STG's Dance for Parkinson's Launches New Site

Laughter and joy are classroom staples at a popular dance class that combines live music and dance instruction from world-class professional dancers. Dance for Parkinson's inspires those living with Parkinson's disease (PD) to explore the benefits of dance and movement with others who share some of the challenging symptoms of the disease. Whether seated or standing, people with Parkinson's disease, caregivers and friends will enjoy this creative and welcoming environment.

Dance for Parkinson's was initiated five years ago in the Northwest by Seattle Theatre Group in partnership with the Mark Morris Dance Group. Local partners involve Evergreen Health, Northwest Parkinson's Foundation, Des Moines Senior Center and Spectrum Dance Theater. Classes are offered in Kirkland (Peter Kirk Community Center), Seattle (Garfield Community Center) and Des Moines (Des Moines Senior Center), and beginning this week, Wednesday, January 8th at the Swedish Hospital Issaquah campus, in Issaquah, WA.

Each 8-week series of classes are free of charge, led by professional dancers, and engage students in dance styles such as ballet, jazz, contemporary, tap and world dance to address PD-specific concerns such as balance, flexibility, coordination, isolation and depression. No dance experience is required. All classes are accompanied by live music. For more information contact: danceforparkinsons@stgpresents.org.

Dance for PD was born of collaboration between Mark Morris Dance Group and Brooklyn Parkinson's Group in 2001, with global expansion taking off in 2005. Today, classes are held across the United States and the world, including Tel Aviv and Auckland. Seattle currently hosts the most sites offering classes. A Seattle native, Mark Morris is the Artistic Director of the internationally renowned Mark Morris Dance Group in Brooklyn, New York.

On February 14-16, the Mark Morris Dance Group will be performing live at the Paramount Theatre, featuring two Seattle premieres. Tickets are on sale now!

ABOUT STG: STG's mission is to make diverse performing arts and education an integral part of the region's cultural identity while keeping three historic venues, The Paramount, Moore and Neptune, alive and vibrant. STG presents a range of performances from Broadway, off-Broadway, dance and jazz, to comedy, concerts of all genres, speakers and family shows - at these three iconic theatres in Seattle and venues throughout the Puget Sound region and in Portland, Oregon.