Deacon Gerald Butcher to Perform with OKC Ballet
Deacon Gerald Butcher will take the stage in the Oklahoma City Ballet’s upcoming production Shorts, a unique collaboration with Oklahoma's own The Flaming Lips.
A participant in OKC Ballet’s Parkinson’s dance class, Deacon Gerald and his fellow classmates will perform alongside professional dancers at the Civic Center for the first time ever.
We spoke with Deacon Gerald about this upcoming production. “I was reluctant to get involved at first,” he shared, “but I’ve felt supported by my classmates and teachers. That encouragement helped me get on stage.”
Dance and movement programs have been shown to slow the progression of Parkinson’s, helping participants strengthen their brains and form new neural pathways. For Deacon Gerald, it has been transformative.
Reflecting on his journey with Parkinson’s, he said, “We all carry something—this is what I carry. But it’s been good to see how God has loved me through it. That can’t be bad at all.”
Deacon Gerald will perform on May 9 and 11 at the Civic Center in Oklahoma City!
