Participants go through a series of moves at a Dance for Parkinson’s Disease class with the Brooklyn, New York-based Mark Morris Dance Group. Oklahoma City Ballet will be begin offering a similar class in September. Photo by Ellis Gaskell
Oklahoma City Ballet will offer a ballet class that benefits people suffering from Parkinson’s Disease beginning Sept. 5 at its new facility at 6800 N Classen Blvd.
Dance for Parkinson’s is being offered through OKC Ballet’s growing outreach division, as a part of the Golden Swans program that benefits senior adults. This new program was made possible in part by a grant from the Oklahoma City Community Foundation’s Elderly Services iFund, according to a news release.
Ballet has been proven to be beneficial for Parkinson’s patients through the Dance for PD program created by Mark Morris Dance Group faculty member David Leventhal. He has received numerous awards and recognition from the Parkinson’s community for creating this program. Erica Portell, OKC Ballet faculty member, attended classes in Brooklyn, New York, to become trained through Dance for PD in August.
“To me what is so unique about this approach is that it’s not ‘watered down’ or condescending,” said Portell in a news release. “There isn't a dynamic of ‘you are a patient -let's use dance to try and fix you.’ It respects that these people are grown adults with long, rich life experiences to draw from and to contribute. I would say a better description of the dynamic is ‘You Have Parkinson's. And you are here as a dance student.’”
Parkinson’s sufferers greatly benefit from the community formed, the strength and stability developed, and confidence in movement that ballet classes aid in developing, according to the release. The program consists of one-hour classes that vary between doing movements while seated, using the back of the chair for assistance, and doing movements across the floor. All instruction is catered to the abilities of that particular student, with options given for varying degrees of difficulty.
“Class is beyond inclusive,” Portell said in the release. “It is presented with options and modifications for everyone from early onset or recent diagnosis to those using wheelchairs or walkers. There's a way for everyone to participate at their maximum level.”
Portell’s own father suffers from Parkinson’s Disease.
Dance, specifically choreography or simply putting a sequence of movements together, ultimately helps participants to start thinking creatively on how to move from point A to point B. Participating in dance classes helps instill confidence in students by emphasizing what they are able to do and not focusing on what they cannot do. Dance also expands their abilities to do certain things, helping with their strength, stamina, flexibility, and stability.
Finally, participants feel a sense of community by being a part of a group dance class. Dancing together forms bonds, and there are specific activities that are conducted within the class in order to help participants develop those bonds.
Oklahoma City Ballet will be working with the Parkinson Foundation of Oklahoma to reach people in need of these classes. The expected outcomes of the program are that participants will have a decrease in their symptom severity, according to the news release.
Starting Sept. 5, the free Dance for Parkinson’s class will be offered weekly from 2 to 3 p.m. Tuesdays at the Brackett Dance Center. For more information or to sign up for these classes, contact Stephanie Pitts, OKC Ballet’s Outreach Coordinator,by emailing Stephanie@okcballet.org.
http://newsok.com/article/5560959
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