Kuntz and Company is currently working on a huge project and needs your help!
About a year ago, artistic director Pamela Kuntz was asked by Rick Hermann if she could potentially teach a class to those fighting Parkinson’s disease. Hermann was diagnosed with the disease in 1998 and is one of the 1.5 million people in America fighting against it. Although he is not a trained dancer, he dances with an abundant amount of grace, freedom, and fluidity. “I’ve always been captivated by his movement,” Kuntz said. Eventually that class became a reality in which Hermann is now actively involved. The class was also Kuntz’ inspiration to enter into the American Academy of Neurology’s 2012 Neuro Film Festival. The ANN Film Festival is asking for submissions of filmed research hoping to help find cures for neurological disorders. The entries will be judged by select foundation members and film experts. The winners will be premiered at the ANN meeting in New Orleans, WA.
The film will feature Hermann in action in order to show not only the grace of his movement while dancing, but the challenges he faces when he is not. Spencer Thun will be composing music for the film and limited voice-over for the audio. But in order for this all to happen, Kuntz and Company needs your help to pay for space rental, professional camera work, music composition, and post-production work.
“I have worked with Rick for more than a year now and have watched him grow as a dancer,” says Kuntz. “Before class one morning he said to me, ‘Its like every morning, before my meds begin to work, I have to learn how to walk again.’ Seeing him dance in class I found this hard to imagine. So when he invited me to his neurology appointment, I went. At this appointment I saw Rick off his medications. I also saw Rick experience adjustments to his Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) system. (The National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke describes DBS as a surgically implanted, battery-operated medical device called a neurostimulator. This device delivers electrical stimulation to targeted areas in the brain that control movement, blocking the abnormal nerve signals that cause tremor and other PD symptoms.) Because of this experience, I have watched Rick more closely and see that he may be unable to walk one day and dance gracefully the next. My film about Rick will tell his story, but, thanks to the Film Festival, will reach a larger audience,” Kuntz says in her description for the Kickstarter film.
“My hope, in creating this film, is that dance will be recognized as a valid form of expressive and physical therapy for people living with neurological disorders, giving hope to people with PD,” says Kuntz. “I want to show the need for neurological research that seeks cures and treatments, and moves forward at lightning speed. Please pledge and support the achievement of this goal,” says Kuntz.
The link to the website is below as well as a sample of the short film yet to be created. As of right now, $3,855 has been pledged which means we need $1,145 in order to reach the goal of $5,000. However, this must be done by December 1. Please show your support by making a pledge as well as helping to spread the word.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/696632867/partnering-dance-with-parkinsons
