Moving Communities - Contemporary Dance for People Living with Parkinson’s Disease

Moving Communities

Contemporary Dance for People Living with Parkinson’s Disease

Yasmeen Godder Company

Tel-Aviv-Jaffa Israel

Mondays:      11:30am -12:45pm

Wednesdays: 10:30am-11:45pm

 Online Dance Classes 

Our weekly Contemporary Dance Classes for people living with Parkinson’s disease began in February 2015, as part of the “Störung/הפרעה” Project. Initiated by Theatre Freiburg, Germany, this unique interdisciplinary collaborative project brought together professional dancers and choreographers with scientists and physicians – along with people with Parkinson’s from Israel and Germany – to explore different aspects of human movement and movement disorder. For more information about the project please visit our blog: www.hafraah.wordpress.com

After a successful and fulfilling year, we decided to continue the weekly classes independently. In January 2017, we received a generous grant from The Ted Arison Family Foundation allowing us to add another weekly class and offer the classes to the community at no cost. The professional dancers who comprise our team of teachers present classes inspired by different techniques and physical practices that reflect their different approaches and training. Classes range from release-based techniques and contact improvisation, to those influenced by Feldenkrais, Tai-Chi, Capoeira and Voice Training. Members of Yasmeen Godder Company consider these disciplines as part of the “tool box” they drawing upon and excel in.

Each class is made up of a teacher, an assistant and a group of volunteers – mostly professional dancers along with movement therapists and specialists with related skills. We believe that at least one-third of the participants in each class are people who are not living with Parkinson’s disease, having learned the multi-generational and mixed ability of the participants contributes to the classes’ success by creating a positive, playful and enriching experience on many levels. The classes include a break for tea and cookies, which further enables social interaction.

In January 2018, we are planning to hold a conference that will concentrate on sharing information with the larger international community involved in the dialogue between dance and Parkinson’s disease, and the different approaches and practices that have been developed around this theme and questions.

For more information and registration: pdanceclasses@gmail.com

For volunteering contact Anat Bar: 052-8838880