off and on

choreography and performance –  Melanie Maar
sound –  Douglas Henderson
video projection of Herbert and Melanie Maar

2006 The World Parkinson Congress in
Washington D.C., USA, chairs Michael J. Fox, Oliver Sacks
2005 The Movement Disorder Conference in Berlin,Germany
2005The Norwegian PD Organisation’s Conference in Oslo, Norway
2006 The EFNA Multidisciplinary Conference in Glasgow, Scottland
2007 The EPDA Multidisciplinary Conference Stresa, Italy
2004-2006 the piece was also performed in several venues for dance
in New York and Vienna like Movement Research at Judson Church, Clemente Soto Velez Theater and Cosmos Theater Vienna

The World Parkinson Congress that took
place in Washington, D.C., from Feb. 22
to 26 was an enormous undertaking, and
the statistics were impressive: Over four
days, more than 3,000 attendees took part
in 127 workshops and symposia given by
281 presenters and viewed 342 scientific
posters, 62 exhibits, and art created by
19Parkinson’s patients from 13 countries.

Sitting quietly in the dark, we
watched Melanie Maar rehearse the
dance she created in honor of her father,
his dyskinesia, tremor and halting gait
captured perfectly and poignantly in an
artistic and loving portrait. Later in the
exhibition hall, Melanie, who also works
with Parkinson’s patients in movement classes,
was eager to talk with us about the creative ways we
have learned to move and adapt to the
physical challenges of Parkinson’s.’

Carey Christensen
NorthWest Parkinson’s Foundation

As a child, choreographer Melanie Maar was fascinated by the “crazy dance” of Parkinson’s disease that controlled her father’s body. In On and Off, Maar struggles with her own fear of the disease and the mental strength it takes to survive the experience. Recently performed at the World Parkinson Congress in Washington D.C., Maar’s work created a new perspective on the familiar issue for an appreciative audience of doctors, caretakers, and patients, including film star Michael J. Fox and author Oliver Sacks.
‘Where Dance and Science meet’ -Dance Magazine June 2006, by Wendy Perron