RECONNECT Community Engagement

Our Community Engagement program brings the magic of Reconnect to conference rooms, event halls, support groups and personal computer/tablet/phone. Our offerings are interactive, inviting people to move their bodies and experience the joy of dance firsthand.

Conference Presentations
Event Demonstration
Support Group Dance Demo

We will come to your Parkinson’s community event to educate your audience about Reconnect with your Body class and the benefits of dance and creativity for PD, plus perform a demonstration. We will have your group up and dancing by the end!

Are you a Parkinson’s support organization or medical provider?

We provide online resources and content (i.e. articles, blogs, video) to educate your audience about the healing powers of dance.
We offer consultation on creativity and wellness and are always looking for opportunities to collaborate.
We welcome members of your team to attend our classes and talk with the Reconnect dancers about their experiences with dance and Parkinson’s.

Stuff we’ve Done (examples of past Community Engagement events)

“Attending the Art as Action class was a magical experience. We were welcomed with open arms and felt encouraged by each participant to simply jump in and have fun. With Sarah’s excellent instruction, we became in-tune with our bodies and challenged our minds as we moved to the music. Part of our goal at the Davis Phinney Foundation is to encourage the Parkinson’s community to attend classes like Art as Action, but there is something truly special when you attend a class and see first-hand the benefit it has on everyone there; everyone is smiling, moving, and connecting with each other. I encourage everyone to take part in this class because you will feel inspired and energized every time you leave."
- Alex Reinhardt, Community Outreach Manager Davis Phinney Foundation

weekly classes

stuff we've done

performing company

What struck me most when I first started dancing, was how it focused on what I could do - or doing things I never thought of doing - as opposed to all the things I've lost, can't do or am losing... And then I discovered dance was also a new way to creatively express myself as a performer. I could “say” things to an audience as a dancer that I could not as a poet and actor. Dance is full of surprises!

Wayne A. Gilbert Reconnect Dancer

Dancing with the Reconnect community and performing with Art as Action (from my wheelchair) brings joy and light to my previous dancer-body: It nourishes and sustains my identity, gives my body and spirit hope, and is just so darn fun!

Carol Cowley Reconnect Dancer

This is far from a typical easy-moving class you might see at the senior center. The music was diverse and cool (The Black Keys, Florence and the Machine) and the choreography was exciting and very well done. But best of all, I loved seeing the change in energy and excitement. At first, many of the participants moved slowly. By the end, one woman said she was feeling so good she skipped out of class. And you know what? Parkinson's or not, I felt like skipping out, too.

Aimee Heckel Reporter Daily Camera

My unrelenting dance partner, PD, has interrupted my rhythm and grace. So I seek the freedom of the dance without PD leading, without PD following. I actually feel graceful here. I can move here. I can dance in circles, not squares. I can move with curves and arcs, not heaves and listings. I sometimes wobble, quiver or tremble. But here no one notices, I’m sure of it. My words: Flowing. Smooth. Gliding. Graceful. Confident. Unguarded.

Amy Dressel-Martin Reconnect Dancer

Before (Reconnect), I referred to my dancing as ‘pathetic.’ Reconnect has given me a new perspective. I now view my dyskinetic movements as creative expressions of the inner self. Dance class is like getting out of jail for an hour and a half.
It’s freedom, and it’s sweet for those of us with or without PD. Thank you for caring about us and transforming us.

Carol Jenkins Reconnect Dancer

Reconnect class allows me to forgive my body for not living up to its full potential and appreciate all the incredible abilities I possess. I become lost in the music and movement, not only my movements but those free-spirited and graceful moves of my fellow dancers. Somehow I forget what brought me to this place where I am symptom free and feel like a dancer. I sense that this is definitely one of the best hours of my week, both for my body and my spirit.

Margie Dahlin Reconnect Dancer