Dance for Parkinson's Disease

In collaboration with the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center, Ballet Arizona offers dance classes that help individuals and their caregivers manage the physical and emotional symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease. Dance has the power to connect the mind and body. In this class, people with Parkinson’s disease can find renewed strength, confidence, and hope in a community that supports individuality and promotes resilience. 

  • Dance develops flexibility and instills confidence
  • Dance is a stimulating mental activity that connects mind to body
  • Dance breaks isolation and creates community
  • Dance shares experience and tells stories
  • Dance creates and transmits joy

Sign up or drop in and take the class any time! For more class information and to register, call 602-343-6508 or email bazeducation@balletaz.org

Click here to watch a special video featuring our Dance for Parkinson’s class.

Sign up or drop in and take the class any time! For more class information and to register, call 602-343-6508 or email bazeducation@balletaz.org.

Schedule

Offered Wednesdays and Fridays from 11:00 am to 12:15 pm (except on major holidays) 

IN PERSON at no cost. 

Sign up or drop in and take the class any time! For more class information and to register, call 602-343-6508 or email bazeducation@balletaz.org.

Are you a qualifying adult who requires support in regards to transportation?

Valley Metro offers RideChoice®️, an option for ADA paratransit certified people with disabilities and seniors age 65 and above who reside in participating communities.

Learn more about the program and how to become eligible by visiting ValleyMetro.org.

Debbie Braganza started dancing as a child in Lubbock Texas. She trained in ballet, modern, tap and jazz.  She studied dance at the University of Texas at Austin.  She was a member of UT’s dance company, Dance Repertory Theater, where she performed works by Woody McGriff, Deborah Hay and Yacov Sharir.  She studied on scholarship with the Mark Morris Dance Group at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival and School and has performed at the American College Dance Festival and Jacob’s Pillow.  She was the Rehearsal Director for Ballet Lubbock, where she taught adult and children’s ballet classes.

 

Debbie completed the Mark Morris Dance for PD training in 2010 and started teaching classes sponsored by the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center. In 2014, the program expanded to Ballet Arizona. She continues professional development training in Brooklyn with founders David Leventhal and Misty Owens.

As a member of the PD community, Debbie has brought the PD dance classes to support groups throughout the valley. She was invited to teach special PD Dance classes as a part of the Davis Phinney Victory Summit, Tremble Clefs Music Therapy Retreat and the Annual Walk the Fight for Parkinson’s. Most recently she organized a National Dance Day Event at Ballet Arizona adapted for the PD dancers.

This is Ms. Braganza’s seventh year teaching at The School of Ballet Arizona.

Sponsors

Support Us

Without community support, our work would not be possible. To help us share the power of dance, please extend your generosity to The School of Ballet Arizona’s Annual Fund. 

Back by popular demand! See Ballet Arizona's Swan Lake this October. 
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