As we celebrate World Parkinson’s Day on 11 April we are proud to look back on the wonderful year we have had with our Dance for Parkinson’s group and the exciting plans for the year ahead.
At the DanceHouse
We are now in our 11th year as a regional hub for English National Ballet’s (ENB) Dance for Parkinson’s programme, where classes run every Wednesday afternoon during term time at the Jerwood DanceHouse. The group have been working hard this term learning rep from Akram Khan’s Giselle and have even stepped in front of the camera, working on a film project with ENB inspired by Khan’s Giselle and its exploration of labour, community, and humanity – reimagined through the lived experiences of Dance for Parkinson’s participants. The participants got to work with choreographer Nicky Henshall, former Artist with English National Ballet and Akram Khan’s rehearsal director, as well as filmmaker Henry Curtis, with filming taking place outside the DanceHouse along the beautiful Ipswich Waterfront in early March.
Hayley Lemon, Interim Programme Manager, said “It was fantastic to see the Dance for Parkinson’s dancers filming along the waterfront, putting what they have been learning into practice. We had lots of people stopping to watch! We are incredibly proud of the participants and the volunteers that support the sessions”.
In the Community
English National Ballet’s evidence-based Dance for Parkinson’s programme is pioneering in raising awareness of the incredible impact that dance can have on the lives of people living with Parkinson’s. As this awareness ripples out into communities across the East of England, we have seen an increase in the demand for dance classes in the community.
Earlier this year, DanceEast were delighted to receive funding from the Sport England Movement Fund for a year-long project that will allow DanceEast to develop a brand-new class, ‘Parkinson’s Meetup & Move’, with the pilot year focusing on West Suffolk, working closely with the Parkinson’s UK Support Group in Bury St Edmunds. Parkinson’s Meetup & Move will be a creative dance class and social space, reaching communities across Suffolk where dance and physical activity for people living with Parkinson’s is currently lacking. We can’t wait to see Meetup & Move classes pop-up in new venues across the county over the next few years.
Learn more about Meetup & Move sessions"Dancing changed everything"
With thanks
We would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude for the ongoing partnership with English National Ballet and the support and guidance of People Dancing – without the strength of these partnerships, people living with Parkinson’s would not have access to such high-quality dance provision.
