Cincinnati Ballet’s Otto M. Budig Academy is thrilled to introduce CB Moves for Parkinson’s, a specialized dance class series designed uniquely for persons with Parkinson’s and their loved ones. Our expert faculty use movement and music to stimulate the body and mind, providing a supportive forum for fitness, expression and community for participants of all ages. Dancers are welcome to enjoy class on their own or to invite a companion to participate with them.
Classes are offered three times per week and are available on a drop-in basis so there’s no advance commitment required. The schedule below updates regularly and offers direct access to Cincinnati Ballet’s Mindbody site. Through Mindbody you can:
If you prefer to sign-up in person, please arrive 15 minutes early to check in and complete any waivers prior to class.
Classes take place in person at Cincinnati Ballet’s Margaret and Michael Valentine Center for Dance located at 1801 Gilbert Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio.
All classes are $10 and include a companion participant (if desired) at no additional charge.
Participants are encouraged to wear attire they can comfortably move in along with harder soled (less sticky) shoes or stocking feet.
Accessible parking and entry is located on the back side (west side) of the Center for Dance. The accessible entrance is the Craig and Anne Maier Artistic Entrance. Please use the call button for secure entry.
Each class begins seated, then transitions to standing work supported by a barre or chair, moves across the room, and finally ends in the center of the room. At any point, dancers may opt to use a chair or the barre for balance instead of standing on their own, or to sit down in a chair and dance seated. Additionally, dancers are encouraged to modify steps as necessary to participate at their own level, and take breaks as needed. Standing and unaided movement across the floor is not necessary to participate. We have had many students successfully navigate class using wheelchairs, walkers, canes, and other mobility devices.
The concepts we cover in class are directly applicable to areas that many people with PD struggle with—including balance, rhythm, fluidity, large movement, facial expression, and precision—but we present them within the context of a dance class rather than as physical therapy.
Partners are welcome, and even encouraged to take class alongside you! Many of our dancers come with a partner who does not have PD, and it is included in your $10 class price. It can be a great bonding opportunity to dance together, and dancing is good for everyone, regardless of diagnosis.
All our CB Moves for Parkinson’s teaching artists have been trained in the Dance for PD methodology developed by Mark Morris Dance Group and Brooklyn Parkinson Group. Our lead teachers—Mary Kamp, and Kate Stark— each have more than 12 years’ experience teaching dance to Persons with Parkinson’s and were the first to offer classes in this region. Additionally, many of our faculty members have direct ties to PD through a family member with the disease.
Our teachers come from a variety of dance backgrounds, creating diverse classes that target aspects of life most affected by PD. A little tap, jazz, tango, ballet, modern— you just never know what they have planned!
