PLACEHOLDER (maybe remove this text box?)  Folloiwng is from a SUCASA 2017 final report:
Dance Parade was pleased to provide it's Ageless Action program to elders from the Clearview Selfhelp Community Services Senior Center in Bayside, Queens. The program focused on balance, flexibility and motor skills as a focus of the Moving For Life Curriculum.

The Clearview Senior Programs Director Erin Brennan worked with Dance Parade's Community Engagement Director Carlye Eckert to select Elena Lopez Sanscome as the initial teaching artist to facilitate a 90minute "Moving For Life" curricula that fit to the site's population and needs. In order to manage to the 60 contact hour goal for the program, we added an additional teacher Tom Sullivan to provide a second 90minute class each week. Both Elena and Tom are certified educators of the “Moving for Life” method.

Through accessible instruction class members learned the anatomical and exercise knowledge to become as active as possible:
*Classes began with an easy breath-based warm-up and stretching—safely increasing the range of movement in the arms and legs.
*Next, class members explored breathing and movement exercises that were specially designed to reduce swelling (lymphedema).
*Then, fatigue was reduced by dancing actively to upbeat music.
*Students worked up a sweat and awakened and enlivened bodies and spirits instilled with whimsy.
*They built strength using weights and therabands or one's own body weight.
*Some sequences challenged the brain - helping to fight the effects of mental fog and confusion.
*Each session came to a close with a relaxing stretching sequence and an community dialogue about new feelings and resources.
*Every class member received personalized instruction and was guided to build greater awareness of, respect for, and control of all part of the body (helping body image and self-respect).
*Upbeat music and free movement served as an antidote to depression, doing so with others counteracts isolation.

From the first class on February 15, 2017 students worked toward creating a choreography that was presentable at the 11th Annual Dance Parade on Broadway on Saturday May 2017. The parade allowed the Clearview students to participate in the broader NYC dance community. Half the students enjoyed riding on Dance Parade’s Community Engagement Float and another half received complimentary tickets to the parade’s Grandstand in Astor Plaza.

A culminating event was held on Friday June 30th 2017 to celebrate the end of the program. Over 80 center participants came to enjoy refreshments, watch and participate through the dance exercises taught at Clearview. Teaching artists Tom and Elena were greeted by a warm reception from the audience, capping off a successful program!