This past Monday I and my wonderful teaching assistant Yolande had the extreme pleasure of giving a dance class to the participants of a PD group from Baycrest.  We were asked by Melissa Tafler ( who coincidentally is the niece of my first DWP student) if we could come to give a demo class for her program participants.  Melissa and I had emailed back and forth and her passion for creating an environment rich in the arts to help with the wellness of her program members was abundantly clear. I was honored to be asked to come and share a little bit of what we do weekly in our DWP classes. The chance to expose new students to the beauty and artistry that they could create with their own bodies is always an absolute gift to be a part of.  There is this moment in the class where the dancer realizes that there are no missed steps, when the dancer gives him or herself the permission to be free from their perceived physical limitations.  It is like for those brief moments when they actually allow the music to transport their minds and bodies something magical happens. The expressions on the faces of the dancers marvelled by their own fluidity is utterly moving.   I love to help facilitate the joy that comes when we  listen to our favorite piece of music. Play something you can’t help but hum aloud and the music, emotion and memory move you physically and spiritually.  There is nothing like it. The permission to move or be still while the music plays.

I am quite certain that the participants in our workshop did enjoy the class and it is always nice to see that they have a lightness in their step and a smile on their face when the class is over. I hope we have been able to inspire the group to put on the music at home and dance like no ones watching.

I still am looking for the words that could come close to expressing my deepest more heartfelt admiration for the DWP dancers who took to the stage last Thursday evening for our end of year showcase.

The best word to describe the night was ‘magical.’

A few months ago I brought the idea to the students of DWP that for this year’s fundraiser I would love everyone participate in an end of year recital. This year the idea of raising awareness about the program by showcasing our dancers seemed like the perfect way to raise funds, interest and provide our dancers with an experience they would never forget.  I thought it would be great to to show all the friends and family of the dancers the incredible things they do in class each week.

It took a little …well more than a little  persuading from myself to the dancers to agree to participate. How do you convince someone who has trouble walking that it would be a great show if  they would dance on a stage in front of 350 people?? Well, I make no apologies for laying on the guilt, real thick.

I wanted all the dancers to participate  even if  they were  on the stage for a moment to stand , sit and breathe in the exhileration . Feel what it would be like to have an audience applaud their beauty, courage and movement. I asked the dancers every week to consider doing this show to raise funds and awareness for the DWP  program that they believed so strongly in. That we needed to show everyone  the amazing work they are doing every week in class and to get the support we need to expand the program to new locations and grow our opportunites.

Those who said “Sarah, I don’t want to do it because I don’t want to let you down if I mess up” got a firm ‘please reconsider and see how you feel on the night’ I just desperately wanted everyone to leave the door open, so that if they changed their minds and got caught up in the excitement that they could allow themselves to take part in the thriling experience of performing in front of a live audience. I let them know every week that there was no such thing as messing up. If they came on the night and shared their spirit and energy on the stage for a moment that would be a success in itself. I didn’t care about the steps being perfectly synchronized, or the lines being straight. I cared that they knew that I needed them, that what they were doing no matter how fast or slow was perfect. Perfectly imperfect . Perfectly magical.

The night began with an excited audience filing in to the auditorium as the dancers were on the stage behind a giant screen. The dancers had only one hour prior to the performance to do a runthrough. It was the first time the had been able to see, feel and move on the stage. In one hour somehow we managed to do a full run through, which included seven pieces, the seamles movement of 35 chairs, and costume changes. It just goes to prove how on the ball and committed everyone was. The commitment from our dancers, teachers, friends and famiies who volunteered to move chairs, flick on lights and open curtains was overwhelming.

As the house lights came down the giant screen played the 12 minute documentary produced by the CBC that we filmed last year. It provided  those who didn’t know very much  about DWP a chance to learn how  we got started and a little bit of insight as to why the program is so special. As the doc ended the screen pulled up and there we were. Thirty five gorgeous dwp dancers sitting with upright posture dancing. That moment was awe inspiring for all  of us to feel the audience take a gasp..obviously in amazement  of the beauty before them.

We had choreographed a portion of class work where everyone could participate ( even those who had trouble standing could do the seated portion of the show). From class work the dancers did improvisational dance which is my favourite part of every dwp class. The dancers pair up and mirror each others spontaneous  interepratation of Igor Vassine’s incredible live music.

After the improv section everyone participated in the Flamenco number which again was performed seated so that each person could be part of the ensemble.

From the flamenco number the curtain close and Andy Barrie our Chair person came to the stage and welcomed our audience.

There was a flurry of excitement getting ready for the next number backstage. One of our dancers was unable to go on so I jumped in for the waltz. We were prepeared for any of the dancers to have to opt out of certain numbers if the timing of their meds was not exact or for that moment they became frozen. That is the reality of dancing with Parkinson’s. Without warning a PD body may freeze making it difficult to initiate controlled movement.

The evening’s programme was fun and uplifting…America from westside story, chatanooga choo choo, greased lightning, all that jazz and brazilian celebration.

I think the audience probably expected to see an hour of seated dances.  The dwp dancers really surprised everyone as they waltzed, shimmied, and twirled from number to number across the stage as if they had been doing it for years. True professionals.

By the end of the show  the audience was standing and clapping and waving the white chiffon to the music in utter celebration and amazement of what they had witnessed and the love and openess in the room was palpable. It was a true victory for our dancers. The best part of the event for me was feeling the dancers’ excitement and knowing how  proud of themselves they were  for what they had accomplished. For that I am truly thankful.

I am also so thankful to EVERYONE who showed heir support by coming to our show to see the transformation of our dancers who took the stage. I am so thankful to my team of fellow dance teachers who show care and compassion for all aspects of the program and bring their passion to class each week. I am so thankful to my illustrious board members who support and believe in this program. I am so thankful to everyone who volunteered their time and energy to making this night a success. 

I am so very very thankful that my grandad , who has PD came, saw and maybe even found some comfort and hope in his dancing future.

Yesterday morning I received the saddest news when I popped open my laptop to read the morning emails. One of our DWP dancers passed away unexpectedly on March 8th. This news was a clear cold reminder to me  that I can not forget the fact that our dancers are living and dying with  PD. Every Wednesday and Friday when I  teach the class the word ‘Parkinson’s’ is not in my vocabulary.In fact PD is rarely in my thought process at all. More often than not I proceed as I would teach any  other group of ultra enthusiastic, joyful adult dancers. Certainly I am aware and always on high alert with potential obstacles that could put one of our dancers at risk of falling, but everyone is  so open and generous with their spirit and movement that it is easy to get lost in the beauty of it all. I am  witness the most magical transformations from chrysalis to butterfly  within moments of being in the studio.   It came as quite a shock to accept the reality of the disease we at DWP are dealing with.

One of our most beloved students Stan Channing first took our workshop class in June 2008. Stan needed a walker just to stand and had very limited mobility. I tell you, it never stopped him from making his way with a graceful sashay to “all that Jazz”. He was independent in the class, rarely wanting extra hands on attention..he really really loved to dance and his movements and interpretation were extraordinary. Stan had an excellent sense of tempo and rhythm and although his movements were small his spirit and artistry made his choreography big enough to see from the back row of the Met! One of our favorite days with Stan was when he asked if he could teach us all, that’s right he wanted to teach the entire class a routine to ‘Copacabana!’ 

Stan had a fall a few weeks ago and only missed one class for recovery. He came two weeks ago very apparently in a weakened state and in a lot of pain. Although he never said as much. I remember telling him we had missed him in class and asked how he was, and he replied with a great big smile that he was fantastic and just so happy to be there. I had the absolute luck on that day to work with Stan on a mirroring improvisational exercise. The music played and I had to follow his musical movements. It was a true highlight for me that day. Looking into his eyes as the music played ,I felt like my heart was bursting out of my chest because the story he told with his spirit and intention made me feel like I was performing one of the most important dances of my life.

Stan will be greatly missed.

I hope you can find an hour to sit down and watch this compelling story.  This program literally made me laugh, cry, and gasp ! Most importantly it filled me with hope and gratitude.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/parkinsons/view/

Enjoy and keep dancing!

This September of 2008, I was honoured and thrilled to join on board with my dear friend and colleague, Sarah Robichaud to become one of teachers to teach dance classes to people with Parkinson’s.

My first couple of classes I found slightly daunting as I watched in awe of Sarah leading the class through warm-ups, little pieces of choreography, and then a variety of dance styles with such ease, confidence, and lovely energy. How was I ever going to come up with choreographed pieces? How would I ever know what music to put it with? Would I ever be able to lead a full hour class…? How was I to be so blessed to be part of this huge amazing entity?

I am so lucky to be part of an amazing group of people who week after week – or whenever they can, come with a spirit charged with hope, determination, and grace. Each week, I bow my head in prayer, I skip lightly away from class with tears in my eyes, wanting to dance and sing in the rain with each and every one of those people. It taps me into the bigger picture; it fills me full of grace and gratitude for the amount of beauty in the human spirit, for the grace of all that we have, for all that I have. I observe how monumental a task it is simply to get to the class for some, yet, each week, they arrive with commitment, hope, and spirit. I observe how blessed some people are to have the wonderful caregivers that they have. I observe how I take for granted so much that I have, and I am humbled.

So, among all this muck of fabulous emotion, I lacked the conviction that I too would be able to lead the class, make up little pieces of choreography, know what music to put with it – or how to count a 6/8, etc. I even called my sister and asked her to explain all the musical rhythms for me…. In the end, I still have little skill or experience with the musical side, but what I try to do is teach from my heart (and come prepared!). Thank God the wonderful accompanist, Igor who is so amazing and patient. He takes care of the musical side 100%, and I love his music week after week. He is so much more than an accompanist. Thank you Igor.

I have over the weeks, come away inspired with little sequences to teach, even giddy with excitement, keeping my notebook with me at all times and writing down some other’s choreography, writing down my own little snippits, coming up with little things here and there. Small steps, small steps, bit by bit, putting it together, and voila, I create a little something. It’s a start. I now have the bits and bobs to teach a whole class (eeeeek!) I could teach should I be the only one available that day. Oh Lord, I hope that doesn’t happen anytime soon!

I missed last week, and I felt it. My week did not feel complete. My heart did not sing. My soul did not soar. I missed the connection with everyone in that class. Teaching the class makes me want to do more, give more, be more.

At the end of a yoga class it is traditional to say “namaste”, which means “I bow to you”. There is no teacher; each person in the class is an equal. We are all teachers, we are all students, and we are all equals. If all of humanity could tap into the greater source, could get out of the ego mind, and tap into the enormity of our interconnectedness, how we would soar. I soar on the wings of inspiration, on the big and small victories every week after class. To all the people involved with this Wednesday class, “Namaste”.

Nicole Piller

I can now  say that I fully understand, feel and breathe the irony behind this quote.

Last year when I began working on the Parkinson’s program I started  designing a brochure to leave in the offices of the doctors who were referring their patients to me. At the time I actually only had two Parkinson’s clients but wanted to have lots of pretty pictures of people dancing happily on the brochure. Short on PD models I brought my digital point and shoot to a holiday family gathering. After a few pints of Guinness ( we are Irish) I convinced my grandparents to pose for some pics amongst the heckling party goers. Everyone got in the action… my aunts  posed, my cousins laughed and it was really entertaining! Well, the picture of my granny and grandad made the cut. They are on the first DWP brochure.

My grandad has always been my hero. My earliest and best childhood  memories are of him eating ant covered sandwiches, climbing cable poles and painting anything he could get his hands on. The man has taught me all the best swing moves…my favorite picture is of us swing dancing at  wedding when I was eight years old.  The man never sat down. He had the body of Atlas and the energy of a gazelle. Not to mention we all though it was super cool he was covered in tattoos..a life size Jesus on his back!

Somewhere and sometime in the last couple of years things slowed down for him. He became the primary caregiver for my  granny who is on dialysis. Sadly their  snowbird ways were brought to a standstill. First he began falling, repeatedly. Then sitting, and sitting and more sitting. He has become depressed and withdrawn even more so since the death of their son Jimmy last year.

We all became quite concerned about his emotional and physical well being and thought that perhaps he had a ‘touch’ of Alzheimer’s… lucky for us we have the privileged of getting him in very quickly to see a neurologist for testing. Well the tests came back and my mom just told me yesterday.

My grandfather has Parkinson’s.

Funny , how that works out. I have been asking, begging my granny and grandad to come to take one of my classes for months..but hey felt bad because they weren’t PD sufferers..so the good news is they qualify now!

The universe opened up last  year as I began this journey. Unsure of the direction it would take me but clear of my vision. To give back some grace and dignity to those suffering in their PD afflicted bodies. Miracles happen in the classes every week, and I am thrilled to welcome my newest student.My favorite man in the whole world.

We’ve come a long way baby! Yesterday we celebrated our first Friday class! A whole new group of dancers eager to clap, stomp and glide to the incredible live music of Igor the great! Before the class began and the new dancers were coming into the studio finding their chairs, wearing a look of anticipation and apprehension. I was filled with rush of nostalgia remembering the first ever class last March.

Let me set the scene for you.

March 2008 I and my assistant dance teachers Yolande and Lhara wait inside the studio at 99 Sudbury street eagerly anticipating the arrival of our participants for our inaugural class. We had absolutely no idea what to expect. A number of neurologists had referred their patients to our class and I had about 15 people who had called and said they would like to try the dance class. At the time the dance studio at 99 Sudbury was under renovation… we are talking scaffolding, drilling and a leaky ceiling. Basically an obstacle course to get into the partly finished area where we would dance. Also did I mention that March 5th 2008 was the day we had a huge blizzard. I sort of thought that nobody would brave those kind of conditions to come to a dance class…but low and behold they came and they kept coming. !! It didn’t seem to matter to anyone that there was a storm outside or that there was water dripping from the ceiling and no where to lay their coats. They were there to dance. To move. To find a moment of joy in their body.I think they found it.

Flash forward seven months and we are thrilled and amazed that DWP has become such a revolutionary resource for those living with PD. The momentum of the program has enabled us to start a second day of classes so that we can offer the class to more participants. DWP has hired and trained three additional teachers who feel just as passionate and excited about our program as I do.

Our new Friday class went off without a hitch! Everyone seemed so uninhibited with their dance. We learned a waltz , a swing step and even threw in a little Bob Fosse for good measure. I can’t express my true amazement when I witness the symptoms of Parkinson’s dissipate in the dance.

We at DWP are jived and privileged to be part of this weekly miracle.

This past weekend DWP had the honor of hosting a dance workshop at the Parkinson’s conference.

I know I share the absolute enthusiasm of my team of teachers when I say how much fun we had with the class. There was an exciting surge of energy building in the room as the dancers filed in and took their seats.

As teachers,  having a new group of PD dancers to work with is really exciting, because we get to experience the joy of music and movement with the dancers for the first time. Often I think the dancers are  surprised by their own physicality and  dancing ability.

 The dancers eagerly took their seats, not knowing what to expect but with a look of anticipation on their faces. Lhara and Yolande were teaching alongside myself and the wonderful Igor  Vassine played the keyboard. Igor is really truly a master accompanist. He can basically make any piece of choreography look incredible because of the emotion he puts into the  music he plays….not to mention he can basically read my mind as I change tempo and intent on the fly! 

 The class was able to  move throughout the room and follow our choreography with ease. There was so much laughter and singing going on that it was impossible not to smile.

We ended the class with a big waltz step lead by Lhara. The dancers were moving around the room with arms flowing back and forth. It was absolutely stunning to watch.

Every time I teach the PD dance class I forget that the dancers have Parkinson’s…this workshop class was no exception. All I see when I look around the room is joy, courage and beauty

Last week as the teachers waited outside the studio for our dancers to arrive, we observed how each individual uses little tricks to initiate movement. I thought wouldn’t it be wonderful if our dancers had a chance to share with one and other the creative ways that they are able to get their bodies from A to B.

One of our dancers uses a cane, but not in the conventional way. he holds the cane upside down with the handle beneath his feet. He then uses the handle as a marker of where his opposite foot needs to clear. The amount of times he must get asked by curious on lookers if he knows his cane is upside down..exhausting. Apparently for him, this is a trick that will soon be found out by his brain and he will have to come up with another scheme to get his body in motion. It occurred to me that using even more imagery in the class will be beneficial  as well as absolute physical markers. Such as step crossing over each foot…creating a box step. 

That is next on the agenda in class..the BOX STEP!

It is such a huge pleasure to have classes up and running again. There is nothing like the the warm comforting feeling of coming home. We have a new energy in the class this year with the addition of three new teachers who have joined our program. Each instructor coming from different areas of expertise but all sharing the passion for movement and wellness. This year we are getting down to business with the Wednesday class! There is more individual instruction from out instructors to really ensure that the dancers are getting the full benefit from the dance exercises. Our goal is to help all of our dancers develop the ability to engage their core muscles while in stillness and motion, so that they are free to move to the music in a way that is safe ad feels good.

It is always amazing to me to watch  the dancers entering the studio before the class begins. Some of our dancers are stiff, or slow and maybe a little off balance. Flash forward an hour later to the amazingly lifted and swift bodies that leave the room to get on with their day.  I think that the possibilities are really endless of how far we can take the dancers. Just yesterday we learned a swing dance step in partners, it was incredible! We also did some contemporary inspired choreography where some real artistry was filling the room.

I know I speak for all of the DWP teachers when I say that it is a true privilege to get to witness the transformation every week.

Class work