Danspace - Movement Classes for Persons with Parkinson's Disease

Danspace and PD Active in association with the Mark Morris Dance Group and the Brooklyn Parkinson Group with the generous support of the Gould Foundation offer

Taught by Caroline Adams, Mary Armentrout, Freesia Paclebar-Huth and Claudine Naganuma
Live musical accompaniment with Rudy Apffel

Space is limited.

About the class
These classes are appropriate for anyone with PD, no matter how advanced. No dance experience is necessary. The classes combine elements of modern dance, ballet, hula, butoh, and social dancing to create an enjoyable, stimulating, non-pressured artistic experience for people with PD. Dance for PD started as a a unique collaboration between the Mark Morris Dance Group and the Brooklyn Parkinson Group, a chapter of the National Parkinson Foundation. The Dance for PD teaching method is built on one fundamental premise: professionally-trained dancers are movement experts whose knowledge is useful to persons with PD. Dancers know about stretching and strengthening muscles, and about balance and rhythm. Most importantly, dancers know how to use their thoughts, imagination, eyes, ears and touch to control their movements. While dancing, whether in chairs, at a barre, or standing, everyone in the class explores comfortable dance movements in an enjoyable, non-pressured, social environment in which live music energizes, enriches and empowers.

About the instructors
RUDY APFFEL is a well-known dance accompanist who has been working in the Bay Area for more than 30 years CAROLINE ADAMS studied dance at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, where she graduated in 2001. Caroline was a teaching artist for Hospital Audiences, Inc. and a dance and music teacher at an inpatient rehabilitation center in Brooklyn, NY.

MARY ARMENTROUT is a dancer, choreographer, and teacher, currently also getting her certification as a Feldenkrais Practitioner. Mary Armentrout is the facilitator of the FieldSF.

FREESIA PACLEBAR HUTH has been teaching dance for 20 years in the Bay Area. She is an advocate for the healing power of dance and has taught dance to many different communities.

CLAUDINE NAGANUMA, from San Francisco is the Artistic Director of danceNAGANUMA. She received her M.F.A. in choreography from Mills College in 1992. She served as Artistic Director of Asian American Dance Performances from 1992-2004 and is currently the Managing Director of Danspace.

Danspace was founded in 1976 offering classes for children, teens and adults. Information about its programs can be found at www.danspace.com. The school has been residing at its location in the Rockridge neighborhood of Oakland, California since 1985.