FUNCTION: Dance for Parkinson’s

Three organizations that have pioneered evidence-based arts and health programs, and are part of the largest ever study of arts and health, come together to present a free symposium for artists, organizations, researchers, health partners and commissioners with an interest in scaling up on Thursday, June 27. (Eventbrite here)

Launched in 2019, SHAPER (Scaling-up Health Arts Programs: Implementation and Effectiveness Research) is the world’s largest-ever study on the impact and scalability of arts interventions on physical and mental health. directed by King’s College London in association with UCLand supported by A A £2.5 million reward from Wellcome. So are the three art partners participating in the research and leading the symposium Breathe Doctor Health Survey with Breathe Melodies for Mothers, English National Ballet with Dance for Parkinson’s – PD-Ballet®, and Rosetta life with Stroke Odysseys.

We sat down English National Ballet to understand the work they do with Dance for Parkinson’s – PD-Ballet®.

What is Dance for Parkinson’s and how does it work?

English National Ballet has been delivering its evidence-based Dance for Parkinson’s (DfP) program since 2010. Known as PD-Ballet®, it was scaled up and tested at King’s College Hospital as part of SHAPER. Led by Professor K. Ray Chaudhuri, professor of movement disorders and neurology at King’s College London, people with Parkinson’s attended ballet classes with live music, dance, rhythm and voice for 12 weeks, led by a specialist ENB staff member of dance artists and musicians.

Each of the three groups of participants (grouped according to motor symptoms – mild, moderate and severe) followed a twelve-week block of ballet-based sessions interwoven with rhythm and voice exercises. The sessions were inspired by ENB’s contemporary repertoire: that of Akram Khan Giselle – and led by ENB specialist dance artists and musicians. The weekly sessions culminated in a shared celebration event for caregivers, family and friends. All participants had the opportunity to see an ENB production and enjoyed social time over tea and biscuits after each weekly session. The content of each dance session was intended to be joyful and uplifting, to increase freedom of expression and fluidity of movement, to develop postural stability and flexibility of the spine and to improve balance within the context of a welcoming and inclusive environment.

What do participants say about the project?

Some of the feedback we’ve received is that the program has “not only been instrumental in combating feelings of depression and isolation, but also in reigniting a spark of pure joy within me.” Others have said, “My attitude toward myself has changed.” And “These additional experiences (costume tour, screening, rehearsal) were such an unexpected bonus. One of the disadvantages of Parkinson’s is that life can become monotonous, both internally and externally (mentally and physically). These experiences took me outside my normal life experience and enriched it enormously.”

What do healthcare professionals you worked with say about the project?

We and healthcare professionals have done a lot of research and evaluation of the project, and the findings suggest that the activity and social aspect helps reduce social isolation; it benefits emotional and social well-being; it helps to stay motivated and maintain an active lifestyle; it improves stability, fluidity of movement and posture; and it reduces the interference of symptoms with daily life.

Dance for Parkinson’s from English National Ballet (ENB) is being scaled up and tested as a dedicated PD-Ballet® program in partnership with King’s College Hospital. The experience-based research is led by Professor K Ray Chaudhuri, professor of movement disorders and neurology at King’s College London and consultant at King’s College Hospital. Developed using the framework of the English National Ballet’s long-standing Dance for Parkinson programme, PD-Ballet® sees people with Parkinson’s attend weekly ballet classes for 12 weeks, with live music, dance, rhythm and voice, with specialized ENB Associate dance artists and musicians. Dance for Parkinson’s has been shown to reduce social isolation, benefit emotional and social well-being and improve stability, flexibility of movement and posture to support everyday life.