Presented by NextStage Productions and Watsonville Taiko Group
This is a new beginning class for those with Parkinson’s. Lessons take place for eight (8) Wednesdays, from February 5th through March 25th, from 10 a.m to 11 a.m. There will also be a Class Recital on Wednesday, April 1st, for family and friends.
Taiko Drumming Class Presentation, 2019 • Photo Credit: Alexandra Florimont
It is NOT a drop-in class, and participants must be registered. There are still open spots left. For more information and to reserve a place in the class, contact Julie Lorraine at 831-688-0888 or (831) 239-5286 cell.
Evidence suggests that Taiko can improve mobility, improve cognitive function through patterning and vocalization, reduce pain and lessen depression through community building. The class is supported by the combined efforts of NextStage Productions, Watsonville Taiko Group, and EASE PD, Inc., and taught by Sensei Ikuyo.
Practice drums will be provided and there is no charge for this class. Drummers can buy a set of bachi drumming sticks for $5. (If you wish to make a donation, make it to NextStageProductions)
Classes take place at Trinity Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall, 420 Melrose Ave, Santa Cruz. (Corner of Pacheco and Melrose Ave); Entrance to Fellowship Hall is on Pacheco.
This class is for new students only. The continuing class also meets Wednesdays, at 11:15-12:15 at the same location. It is only open to PwP who have taken the classes before.
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Watsonville Taiko was founded by Jim Hooker in September, 1991, as a Taiko drumming community of performers and supporters.
Ikuyo Conant was appointed artistic director in 1992 and set the group’s goal to strive through exploration of Taiko to develop an art that combines drumming with folklore, mythology and symbolism.
The mission of the Watsonville Taiko Group is to foster the evolving cultural expression and traditions of taiko drumming through performances and public education.
In the senior program, students practice music with conscious movements. Slow rhythm exercises help students develop balance, flexibility, mobility, muscular-joint strength and concentration. The senior program emphasizes the precise movements and rhythms of taiko drumming with an emphasis on focused movement and breathing.
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For years, Santa Cruz resident Lynn Knudsen has advocated for more opportunities for mature adults to participate in the performing arts. Herself, a retired Broadway actress and hoofer during the 1960’s, Lynn has devoted most of her life to the arts. In 2012 Knudsen was awarded a Professional Development Grant from the Arts Council of Santa Cruz to develop opportunities for directing and producing theatre for seniors.
She and two other performers from the Santa Cruz Follies drove to Oakland in July 2012 seeking performing arts training from the nationally acclaimed theatre of seniors, Stagebridge. They attended the Stagebridge Senior Performing Arts Camp for adults 50+, where they were motivated by what they learned and excited with the professionalism and expert teaching, and decided to bring this organizational model to Santa Cruz.
At the same time, Stagebridge was interested in replicating its award winning work in other communities, so in August 2012 Stagebridge Founder and Director of Replication, Dr. Stuart Kandell, agreed to replicate Stagebridge in the community of Santa Cruz.
Stagebridge, founded in 1978 by Dr. Kandell and based in Oakland, is America’s oldest and most acclaimed and innovative senior theatre company. The company is nationally known as the foremost theatre of, for, and by older adults. Stagebridge has an extensive training program for older adults, award winning outreach programs for the community, and creates original plays for public audiences.
The company is the winner of the Metlife Creative Aging Award and the Metlife Mind Alert Award, among others. With the Stagebridge Experience indoctrination, for … two years, Stagebridge Santa Cruz has stepped up … to become NextStage Productions to continue the life changing programs of Stagebridge with the addition of a vibrant program on its own, under the sponsorship of the Arts Council of Santa Cruz County.
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EASE PD, Inc is a 501(c) (3) non-profit corporation in Santa Cruz County, California. Our mission is to develop and sustain exercise, activity, support and education programs/resources in Santa Cruz County specifically tailored for persons diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease (PD). EASE PD wishes to work cooperatively with local PD groups and groups providing services People with Parkinson’s (PwP) to:
- Promote awareness and participation in existing programs and services for the PD community throughout the county.
- Create a local centralized source for PD referral and information.
- Encourage local support networks for families and caregivers of persons with PD.
- Actively seek funds from private donations and grants, and hold fundraisers to support exercise and other therapeutic activities tailored for persons with PD.