movement patterns, such as the one a dancer and registered nurse discov- ered when she found she had trouble whisking an egg. In the dance studio, the company (made up of people with and without Parkinson’s disease) lis- tened to her story while we experi- mented on what it was like to become the egg that is whisked, gyrating and foaming, fried and finally eaten. The movement phrase, along with several others inspired by their stories of diag- nosis and treatment, was part of the dance Shock . In another interview, Jenifer Peale, a retired nutritionist remarked, “It is just so much easier to say ‘I love you’ to people. I wonder why that is? It’s like being stripped down a bit, like an onion peels off. When you’ve gotten a few layers peeled off of you, by virtue of learning you have Parkinson’s, you’re a bit raw, but you’re also so much more exposed that it’s kind of the real you, or maybe the better you, or something underneath.” This interview turned into movement that was performed at the end of Brooklyn’s PEACE , where a dancer stands downstage left as she gestures the peeling off of one layer at a time. A group of dancers swirl in the shape of a lotus flower behind her. As the dance comes to an end, they enfold her into the center of the flower and together they rise, stretch, and bloom out of the mud, sending love out through the theater walls, across the city and state and all across the world. We have employed this process of listening to interviews, building movement phrases and then trans- forming them into evening-length works for over a decade. The dances are powerful because the work acknowledges the difficulty of the disease but also celebrates the resil- iency and tenacity of the participants. As people with Parkinson’s disease experience some loss in ability, I understand that selecting imagery and music that speaks to their matu- rity, life experience, and dignity is important. At the same time, part of
WHEN YOU’VE GOTTEN A FEW LAYERS PEELED OFF OF YOU, BY VIRTUE OF LEARNING YOU HAVE PARKINSON’S, YOU’RE A BIT RAW, BUT YOU’RE ALSO SO MUCH MORE EXPOSED THAT IT’S KIND OF THE REAL YOU, OR MAYBE THE BETTER YOU, OR SOMETHING UNDERNEATH.
my artistic expression is tied to the notion of play. Bringing together youth to work with people with Parkinson’s has been a key component in introduc- ing a sense of whimsy to what can be a heavy subject. I soon found that despite the age difference, both groups were dealing with some kind of change. Whether it be graduating from middle school or college, getting married, having children, breaking up, or dealing with a health issue, we are always adapting to life’s changing cir- cumstances. The young people learn by watching the elders, and in turn the elders are energized by the youth. Together, we have managed to create a sense of belonging through dance, among ever-changing circumstances. dNaga’s mission is to offer art programming that cultivates creativity and builds connections. We can build new pathways to problem-solving with creative thinking and help heal trauma, inter- rupt systemic oppression, and serve as a tool for liberation. Founded and directed by CLAUDINE NAGANUMA , dNaga creates work rooted in the interview process, tackling themes such as the incarceration of Japanese Americans, racial profiling, mental health, systemic issues facing our youth, medication, surgery, and palliative care. In that vein, dNaga has been offering a Dance for PD ® program in partnership with Danspace since
2007, and includes intergenerational commu- nity members in their performances. dNaga’s GIRL Project is in residence at EastSide Cultural Center, offering a multi-disciplinary art and empowerment program for POC girls since 2014. The dance company recently performed in Kyo- to and Tokyo at the World Parkinson Congress (2019), published a book entitled Peace About
Life: Dancing with Parkinson’s, and was included in Dave Iverson’s documentary Capturing Grace about dance and Parkinson’s disease. By culling the wisdom and personal stories of our elders, we can learn how to better care for ourselves and develop a better understanding of our world and our place within it. For more information about dNaga, please visit dNaga.org.
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In Dance | May 2014 | dancersgroup.org
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