Dragon Crane Movement Arts

05/11/2024

Saw the northern lights for the first time. Pretty magical!

08/02/2023

View information about this sale in Minneapolis, MN. The sale starts Friday, August 11 and runs through Sunday, August 13.

11/15/2022

I just received an email from a long-time colleague who agreed to match the amount of any donation Dragon Crane receives on our Give to the Max page this Thursday. The catch? I need 15 new donation before the end of the day.

Dragon Crane open doors to whole-body movement arts, taught through the lens of wellness, and accessible to all, regardless of physical or financial ability. We do this through collaborations with community organizations, and donations from people like you. This year's focus is on karate and qigong for people who have Parkinson's Disease and other neurological disorders.

Please consider a gift of wellness exercise this Thursday!

Intense Movement classes for people with Parkinson's designed to improve gait, balance and cognition

11/14/2022

Join us for the Minnesota Day of Giving Nov. 17 to give wellness exercise classes to anyone seeking to learn, regardless of physical or financial ability.

‍This year we are focusing on relaunching our exercise classes for people who have Parkinson's Disease. Parkinson's Foundation researcher, Stephanie Combs-Miller, found that people who exercise 2.5-3 hours a week are more likely to see benefits such as improved gait, balance, posture, endurance, memory, and concentration. Forced, intense movement, like karate and Qigong at Dragon Crane, is especially beneficial for people who experience symptoms associated with Parkinson's.

Sifu Robyn is the only woman in the United States trained to teach Ting Sing Qigong from the Jook Lum Tong Long Pai tradition. She has been studying and teaching Qigong for about 10 years, and Shaolin Kenpo Karate for 20 years. She is also certified by the Brian Grant Foundation as a trainer for people who have Parkinson’s Disease. In 2020, she was a leader in a Parkinson’s Foundation workshop series to develop wellness exercises for people who have Parkinson’s Disease.

Donate Online now to help us help people who have Parkinson's and other neurological disorders. Your gift directly supports those who might not otherwise be able to take these classes.

Intense Movement classes for people with Parkinson's designed to improve gait, balance and cognition

11/08/2022

A couple of years ago I worked with an amazing group of professionals to develop a series of workshops in movement arts for people who have Parkinson's Disease. I trained with the Brian Grant Foundation to become a certified trainer for people who have Parkinson's, and at the same time, I customized both Shaolin Kenpo and Ting SIng Qigong to ensure that these arts are accessible, and helpful to people with PD.

Dragon Crane is now opening the doors to offer three weekly classes designed for people who have PD. Each of these classes includes the following elements of training specifically beneficial to people who have Parkinson's Disease.

Dual Task Training – Performing two moves at once

Intensity Inhibition – Stop start, aerobic, high intensity interval training

Cognitive Training – Choreographed sequences challenge the mind

Kinesthetic Balance – improves spacial awareness, large motor

In the context of karate and qigong, these training elements can help ease the symptoms of PD such as Rigidity, Bradykinesia (delayed reaction), Gait, Sensory Integration, Postural Instability, and Agility.

In keeping with the Dragon Crane mission. These classes are open to all, regardless of physical or financial ability. To meet the need, we are engaging the GiveMN campaign this November.

https://www.givemn.org/story/Parkinsons-Dragon-Crane

If you know someone who hase Parkinson's, or other neurological conditions, let them know about these classes wither in person, or online.

10/17/2022

It's not to late to join our 6-week Qigong Study at Tapestry Dance Center in Minneapolis. Enjoy 6 weeks of Strong Balance Qigong on Tuesday at noon, or Chi for Health on Thursdays at 11 a.m. OR both! Six-week study is $50.

Learn more at https://dragoncrane.org/qigong

10/06/2022

Two new classes now open for enrollment.

Strong Balance Qigong 6-week study
New 6-week session starts on October 18.
6 consecutive Tuesdays at Noon.

Chi for Health Qigong 6-week study
New 6-week session starts on October 20.
6 consecutive Thursdays at 11 a.m.

6-weeks for $50. Learn more here.

Dragon Crane provides martial arts programming, self-defense training and qigong for wellness to anyone seeking to learn, regardless of ability to pay.