Australian Ballet and Dance for Parkinson's

The local organisation, Dance for Parkinson’s Australia, is collaborating with the Australian Ballet Education and Outreach team for an exciting new series of free community classes.

Led by teachers Katrina Rank and Paris Wages, “The Beaut Ballet Series” is comprised of six hour-long dance classes that integrate artistry and thematic work alongside the Australian Ballet’s current double bill program, "Identity".

The AB's Resident Choreographer Alice Topp has offered parts of her new ballet Paragon for the participants to explore. Participants will learn about Topp’s creative process and embody a modified version of some of the choreography. Rank and Wages will lead the dancers through various warm-ups and exercises inspired by Swan Lake.

The project will give access to art not readily made available to people living with neurological conditions like Parkinson’s Disease, Huntington’s Disease and MS by giving participants a creative voice. Rank and Wages both have advance training in the Dance for PD® program based out of Brooklyn, NY. Rank is the Director of Education at Ausdance Victoria and has been involved in community dance in Melbourne for 30 years. She has a PhD in Dance from Deakin University. Wages has professional dance experience from San Francisco and Los Angeles, and a Master of Fine Arts Degree in dance from Florida State University.

The classes start at 11:00am on Sunday June 18 in a studio on level 5 of the Australian Ballet headquarters in South Bank. The event is free, supported by the Australian Ballet, Dance for Parkinson’s Australia and a grant from the Aged Persons Welfare Foundation.

Bookings necessary at quixoticdancetech@gmail.com or mobile: 0449 058 360.