Education Seminars and Training

DVP is pleased to present two education seminars. A two-hour introduction to creative aging and dance for professionals, and a three-day intensive introductory teacher training workshop December 7, 8 & 9, 2024.

Introduction to Creative Aging and Dance for Professionals

After attending this 2-hour course, social workers, health care professionals, dance educators, and arts professionals who are new to creative aging and dance, will be able to:

• Explain the projections for global and national aging
• Understand innovative research in creative aging and dance
• Recognize and debunk myths about physical activity and dance for older adults
• Apply basic strategies to engage with older adults in creative dance

Additionally, participants will learn about resources available from Dances For A Variable Population in creative aging practices.

About the Live, In-Person Training

As the global population ages, health care, social work, and arts programming providers are being faced with a demand to serve the growing needs of this population. Recent research has illuminated the extent to which dance and creative aging programming are uniquely positioned to offer positive aging benefits. This 2-hour workshop led by the artistic director of the multi-generational dance company and education organization, Dances For A Variable Population, Naomi Goldberg Haas, and lead teaching artists Casie McManus and Theo Gilbert, offers an overview of best practices in the creative aging field in dance. Based on the innovative program for older adults MOVEMENT SPEAKS® and a leader in creative aging programs, this workshop debunks myths around aging and offers resources for advocacy, steps to ignite, establish, and expand creative aging programs as well as a taste of the content utilized by the company in their MOVEMENT SPEAKS® classes. Designed for social workers, care managers, nurses, arts professionals, dance educators, and community programming administrators, this introductory workshop offers participants a tool kit to understand, promote, and lay the groundwork for expanding creative aging programs in their community.

Introductory Teacher Training Program for Professionals

After attending this 3-day course, qualified professionals who are interested in leading creative aging programs based on the Dances For A Variable (DVP) model will:

• Possess a functional understanding of aging globally
• Recognize and debunk myths about physical activity and dance for older adults
• Understand how creative aging programs support positive aging
• Apply basic strategies to engage with older adults in creative dance
• Learn the foundational structure of the DVP-MOVEMENT SPEAKS® class
• Be able to teach several activities in the MOVEMENT SPEAKS® model
• Learn specific suggestions to ensure success when building community-based creative aging programs

Additionally, participants will observe in-person MOVEMENT SPEAKS® classes in New York City with DVP lead teachers, have an opportunity to practice teaching volunteer older adult students, and receive personalized feedback. Following successful completion of the training, participants will be qualified to develop and lead models based on the DVP-MOVEMENT SPEAKS®.

ABOUT THE LIVE, IN-PERSON TRAINING:

As the global population ages, health care, social work, and arts programming providers are being faced with a demand to serve the growing needs of this population. Recent research has illuminated the extent to which dance and creative aging programming are uniquely positioned to offer positive aging benefits. This 3-day training led by the artistic director of Naomi Goldberg Haas and lead teaching artists of the DVP company, offers functional training in the award-winning MOVEMENT SPEAKS® program – a model for creative aging and dance. Following this model, selected professionals will be qualified to lead and build creative aging dance programs in their communities based on the MOVEMENT SPEAKS® model. Designed for dance professionals, this introductory workshop prepares participants to expand creative aging programs in their community.

Dates:  Fall 2024 in New York City: December 7, 8 & 9

Cost of Training

Cost of the program: $1,500 payable by check to Dances For A Variable Population. Or through PayPal click here

JOIN THE MOVEMENT!

To apply review the application material below.

About the Presenters

NAOMI GOLDBERG HAAS has been the founding artistic director of Dances for a Variable Population (DVP) since 2005, which promotes strong & creative movement among adults of all ages and abilities. DVP’s model of community creative aging education program MOVEMENT SPEAKS® has served 5,000 older adults in NYC and is a model in best practices for creative aging in community-based performance and education programs for older adults. Goldberg Haas has been a leader in the field of creative aging, starting with founding the successful intergenerational and mixed-ability dance company, Los Angeles Modern Dance & Ballet (1990- 2004). She danced with Pacific Northwest Ballet and holds an MFA from Tisch Dance/NYU. Goldberg Haas received the LMCC President’s Award for Performing Arts (2014), and served on the Age Friendly Media, Arts & Culture Working Group (2015–2018). She received the DANCE USA 2019–20 Fellowship for Artists Addressing Social Change.

In February 2023, she received the New York State Dance Education Association Lifetime Impact in Dance Education award in recognition of her Extraordinary Life-long Imprint on Dance and Dance Education community.

CASIE MCMANUS (Teaching Artist/Dancer) grew up in Rochester, NY, and began her dance training under Krista Cerretto and Charlotte Buckley. Ms. McManus graduated magna cum laude from The Ailey School/Fordham University with a BFA in dance and a minor in Music.  She has been lucky to perform the work of many great artists, including Mia Michaels, Esmé Boyce, Helen Simoneau, Jamar Roberts, Cameron McKinney, and Shelly Hutchinson. Since May of 2022, she has been a Teaching Artist at Dances for a Variable Population. 

THEO GILBERT (Teaching Artist/Dancer) is a Native New Yorker, Movement Motivator, and Dance Fitness Professional.  She lives in the Bronx and teaches Zumba Gold and numerous Dance Fitness classes throughout the city.  She says her “favorite group to teach is elders, gathering so much from their wisdom and humor!”