Princeton, NJ Health Care Guide Announcement
PRINCETON DANCE FOR PARKINSON NEW 6- WEEK CLASS SERIES APRIL 18 TO MAY 23, 2012
In May 2011, Princeton Dance for Parkinson offered the first NJ -dance classes for people with Parkinson’s Disease, and now almost a year later, DanceVision and The Parkinson Alliance are thrilled to announce its 6th 6-week series of classes. The classes empower those afflicted with Parkinson's disease, their partners, their caregivers, and friends to enjoy movement, music and dance.
New Spring 6-week series, Wednesdays beginning April 18 – May 23, 2012 @ 1-2:15 pm at PDT Studio, Forrestal Village, Princeton, NJ. Classes for walk-ins are $10 per person. If caregiver or spouse or partner participates it is only an additional $5. No dance experience necessary, all levels and can start anytime in the series!!
For more information please contact mariesnyder@dancevisionnj.org or call (609) 520 1020. DanceVision is located at PDT Studio Forrestal Village 116 Rockingham Row, Princeton NJ 08540.
Manola, a PDP participant shared: “ It works for all levels of the disease and for caregivers as well. Each of us can participate in our own way, and be comfortable with each other.” Dr. Sydney & Roslyn Helfen, who have come together each time, shared: “ It is the first activity we have found that is as much fun as it is vital for living with Parkinson’s Disease. We look forward to it each week. Marie, Deborah and Linda are wonderful instructors who are lighthearted and sensitive to our needs and capabilities even as they prompt us to move as much as possible and in ways we have not done before”. Elisa, who also brought her mother, shared: “ I think many of us are surprising ourselves with what we can do. Without this opportunity, we couldn’t know we have it in us”
Princeton Dance for Parkinson’s classes are based on the Dance for PD® program started at the Mark Morris Dance Center in Brooklyn in 2001 and It has since been replicated in more than 40 other communities around the world. Classes are appropriate for anyone with PD, no matter how advanced. No prior dance experience is necessary.
There are only 100 dance teachers in the U.S. who have been trained by the Mark Morris Dance Group, Dance for PD ® program, and are actively leading classes. The Princeton area is proud to have three: Marie Alonzo Snyder (EdD, MFA), Linda Mannheim (MFA, Med) and Debra Keller (BFA, CMA). All three are experienced dance instructors who were trained by the Mark Morris Dance Group teachers of Dance for PD®, and have continued their training with continuing education workshops. They will take turns co-leading the 75-minute class. Participants will explore elements of modern dance, ballet, social dancing and repertory from each of the choreographer in an enjoyable, non-pressured environment that features live musical accompaniment.
The Parkinson Alliance has offered to match grants received by DanceVision Inc earmarked for Princeton Dance for Parkinson for the express purpose of continuing this program.
About Parkinson’s disease
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative movement disorder that results when the cells in the brain that produce the chemical dopamine are damaged and can no longer produce sufficient levels of the chemical. PD usually progresses slowly in most people. Although symptoms vary from person to person, PD symptoms often include a resting tremor, rigidity, slow movement, and impairments in balance and coordination. Approximately 50-60,000 new cases of Parkinson’s are diagnosed in the United States each year.
About The Parkinson Alliance
The Princeton, NJ-based Parkinson Alliance is a national non-profit organization dedicated to raising funds to help finance the most promising research to find the cause and cure for Parkinson's disease. Through the generous support of The Tuchman Foundation and our numerous partnerships, we are in the unique position to guarantee that 100% of all individual donations and all net proceeds from all events go directly to research. To learn how, visit www.parkinsonalliance.org
The Parkinson Alliance is also the umbrella organization responsible for the Parkinson’s Unity Walk, the largest single-day grassroots awareness and fundraising event for the Parkinson’s community which takes place each spring in New York City’s Central Park, and for Team Parkinson, a fundraising event which began as an official charity of the Los Angeles Marathon and is growing into additional race events in other major U.S. cities. The Parkinson Alliance is also devoted to improving the quality of life in the DBS-STN community. Margaret Tuchman, President of The Parkinson Alliance, underwent bi-lateral deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus (DBS-STN) in 2000. As a way of keeping the DBS community connected and informed, Margaret founded WWW.DBS-STN.ORG which offers patient surveys, current science reviews and related health news.
About DanceVision
DanceVision's mission is to enrich the community with quality dance experiences, including performances, school residencies, and dance festivals. DanceVision, Inc., provides the highest quality dance education and performance opportunities while fostering artistic excellence and professionalism among young, emerging dancers. The community is invited to take part in all aspects of our productions and to attend participatory and educational dance events. Founded by Susan Jaffe and Risa Kaplowitz, DanceVision was incorporated in 2005 as a nonmembership, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation in New Jersey (www.dancevisionnj.org)
DanceVision successfully completed its first pilot program of D.A.N.C.E. (Dance As a Necessary Component of Education) in February 2006 at Montgomery Township's Lower Middle School with a two-week dance program called Water Dance based on poetry from a book of the same name. In April 2008, D.A.N.C.E. completed a similar program at Millstone River School thanks to a generous grant from the West Windsor-Plainsboro Education Foundation. The residencies help schools meet the New Jersey Department of Education Core Curriculum Standards and introduce different learning modalities.
The two founding trustees of DanceVision have a great deal of dancing, teaching, and outreach experience. Susan Jaffe is a world-renowned, former principal dancer with American Ballet Theater and Risa Kaplowitz, a former principal dancer with the Dayton Ballet and Manhattan Ballet, also danced with Houston Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, and the Metropolitan Opera Ballet.
