World Dance for Parkinson’s Day: changing lives through dance

World Dance for Parkinson’s Day sees 23 dance organisations and individual teaching artists from 16 countries offering classes for people with Parkinson’s throughout April, in honor of Parkinson’s Awareness Month and International Dance Day. Dance is scientifically proven to help people who suffer from Parkinson’s, with dance classes and programs offering more than just lessons – they also provide social, emotional, and creative experiences that enhance lives of the dance students and their families. Jody White Van de Klippe, Program Director for Hamilton City Ballet’s Dance for Parkinson’s and dance student Stan Tick talk about how dance classes are transforming lives for people with Parkinson’s. Hamilton City Ballet Listen to Stan talk about his diagnosis and the affects of the disease before he discovered Dance for Parkinson’s in his home town in Canada. Stan’s personal journey and experience of the positive benefits of dance is inspiring and he is filled with wise words of encouragement for anyone who is living with Parkinson’s. Jody tells us about how World Dance for Parkinson’s Day has grown and brings together a global network of research, dance artists and organisations to make lives better through dance. Companies involved include Mark Morris Dance Group, who founded Dance for PD®, and who as Jody says “without their pioneering spirit and efforts, the global expansion of dance based programming for people who have Parkinson’s disease would not exist”; Dutch National Ballet, English National Ballet, Hamilton City Ballet, Mark Morris Dance Group, Canada’s National Ballet School, Houston Ballet, Queensland Ballet, Scottish Ballet, Skånes Dansteater and many more. Learn more about World Dance for Parkinson’s Day and explore dance classes, watch documentaries and find diverse programs near you in Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, France, Portugal, Israel, India, England, Malta, Scotland, South Africa, South Korea, and the United States. PRESS PLAY. https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/djwpodcasts/1wwwod/Jody+White.mp3