Dance for Parkinson’s Disease (DfPD) has been launched by MMDG and Inspirees Institute in China.
Mark Morris Dance Group/Dance for PD has partnered with Inspirees Institute to develop Dance for PD-based training opportunities and community classes throughout China over the next five years. The initiative, which has been in the incubation stage for more than a year, launched this May 5-7 with an introductory teacher training workshop, medical presentation, film screening, and community class at Zhongshan Hospital in Shanghai.
“We’re thrilled to work with Inspirees Founder Tony Zhou and his talented team to create dance-based opportunities for the Parkinson’s community in China,” said David Leventhal, Dance for PD’s Program Director. “There’s nothing like Dance for PD yet in China, and Inspirees has the expertise, contacts and sensitivity to be the ideal partner for delivering our innovative model to diverse populations.”
More than 25 trainees from China, Hong Kong, Singapore and South Korea participated in the workshop, which is the first step of a full training course that will continue with online coursework, professional development, and Dance for PD Certification. At a medical presentation on May 5, Leventhal explained the rationale behind the program to hospital staff before leading a spirited Dance for PD demonstration class for 15 members of the Shanghai Parkinson’s community.
Inspirees Institute of Creative Arts Therapy (IICAT) established by Inspirees International B.V., is an international training institute specializing in creative education. Based in the Netherlands and China, IICE runs various programs in different places in the world. IICE’s mission is to facilitate personal growth via integration of the human body and mind, with the goal of becoming a leading institute in the field of creative education with a world-wide reputation. Inspirees Institute of Creative Arts Therapy (IICAT), affiliated with IICE, offers the dance therapy certificate program which is in compliance with the American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA) alternate route training guideline.
“Dance for PD has established itself as a global leader in training qualified teachers to lead stimulating and creative classes for people with Parkinson’s disease,” said Zhou, a Certified Movement Analyst who has a PhD in Biotechnology from Delft University of Technology. “The Dance for PD training course perfectly complements the comprehensive Creative Arts Therapy programming we already offer, so that our trainees will have a practical depth of knowledge to provide the best possible movement experiences for various populations throughout China.”
In September 2017, Dance for PD and Inspirees co-presented a second introductory workshop in tandem with the International Symposium of Behavioral Medicine, which will feature presentations from experts in psychosomatic and dance movement therapy from China and abroad. The May and September training cohorts will continue their coursework in 2018 with the goal of having a team of certified teachers by the 2018-2019 season. Community classes will start in Shanghai and Beijing, with additional cities coming online as relationships develop.
About DfPD
Dance for PD® offers internationally-acclaimed dance classes for people with Parkinson’s disease in Brooklyn, New York and, through our network of partners and associates, in more than 250 other communities in 24 countries. In Dance for PD® classes, participants are empowered to explore movement and music in ways that are refreshing, enjoyable, stimulating and creative. Launched as a non-profit collaboration between the Mark Morris Dance Group and the Brooklyn Parkinson Group, the Dance for PD® program also provides teacher training, creates innovative instructional media, and nurtures relationships among other organizations so that classes based on our model are widely available. Evidence from 38 peer-reviewed scientific studies serves to underpin the effectiveness and benefits of the Dance for PD teaching practice. Learn more.
