Teaching Artists
Photo taken by Shannon Parsons
Shannon Parsons - Filmmaker/performer/teacher
After dancing since she was little and teaching for over ten years, Shannon took a break to study Librarianship. She returned to dance and teaching, beginning her Dance for Parkinson’s journey as a volunteer for the class in Hampton in 2018. Completing both the Introductory and Advanced Dance for PD® Training workshops she began assisting Katrina in teaching duties at Hampton in 2019, taking over the class in 2020. Shannon works as a consultant for unique archive/museum/library collections and also creates dance and movement work on video.
Katrina Rank
Katrina Rank is a leading Australian educator and dance artist, contributing to national and international movement education outcomes. A ballet and contemporary dancer by training, Katrina maintains a performance and teaching practice and received an Australian Dance Award for Services to Dance Education in 2018.
Katrina is the Director of Education and Lifelong Learning for Ausdance Victoria. Katrina was the author and project leader of Teaching and Leading Dance to Older People, a research program and report which has been distributed widely. With Paris Wages Katrina choreographed Stupendous a 2018 dance film performed by people living with Parkinson's disease. It was screened in the Frame x Frame Film Festival Festival in 2018 and 2020 and received a coveted laurel.
Her recent dance focus has been on dance for health, with particular reference to ageing and Parkinson’s disease. In 2013, Katrina initiated Fine Lines, intergenerational dance and projects. Fine Lines began with contemporary dance classes for experienced mature dancers.
Photo taken by Stirling Rank
Photo taken by Jordon Henry Hicks
Paris wages- Choreographer/Dancer/Teacher
A native of New Orleans, Paris earned her MFA in dance from Florida State University. She went on to work professionally with several companies including LA Opera, Collage Dance Theatre, San Diego Opera, Oakland Ballet, Moving Arts Dance and San Francisco Opera Ballet. After moving to Melbourne Ms. Wages began teaching at Elancé Adult Ballet School, started the first Dance for Parkinson’s class in Victoria in 2014 and received her Dance for PD® teacher certification in 2018.