By Susanne Liebich (photo at right)

Editor's Note: This program is an excellent example of what we believe here at CCHC: that our clients are first and foremost people with challenges, not full-time patients.  The difference living this point of view is profound, as this article makes abundantly clear.

The healing power of dance… I stand here to vouch for its validity.  And in particular, I want to tell you about a technique called Dance for Parkinson’s Disease developed by Mark Morris Dance Group in 2001. This technique is not about therapy, yet it is therapeutic. It is not about exercise, yet for most, it is a wonderful workout using the whole body in different ways. Dance for Parkinson’s Disease is a pedagogy that integrates ballet with imagery, balance, mobility exercises, expression and enjoyment of the art dance. It’s about creating something aesthetically beautiful and creative with the body. It’s about appreciating dance for dance’s sake in a group setting and to explore the range of physical and creative possibilities that are still very much open to individuals with Parkinson’s.

The fundamentals of dance training – things like balance, movement sequencing, rhythm, spatial and aesthetic awareness and dynamic coordination – seem to address many of the things people with Parkinson’s want to work on to maintain a sense of confidence and grace in their movement.  Students learn repertory and technique, and get to develop a sense of mastery over the movement and their bodies. But we’re primarily interested in is a change of attitude that comes when people with Parkinson’s engage in an artistic learning environment like a dance class. Suddenly, they are surrounded by a world of possibility, not limitation, and it’s liberating and inspiring for them and for us.

Dance for PD started in 2001 when Olie Westheimer, the Executive Director of the Brooklyn Parkinson Group, approached the Mark Morris Dance Group with the idea for a real dance class for members of her group.  Olie felt people with Parkinson’s spent lots of time thinking and talking about Parkinson’s, shuttling between doctors’ and therapists’ offices. She wanted people to do something positive together and she had a hunch that a group dance class, taught by professional dancers, was the thing.

They started with one class per month, and ten years later, they have a weekly class, free of charge through grants received, for anywhere between 40-55 people with Parkinson’s, their families, friends and caregivers at the Mark Morris Dance Group in Brooklyn. The program has reached 45 communities around the world. And the intriguing thing is that on one hand, it has nothing to do with Parkinson’s. In class we don’t talk about symptoms, but because of the way the dance class is structured, it’s all about Parkinson’s. Dance fits Parkinson’s like a glove, but in class, people tell us they only notice the glove, not the Parkinson’s.

So let’s talk about some of the scientific benefits:

• Improvement in gait
• Reduction in tremor
• Improved stability and short term mobility
• Increased facial expression
• A sense of social inclusion

In class, people become more accomplished dancers, they are able to sequence movement more easily, and move with increased grace, confidence and musicality. One of my students, a retired architect in his mid 60’s, said he felt better after the first class. He said his balance improved and he surmised the rhythm of the dance moves combined with the music was helpful.

Dance is a relative newcomer to the field of Parkinson’s because most of the focus has been on exercise and fitness-based programs, but dance’s unique ability to bridge the physical, mental and emotional realms – all in the spirit of playfulness, fun and musicality – means that more and more people are accepting it as an essential part of the PD wellness portfolio. When Dance for PD started, there were some strangle, skeptical looks from the medical community. That initial skepticism is giving way to sustained interest and perhaps, someday, dance will be seen as a "best practice" for people with Parkinson’s.

So who participates in the Emerson Hospital-based Dance for PD class on Thursdays at 10:30? I have six students and four caregivers, ranging in age from 80’s to 40’s. Four people come with caregivers, and two men comes by themselves. Ethyl, a lovely woman in her 80’s, is a watercolor artist and an art teacher. She had to stop teaching last year due to Parkinson’s. Ethyl’s symptoms have progressed to the point where she needs a walker, and sometimes a wheelchair. Ethyl arrives with a huge smile and joy filled eyes. I was prepared to make an accommodation for her during our standing/holding back of chair sequence, but she refused the modification and opted to stand with the others.

Ned, the retired architect I mentioned before, who is in his 60’s, arrives with his wife, Sally, a retire biology professor from Wellesley. They are both still very active and like to travel and bike ride. Ned has had Parkinson’s for 15 years, and although he has slowed down, he is still quite mobile. Grace, a woman in her 50’s comes with her husband Mike. Grace’s symptoms are severe, and she must use a walker. She has noticeable tremors, lack of coordination in her limbs, and the Parkinson’s mask with little facial expression. Yeet when the music and choreography start, she follows seamlessly. She appears to be in a zone. I can tell from her hand movements she has a dance background.

Jim, who appears to be in his late 40’s, comes by himself. He is a systems analyst who works at a local company, but makes time to work the class into his schedule. His wife is at home with their 7 year old twins. John can walk, but with trepidation and methodically. Yet he appears content and relaxed in the group and willing to participate. Edgar, a new student, of Hungarian decent, who came to his first class last week, asks “what are we supposed to do” and I can tell he is skeptical and anxious. In the beginning, he asks people about their symptoms. By the end of class, after our circle, he declares “my first class was a success!”

What do these students whose ages span 40 years share? The bond of Parkinson’s, the understanding of the difficulty of each other’s predicaments, support for each other, and in this class: joy. Joy at being able to depart from the limitations Parkinson’s imposes and create beauty by embracing freedom, openness and limitless possibility.