Dance for PD: Providing the Way

People with Parkinson’s disease would seem like poor prospects to become dancers. The neurological disorder affects our ability to move smoothly and under control, leaving many PWP’s progressively less coordinated and less physically engaged with the world. Yet paradoxically, dancing can be a therapeutic pathway to help us return to a more fulfilling life. Dance for PD, originated by the Mark Morris Dance Group and offered at BBT, has provided the way for me. When I dance, I can mostly forget my limitations and be caught up in focused, mindful music and specifically helpful exercise—at the best of times in a state of “flow” that fully engages me.

Never a “natural dancer,” I was physically active into my 60s, especially as a passionate bicyclist. But unusually suddenly at age 65 in 2009, an array of PD symptoms made their presence known: large-muscle tremors at rest, slowing of voluntary movements (called bradykinesia), some balance issues, and eventually some “freezing behavior” (feeling like your feet are temporarily nailed to the floor). What’s proven most helpful for me is to focus exercise centrally on what I’ve most needed: an improved ability to move precisely and smoothly, and to do so under conscious control (mindfully).

Dance for PD classes are designed to accommodate multiple levels of ability—seated versions of most exercises are supported—and often to be performed as part of a group rather than just by an individual dancer. The physical movements set to music by a live pianist provide a modicum of conditioning, but the central benefit is the overall choreography of an hour of movement. Over months and years, this way of thinking and movement becomes fully embedded in the lives of participants, creating a strong center from which to carry on a more fulfilling life. - Alan