, it’s a meaningful way to take care of what matters most—and to revisit the priorities and people you want your legacy to support. If Dance for PD has played an important role in your life, this is a powerful opportunity to pay that experience forward—ensuring that others can share in the same joy and creativity that you’ve helped build. And if you’ve already designated a gift to our program in your plans, please let us know by filling out this short gift intent
form. We’d love to recognize your thoughtful generosity and welcome you into our Legacy Society. Alexander Technique for PD Cindi Kim, one of the practitioners at the Mark Morris Wellness Center, has been teaching Alexander Technique for over 12 years and is currently in intensive training for
adapting Alexander for the PD community. She is offering private, pay-what-you-can Alexander Technique lessons for the PD community at the Mark Morris Dance Center in Brooklyn (suggested minimum of $25). Research indicates that Alexander Technique may help people living with Parkinson's and care partners reduce depression and improve
steadiness, uprightness, coordination, and mobility, both in daily functioning and across activities. Click here to book your private lesson with Cindi today. Online choreography workshop Many congratulations to Dance for PD teaching artist Michael Vitaly Sazonov, who received a 2025 Fellowship in Choreography from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts! Michael is seeking dancers living with Parkinson's and/or care partners to participate in a free 5-week choreography
workshop via Zoom, culminating in an informal online showing for friends and family, as well as an optional recording session. The workshop will take place online via Zoom weekly on Tuesdays through September 2 from 11:30 AM-12:15 PM. Each session will include a warm up and cool down, as well as the chance to explore and learn Michael's choreography. Commitment in the full series is encouraged, but not
required. For more information and to sign up, contact Michael at michaelvitaly@me.com.
Dance for PD has partnered with Recare, an innovative home-based service supporting individuals living with Parkinson’s, dementia, and other neurodegenerative conditions to share the
joys and benefits of dance in customized in-home sessions. Ideal for individuals who are unable to attend group classes and who want one-on-one individualized instruction with specially trained teaching artists, each weekly session is tailored to the individual, blending dance with Recare’s unique creative engagement techniques to deliver an uplifting, meaningful experience. Click here to learn more about the Recare x Dance for PD® Package today!
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! We are excited to include a 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! BPG activities are co-coordinated by Judy Dean and Susan March. For more information regarding BPG community programming, contact Judy 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.
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 PD (resumes Fall 2025)In person or Online
Tuesdays from 9:45-11:15 AM
September 23-November 25, 2025
February 3-April 28, 2026
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 PD (resumes Fall 2025)Join 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 — no in-person meeting on Wednesday, August 27
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. We're still beaming from our performances at The Joyce––thank you to everyone who joined us! What an incredible way to kick off our 45th Anniversary Season. We were thrilled to present repertory gems like The Muir, Ten
Suggestions, Going Away Party and Mosaic and United alongside the world premiere of You've Got to Be Modernistic, featuring original music by James P. Johnson, arranged by Ethan Iverson, and the world premiere of Northwest, set to music by John Luther Adams.
We look forward to sharing these works with you around the country as we
continue to celebrate our 45th season! Click here to explore the calendar and find an upcoming performance near you. Mark Morris Dance Group Day On July 15, 2025, Mark Morris Dance Group received a mayoral proclamation recognizing its 45 years of expanding access to the arts!
"What began as a small, independent ensemble evolved over time into an award-winning, acclaimed international touring troupe known for its innovative modern dance productions featuring live music, as
well as its longstanding partnerships with some of the world's leading composers and musicians. At the heart of the company's mission is Mark's belief that dance is for anybody—a motto that is a guiding principle of its work on stage and its holistic commitment to access, equity, and inclusion." – Office of the Mayor, City of New York
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 Breukelein Institute 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. 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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