DANCING THROUGH PARKINSONS
Dance is an elixir to what ails us, and it stirs up joy when our bodies & minds get stuck. DTP awaits you!
What is Dancing Through Parkinson’s (DTP)?
Building hope, community, and well-being through the joy of dance, DTP is Invertigo’s longest standing community engagement program. DTP provides dance classes to persons living with Parkinson’s Disease and other neurodegenerative, mobility and age-related conditions. Through movement and storytelling, the program promotes physical health, mental health, and joyful community interaction, and class attendees report improvements in their physical stability, balance, creativity, mental clarity, and overall well-being!
A testament to Invertigo’s commitment to accessibility, DTP classes, which are offered free of charge, emerge as a sanctuary of movement that reignites balance, amplifies flexibility, and ignites a sense of empowerment. DTP is a vital pulse in the heartbeat of Invertigo Dance Theatre. Our big-hearted and highly-trained Teaching Artists collaborate with Invertigo’s community engagement team to offer exciting dance projects throughout the year for participants, care partners, and dancers.
Join our loyal group of movers in weekly classes throughout Los Angeles and/or online via The Hub!
In person class schedule
ZOOM
Dancing Through Parkinson’s
We plan on bringing our Zoom class back in 2023. Stay tuned and sign up to our newsletter by emailing [email protected].
VENICE
Mondays from 1:30-2:30pm
Weekly through December 2023
Taught by Rachel Whiting
The Electric Lodge
1416 Electric Ave.
Venice, CA 90291
Studio parking lot available. Free neighborhood parking lot.
TARZANA
Thursdays from 1:30 – 2:30 pm
Weekly through December 2023
No class in August 2023
Taught by Jessica Evans and Morgan Bronk Lutz
LA Star Dance Studio
19320 Ventura Blvd
Tarzana, CA 91356
Metered parking.
CRENSHAW
Fridays: 1:30-2:30pm
November 3, 2023-March 29, 2024
No class on November 24, 2023
Taught by Heidi Buehler & Chavia Blankenship
Crenshaw Yoga & Dance
5426 Crenshaw Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90043
Metered parking + free neighborhood parking lot.
BOYLE HEIGHTS / Baila Conmigo
Fridays: 1:30-2:30pm
March 10-May 12, 2023
Paused until Fall 2023
Taught by Alicia Moseley
Casa 0101 Theater
2102 1st St
Los Angeles, CA 90033
Metered parking + free neighborhood parking lot.
Is DTP for me? Great question! DTP is open to everybody and every BODY. No dance experience is required, for we welcome people of all ages and backgrounds with Parkinson’s, mobility challenges, neurological conditions and/or the desire to dance. Families, friends, and caregivers are encouraged to dance with us.
For questions around COVID safety practices classes, please email [email protected].
Sign Up For Classes
THE HUB – TAKE A DANCE CLASS, ANYWHERE & ANYTIME!
Dance from the comfort of your home, anywhere at anytime.
Stay active with fun music and dance moves!
The Hub schedule is what you make of it!
For questions email us at [email protected].
DTP’s dance film Blossomed receives Honorary Mention at the World Parkinson Congress!
“Without dance, I would have lost my mind by now! Rigid muscles would have taken over. I encourage everyone to put on some music they love and just move!”
– Jeanie McNamara
VIDEO RESOURCES
Want to explore what DTP is all about before joining us in person? Try these sample at-home classes!
Start From the Heart
A Spoonful of Dance
Tea for All
Join us for weekly classes in Venice, Tarzana, and Boyle Heights…
DTP Special Projects + Initiatives
BILINGUAL DTP
The newest wing of DTP is a bilingual class taught in Spanish: Baila Conmigo. Classes are designed for and with the Latinx/e community, in partnership with CASA 0101 in Boyle Heights.
DTP Infusion
With support from the Parkinson’s Foundation, we welcomed guest artists and neurologists into our DTP community. From dialogues with our our participants and teaching artists to a multiple week tango class series (check out our blog post about our time with Joaquin Gamboa!), DTP Infusion expands our participants’ knowledge of movement forms and expression. Join us on March 27 + April 3 for Jazz dance with Bernard Brown and/or on April 17 + April 24 for Tap dance with Glyn Gray at the Venice class!
PERFORMANCES + FILMS
Every week in class, the DTP dancers dance. We also perform as a community, create and share dance films such as the Crane Dance film, which premiered at the 2019 World Parkinson Congress in Kyoto, Japan. In collaboration with the Pina Bausch Foundation, DTP artists danced the Nelken-Line at the Santa Monica beach!
We love collaborating with our participants to find interesting and creative ways to tell their stories. Interested in supporting these projects? You can donate specifically to DTP here!
DANCING THROUGH YOUR STORY
The Dancing Through Your Story (DTYS) initiative was a six-week special topic series launched at our Tarzana location. DTYS engaged participants in storytelling through movement fundamentals integrated with DTP dance curriculum to facilitate communal healing. The transformative process of exploring and translating stories into dance empowered participants to reconnect to their body and amplify their voice.
OUR GALLERY
Take a glimpse into our DTP worlds.
DANCER SPOTLIGHTS!
Brian Tagomori
Brian has played the guitar since the age of eleven, and his music has graced our DTP classes, led by his instructor Heidi Buehler, at the LA Star Dance Studio in Tarzana. Brian feels as though his days of playing are numbered, “It’s both my escapism and my reality check. When I’m playing guitar, I feel transported to living out that young dream of worry free rock stardom.” His lyrics took on a whole new meaning for him when the participants danced to his music in class, giving him a sense of community on a new artistic level. DTP is excited to collaborate with Brian on an upcoming DTP-Zoom song project. Brian, we are honored to have you.
Ross and Rochelle Caballero
Ross became depressed when he was diagnosed in 2015. The first people that came to his mind were his beloved children and wife, Rochelle. Specialists were not providing hopeful news, and the family braced themselves for new life. In 2018, Ross and Rochelle met Laura Karlin who introduced them to DTP. “Now, you have to understand my love-hate relationship with dancing: love to watch other people doing it – hate to do it myself,” he says. Ross had a history of dance instructors telling him he had two left feet and didn’t see dance as an avenue for him. However, at DTP our motto is There are no mistakes in dance, only solos! Soon Ross immersed himself in the dances, which provided assistance in balance, coordination, gait, and cognitive skills. He attends DTP with his wife Rochelle, who doesn’t have PD but thoroughly enjoys the classes. We love having you both in class!
ADVISORY BOARD
Dr. Jeff Bronstein
Neurologist, PD and Movement Disorders, UCLA
Dr. Michele Tagliati
Neurologist, PD, and Director of the Movement Disorders Program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Dr. Jeffrey Grant
Internist, Cedars-Sinai
Carol Kaye
MFT, specializing in chronic illnesses
Ali Elder
PT DTP Movement Disorder Therapist, Reactive Physical Therapy
Jill Sonke
Director, University of Florida Center for Arts in Medicine
Vickie Kropenske
UCLA Center for Healthier Children Families & Communities
Francziska Steafall
MS Head of Enrichment and Special Projects, Exceptional Children’s Foundation Kayne Eras Center School
DTP PRESS LIST
NPR
Dance Returns The ‘Joy of Movement’ To People With Parkinsons
Telemundo
Enfermos de Párkinson “danzan a su propio ritmo
Patch
Dancing Through Parkinson’s Keeps Moving On Zoom
CURRENT FUNDERS
Parkinson’s Foundation
Los Angeles County Department of Arts & Culture
City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs
Rotary Club Beverly Hills