BPG Executive Director Olie Westheimer spoke on “The value of dance for persons with Parkinson’s: Contributions of dance aesthetics and cognitive neuroscience,” for  Smith College dance and neuroscience students. Also in attendance were local  Northampton, MA  area participants in a special yoga class for persons with PD, taught by Donna Brooks. Olie and Ivan Bodis-Wollner, MD, Head of the Scientific Advisory Board for Dance for PD, led a discussion with the audience, before everyone adjourned to a reception. (December 3, 1010)

The opening ceremony of the second World Parkinson Congress featured  BPG’s  very own Pamela Quinn’s prize winning,  moving video, “Welcome to our World.” BPG Executive Director Olie Westheimer gave a talk on Dance for PD followed by a dance class demonstration  led by Joanne Duff, Amanda Fogg and Anna Gillespie. These Dance for PD leaders teach classes in London and  Weymouth England. They also led a Dance for PD workshop class.  Pamela Quinn chaired a panel discussion on “Taking Charge of your Parkinson” s “ and taught  a PD Movement Lab class for WPC attendees. PD Movement Lab is an experimental class Pam developed in collaboration with BPG,  and leads every week in Brooklyn,  for  BPG participants. (October 15, 2010)