Move · Videos · Dance · 22 min

Dance for PD Mini-Lesson: Seated Tango and West Side Story

Dance for PD Mini-Lesson: Seated Tango and West Side Story — video by Davis Phinney Foundation for Parkinson's Play · 22:28

Video by Davis Phinney Foundation for Parkinson's on YouTube · Open on YouTube

Dance for PD co-founder David Leventhal, a former Mark Morris Dance Group dancer, talks about the programme for 7 minutes, then teaches seated tango steps, a call-and-response dance and a West Side Story number, seated or standing. If you have Parkinson's, check with your doctor first.

  • 22 min
  • Beginner
  • Low impact (no jumping)
  • chair

Good forHealthy ageingDancing for funFun workouts

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Step by step 9

Tap a time to watch that step in the video.

  1. Tango elements: press through the feet, step and slide side to side, reach long, and dip a partner. 7:20
  2. Dance the tango sequence to music, with an open stance, wide reaches and a dip to each side. 8:04
  3. Again, pressing each footprint into the floor, then little improvised circles with one foot. 9:07
  4. Call and response: make a shape with a hand, then echo it with a foot, on each side. 10:48
  5. Harder patterns: lead with the heel of the hand and echo it with the heel, then a shuffle and tap. 12:09
  6. Put the upper and lower body together, with scoops and presses, then open and close. 14:14
  7. West Side Story: pick Jet or Shark, and choose to stand up safely or stay seated. 15:59
  8. Learn the moves: strong points, side steps with a pulse in the knees, then grow, retreat and explode. 17:02
  9. Dance it to the music, speeding up the steps, then finish in a big pose of your own. 18:04

The steps are a summary in our words, checked against the video — the coach shows every move.

Form cues from the coach

  • Modify, adapt or go easy on anything that doesn't feel right for your body
  • Press your whole footprint into the floor, as if into wet cement
  • Stand for the last dance only if you can do so safely; staying seated is fine

What it works Whole body

Tap an area for more videos that work it.

Joints it uses light on the joints

  • Shoulders movestango reaches, points, explode arms
  • Upper back movespartner dips, wide reaches
  • Hips movesstep and slide side to side
  • Knees movespulses through the knees, pliés
  • Ankles & feet movespressing through the feet, foot circles

Easier option from the coach: Stay seated for the last dance; he leads it seated

A guide to the joints this video’s moves load, from what the coach does — not medical advice. Some ache is normal; stop if a joint hurts sharply. How joints are rated

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Video by Davis Phinney Foundation for Parkinson's; the summary, steps, cues, body areas and joint notes are Notbroken’s, written from what the coach actually does in the video and checked a second time. Warm up first, take the easier options until a move feels easy, and stop if you feel sharp pain, chest pain or dizziness. General instruction, not advice for your body. About & safety