IB & Dance for Parkinson’s

Dance for Parkinson’s at Indianapolis Ballet seeks to serve those in our community with Parkinson's disease, and their caregivers, in a joyful, beautiful, dance and music teacher-guided class based on the national Dance For Parkinson's program. Indianapolis Ballet, with experienced teachers trained by the national Dance for Parkinson's program including Patty Johnstone, Patricia (Trish) Martin and Roberta Wong, are eager to share this wonderful work in the safe space and beautiful environment of the professional Indianapolis Ballet studios. Classes will be offered free of charge. All current safety protocols in effect, free parking, easy access to our studios. 

Classes are every Wednesday, 11:00am-12:00pm

Can’t make it in-person? Hybrid option is now available! Email Tim Cocagne at tcocagne@indyballet.org for virtual class details.

What is Dance for Parkinson’s?

“The award-winning Dance for Parkinson’s program, founded in 2001, offers specialized dance classes to people with Parkinson’s , their families, friends and care partners online, in New York City and through our network of affiliates in more than 300 communities in 25 countries around the world. Dance for Parkinson’s classes invite people with Parkinson’s to experience the joys and benefits of dance while creatively addressing symptom-specific concerns related to balance, cognition, motor skill, depression and physical confidence. The program, called “the gold standard for how a performing arts organization can make a extraordinary contribution to health and wellness” (Renee Flemming), uses dance to empower people with Parkinson’s and their care partners and families to explore movement and music in ways that are refreshing, enjoyable, stimulating and creative.”

For more information on Dance for Parkinson’s, we encourage you to visit danceforparkinsons.org.

Instructors

Roberta Wong

Roberta Wong is a teaching artist living in Indianapolis, Indiana, whose work in the arts communities has included professional performing arts with the Boston Ballet, Indianapolis Ballet Theatre, Dance Kaleidoscope and Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre. Her teaching has included Anderson University, Butler University and Indiana University. She is a founding member, former lead teacher, and now board member of Dance For Parkinson's Bloomington, having trained with the national Dance For Parkinson's program since 2011. Her 30 years of teaching include professional and pre-professional ballet and modern dancers, as well as medically-challenged students and seniors in wheelchairs, among others. She currently teaches at Indianapolis School of Ballet and Stage 1 Dance Academy, is an on occasion choreographer for the Indianapolis Ballet company and is multiple recipient of the Creative Renewal Fellowship from the Arts Council of Indianapolis, as well as recipient of Individual Artist program grants through the Indiana Arts Commission. She recently was accepted into the inaugural cohort for Lifelong Learning Through the Arts program (2021) of the Indiana Arts Commission and will launch a pilot program of curriculum classes seeking to serve the senior population in engagement through the arts. 

Patricia Martin

Trish is a graduate of Butler University with a B.A. in Dance. While at Butler she performed with the Butler Ballet and became an apprentice for Dance Kaleidoscope under artistic direction of Cherry Jaffe. She has performed jazz professionally with Ronn Forella Dancers in NYC; Montreal; Dallas; Orleans, MA; Bogata’ Columbia and San Juan. She was chosen to dance in Def Leppard’s music video Hysteria. Her teaching has included Park Tudor; G. Scotten Talent Center; Dance Magic; Dance Connection and Dancer’s Studio in Walpole, MA. She received scholarships from the Boston Ballet, Melissa Hayden School of Dance, and Boston Repertory Ballet and is a recipient of two Individual Artist Grants in Dance and Writing. She is a founding member of Dance for Parkinson’s, Indianapolis, having trained with the national Dance for Parkinson’s program in 2011. She also trained in Liz Lerman’s workshop in Takoma Park, MD. Trish created her own program for those with dementia, Memories in Movement, based on movement centered past memories. She nurtured these classes at many dementia units in Indianapolis, including Westminster North; The Forum at the Crossing; Marquette Manor; Crown Pointe; Greenbrier Village; Meadow Brook Senior Living; and Brookdale Senior Living.

Abby Phillips

Abby Phillips is a native of Washington, D.C. She received her dance training at Maryland Youth Ballet under the direction of Michelle Lees and Olivier Munoz. She graduated in 2020 from Maryland Youth Ballet’s Conservatory Program. After which, she then joined Indianapolis Ballet as a Professional Level Program Student. Abby has also participated in summer intensives at Texas Ballet Theater, Richmond Ballet, and Indianapolis Ballet. 

Abby has always had a passion for teaching and has worked in childcare since 2014. She has volunteered for several of Maryland Youth Ballet’s young children's programs including, the JumpStart summer camp, the early dance division year-round academy, and Music In Motion. She has also taught auditions for the Kennedy Center in 2018 and 2019. From 2020-2021 she organized and taught her own outdoor ballet program for children in the metropolitan DC area. Since moving to Indianapolis, she has continued her love of teaching at Indianapolis Ballet School for their Young Children's year-round program and summer camps. In 2022 she received her Dance for Parkinon’s Disease teaching certification from David Leventhal and the Mark Morris Dance Group. She teaches and assists at Indianapolis Ballet’s Take a Bow for PD program. She is also the coordinator and instructor of the Irsay Family YMCA’s ballet program, which she co-founded with Tyler Shorter in 2022. Abby is excited to continue to be inspired by the dancers around her and grow the reach dance has on all communities.