The New York City Housing Authority Partnership

In collaboration with the New York City Housing Authority, MMDG provides free dance classes for youth and senior residents of Brooklyn public housing. Every week 45 children come to the Dance Center for one-hour jazz/hip-hop dance classes. There are two weekly sessions for children ages six to twelve, and one session for teenagers. Classes are led by MMDG teaching artists Francine Ott and Wayne Daniels. MMDG has expanded this program to include dance classes for senior residents of Brooklyn public housing. Twice a month 40 seniors come to the Dance to participate in dance classes with live music led by MMDG dancer Joe Bowie.

The Mark Morris Dance, Music & Literacy Project

MMDG conducts in-school residences to introduce Brooklyn school children to the performing and visual arts using one of Mark Morris' most acclaimed evening length works. The book Mark Morris' L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato: A Celebration (Marlowe & Co., 2001) shows how Mr. Morris created his dance by "collaborating" with three long-dead artists: the composer G.F. Handel, the poet John Milton, and the artist William Blake. This creative effort, spanning 350 years, is a perfect starting point for learning about the interaction of words, music, and dance.

Working with live musicians, teachers guide students through the poems, the music, and the choreography. Students learn to dance sections of the piece, culminating in a performance, and also learn to create original dances. Students visit the Mark Morris Dance Center for a private performance and conversation with the Dance Group.

MMDG collaborates with faculty from each host school to shape the residency, which emphasizes "curriculum connections" with English, the arts, music, social studies, and math. MMDG provides faculty with a study guide, books, and videos, and confers with them throughout the process.

Community After School Program

MMDG offers free, weekly dance classes for neighborhood children ages 9-12 at the Dance Center throughout the school year.

The Community After School Program is designed to provide children with a safe and creative environment in which they can stretch their bodies and minds. Through disciplined dance training, along with their immersion in the sophisticated and social atmosphere of the Dance Center, students can develop an appreciation for the performing arts and respect for themselves and others that will impact their lives far beyond the program. In addition, an important goal of the program is to allow the students to feel that they are cultural participants in their community.

Dance for PD

Dance for PD is a unique collaboration between the Mark Morris Dance Group and the Brooklyn Parkinson Group, a chapter of the National Parkinson Foundation (USA). One driving force behind Dance for PD is the power of dance to concentrate mind, body and emotion on movement. This integrated focus of the whole person on movement is useful to persons with Parkinson’s Disease. Equally important is the inherent ability of dance to positively affect mood. In the class, persons with PD and their caregivers learn from professionally trained dancers. Dancers are movement experts who know all about stretching and strengthening muscles, about balance and rhythm. Most importantly, persons with PD learn how dancers use thought, imagination, eyes, ears and touch to control movement. Dance for PD classes combine elements of modern dance, ballet, tap, jazz, social dancing, and Mark Morris company repertoire. While dancing, whether in chairs, at a barre, or standing, class participants explore dance movements in a welcoming environment in which live music energizes, enriches and empowers.

The method has been presented at the International Congress for Parkinson’s Disease and Related Disorders in Berlin (2005), the World Parkinson Congress in Washington, D.C. (2006) and at Neuroscience 2008 in Washington D.C. Articles about the class have appeared in USA Today, Neurology Now, The New York Times, and Topics in Geriatric Rehabilitation among other publications. In addition to hosting a weekly class at the Mark Morris Dance Center in Brooklyn, the Mark Morris Dance Group has offered Dance for PD to communities in San Francisco, Oakland, Seattle, Urbana-Champaign, Toronto, London and Edinburgh. In 2007 and 2008 MMDG/BPG sponsored training workshops which have led to replication of Dance for PD classes throughout the United States and in Toronto, Canada. 45 guests attended the teacher training weekend (March 28-29). In response to requests from both dancers and PD organizations, plans for future Dance for PD training workshops are currently underway.

Why Dance for Parkinson's Disease? Below are few Press-related reasons:
The Officlal Promotional Video about our Dance for PD classes
Special Report on All Things Considered, NPR
New Zealand News report (click on 'Related Video' Medicinal magic of dance)
The ABC News report
2010 special report from the Boston Globe
Also, a personal view of DANCE FOR PD by Joy Esterberg

Open House

Twice a year, the Dance Center opens its doors to the general public for a full day of activities. Community members are invited to tour the building and participate in free dance classes.

Performances throughout the day by the student company as well as members of the Mark Morris Dance Group, raffle prizes, refreshments, films and music concerts attract over 300 guests each event.