Creative Caregivers

In partnership with Tara Rynders, RN and The Clinic. This four-month pilot of monthly arts- and play-based workshops were designed and run for five regional Oncology Nursing Society chapters across the United States. The documentary about the process was premiered and presented by Alison Waldman and Tara Rynders, RN at the 2022 ONS Congress in Anaheim, CA.

Day of Dance in Healthcare

Alison Waldman directs and choreographs the annual the Day of Dance at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital (MGUH). This signature program is a day of integrated, site-specific performance throughout the hospital by professional performers and is the first of this kind of integrated dance programming in a hospital setting. There has been a Day of Dance at MGUH in 2017, 2018, and 2019. Learn about the impact and stories of the Day of Dance in Alison's 2020 TEDx talk, Why should we be dancing with our doctors?

Movement for MS

Movement for MS is a dance and creative movement class for people in all stages of MS and their loved ones. This award-winning program was started under the leadership of Alison Waldman and Keira Hart-Mendoza in 2017. It furthered as a research pilot in partnership with The Scottish Ballet, University of Florida Shands Arts in Medicine Program, The Georgetown Medical Center Department of Neurology, and the Georgetown AHP.

The class is continues as an in-person and now virtual weekly class, taught by Deborah Riley, CMA with co-instruction by Alison Waldman.

Read the research: Movement for Multiple sclerosis
​A multi-site partnership for practice and research (2020)

Watch the ABC7 Feature on Movement for MS (July 2020)

Read more about project lead Erika Mitchell, RN's award for the Movement for MS program. 

Gentle & Accessible Yoga

Alison has developed and led extra gentle classes and workshops customized to welcome people with various mobilities including those with neurological disease, with chronic pain, in injury recovery, post-surgery, and total newcomers. Ongoing and recent public programs include Extra Gentle Mat and Chair Yoga with The Georgetown Lombardi Arts & Humanities Program, holiday and Shabbat classes in partnership with Sixth & I Historic Synagogue, a faculty position at the Jewish Mindfulness Center of Washington, and weekly studio classes.

Learn more at Available Wellness

Dance & Theatre Performance

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ARTISTIC DIRECTION AND CHOREOGRAPHY

• Direction & Choreography, The Day of Dance in Healthcare (MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, 2017, 2018, 2019)
• Co-director & Performer, Seeking, Bonding, Breaking: The Science of Love (Source Festival, 2015)
• Choreographer, The Oldest Profession (Rainbow Theatre Project, 2015)
• Choreographer & Performer, Lay(hers) (Contradiction Dance, 2013)
• Concept & Performer, Play (Lamont Street Collective, 2013; Contradiction Dance, 2015)
• Artist & Choreographer in Residence & collaboration with Caroline Spence (Chatham Hall School, 2011)
• Choreographer, Norton: The Astonishingly True Story of America’s Forgotten Emperor (Denison University, 2010)

CONTRADICTION DANCE THEATRE • 2011-17
Company Member, Rehearsal Director
NOW; Code Switch; Objects of Hope: The America Project; Walk a Mile; #DanceAboutDC; Boundaries; Objects of Hope; The Gift; FASHIONVICTIM; The Present

POP-UP AND OTHER PERFORMANCE • 2011-2017
Flashmob America; Taliesin (Humble Fire music video, 2017); National Dance Day (Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2016); Kitchen Sink Fest (Dance Place, 2016); State: Trait – Community Mental Health Conversations Through Dance (Hillcrest Children and Family Center, 2016); Jane Franklin Dance – Blue Moon/Red River (Capital Fringe Fest 2014); Uprooted Dance– First Fridays Dupont (2013); Cast of Thousands (2012); National Building Museum Honor Award Gala (2011)