Focused on inspiring strong and creative movement among adults of all ages and abilities, our free programs are the heart of Dances For A Variable Population’s work. Based on the core values of appreciating one’s own body and moving with other people, the programs promote greater mobility, self-confidence, physical awareness, social interaction, expressiveness in movement, and a greater sense of meaning. We start by acknowledging each individual’s history and take each participant forward from that place.
ALL SITES FLYER for Winter Spring 2019
Central Harlem: Central Harlem Senior Center/Kennedy site
Central Harlem: Central Harlem Senior Center/St Nicholas Senior Center
Central Harlem: Canaan Senior Center
West Harlem: George Bruce Library
West Harlem: PSS Manhattanville Senior Center
West Harlem: Douglass Senior Center
West Harlem: Associated Black Social Workers (ABSW)
West Harlem: The Center at Red Oak SUCASA
West Village: Tony Dapolito Recreation Center
Upper East Side: Webster Library
Upper West Side: Goddard Riverside Senior Center SUCASA
Upper West Side: Lincoln Square Neighborhood Center SUCASA
Lower East Side: Henry Street Settlement/Good Companions
Brooklyn/Carroll Gardens: Eileen Dugan Senior Center
Brooklyn/Park Slope: Park Slope Center for Successful Aging
Bronx: William Hodson Senior Center
Long Island City: Queensbridge Riis Senior Center
Since 2008, DVP has worked with over 45 senior centers and senior oriented institutions. Each year, we typically visit 10-12 centers with our Dances For Seniors programs and run our signature Movement Speaks programs at 12-14 additional sites citywide.
MOVEMENT SPEAKS®
MOVEMENT SPEAKS® offers seniors in low-income communities free sequential dance instruction followed by a public performance of their original work. Ranging in length from 10 to 36 weeks, each 75-minute session typically includes warm-up and dance exercises for seated and standing participants; individual and group dance improvisation; memorization of basic movement phrases; and cool-down. Throughout the program, students will create movement in preparation for culminating performances, which take place at the workshop site or in the surrounding community. The program operates in libraries and senior centers citywide.
“Before I started I was very heavy, 300 pounds at 5’5. As we participated in the dance, my weight started coming down, my diabetes settled down and I’m doing so much better. I love this program to death. It’s very challenging. You’re challenging yourself; you’re challenging your mind. This dance class has saved my life.” – Participant, Citizens Care Senior Center, Harlem
“Although I had danced “a while ago” I developed a new spirit here in extending creatively legs, arms, head, shoulders, fingers, knees and toes. We were able to engage one another with positive “can do” statements. I truly am passionate what this project does, what it promotes and the joy it engenders!”- Participant, Central Harlem Senior Center, Harlem
“The program attracted me since I have had a double hip replacement and I don’t walk enough. The doctor said I need to move more. I really liked the idea of since it was a different kind of movement besides walking.” –Participant, George Bruce Library, West Harlem
“Before Movement Speaks I was sort of unsure about everything, now I feel my world is my oyster.” –Participant, George Bruce Library, West Harlem
“I love that we are all in this together; it’s a shared experience of dancing amongst all of us.” – Participant, Central Harlem Senior Center
“I like that I come here and do what I CAN. I focus on what I can do and not what I can’t.”- Participant, Central Harlem Senior Center
“It’s for any level of learning or body movement. If I cannot do the movements that day standing, its no big deal I just sit with the others who take part from the chairs.”- Participant, George Bruce Library, West Harlem
“I have always felt that I had a dancing heart, but I couldn’t do anything about it before. Now it’s my time and I will dance.” – Participant, George Bruce Library, West Harlem
DANCES FOR SENIORS
Dances For Seniors Fall 2018 ALL SITES Flyer
DANCES FOR SENIORS offers free interactive modern dance performances and participatory workshops to low-income seniors at New York City senior centers. Each program includes 30-minute performances by DVP’s multigenerational company, which encourage audience participation and feature artist-led introductions to explain the work. Following the performance, participatory dance workshops use creative movement, improvisation and personal gesture to introduce modern dance to participants.
Fall 2018 Schedule: WEDNESDAYS Oct 3- Dec 5th
Oct. 3 – 1:30- 3pm
ABSW Senior Center
221 West 107th Street
New York, NY 10025
Oct. 10 – 1:30 – 3:00pm
YM-YWHA of Washington Hts.
54 Nagle Avenue
New York, NY 10040
Oct. 17 – 2:00- 3:30pm
Jackie Robinson Senior Center
1301 Amsterdam Avenue
New York, NY 10027
Oct 24-10:30 – 11:45am
Park Slope Center for Successful Aging
463A 7th Street (just off 7th Avenue)
Brooklyn, NY 11215
Oct. 31 – 1:30 – 3pm
Bartow Senior Center, JASA
2049 Bartow Avenue, Rm 31
Bronx, NY 10475
Nov 7- 1:00 – 2;30pm
JASA Club 76
120 West 76th st, 3rd Fl.
New York NY 10023
Nov. 14 – 1:30pm
Riverside Church of New York
490 Riverside Drive
New York, NY 10027
Nov 28 – 1:30 – 3 pm
Penn South Program for Seniors
290 9th Avenue
New York, NY 10001
Dec. 5th – 1:30- 3pm
Einstein Senior Center, JASA
135 Einstein Loop
Bronx, NY 10475
“I enjoyed dancing with a partner, connected with someone.” – Participant at Hudson Guild Fulton Center
“The experience of participating in this workshop uplifting- I feel energized to the maximum.” – Participant at JASA Westside Senior Center
“I was so pleased by my group’s reaction to your efforts. I put it down to your skillful manipulation of the choreography for my population, your encouragement and demonstrations of what is possible, and your wider interpretation of what Dance means and can be for them.”-Eugenia Cameron, Activity/Outreach Director, Good Companions Senior Center/Henry Street Settlement
“We thought about dance performance and movement in a new way”- Suzanne Yuen, Director, Mott Street Senior Center