If you read my last blog, you would have seen the video about Dance for PD®, an innovative program for people battling the symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease.
Dance for PD® is so effective because it allows participants to step out of the patients’ role and just move – creating beauty while engaging mind, body, and spirit. Friends and spouses of program participants enjoy taking these classes, too.
The freedom of movement is something that many of us may take for granted. After seeing the video, I’m feeling much more mindful of the joy of moving.
The video brought up five points about dance that I think need to be reiterated:
- Dance develops flexibility and instills confidence.
- Dance is a stimulating mental activity that connects mind to body.
- Dance breaks isolation.
- The basis of dance is rhythm.
- The essence of dance is joy.
Photo Taken by Amber Star Merkens
When I take all of these points together, it reminds me how perfectly dance can be utilized as an exercise in mind-body-spirit medicine.
A number of studies have been published in that last few years looking at the effects of dance on Parkinson’s Disease symptoms.
ME Hackney, PhD and GM Earhart, PT, PhD from the Washington University School of Medicine looked at the effects of partnered vs. non-partnered tango lessons for people with Parkinson’s Disease.
After having the participants take twice-weekly tango classes for 10 weeks, they found that both groups saw significant improvements in gait and balance, both immediately following the class completion and one month later.
One of the only differences between the groups was the increased enjoyment and interest in continuing the lessons as expressed by the partnered group. 
You can read the whole study in the May 2010 issue of Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair.
While the focus of this study may be on movement and the positive emotional and spiritual changes that result from dance lessons, dance can also trigger important neurological changes via our capacity for neuroplasticity.
Have you used dance or other movement programs with your patients? Do you have ideas for further application of these types of programs? Please leave a comment below.
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As a teacher of the biodanza vital development teacher (BVD) I myself and watched my students benefit the healing effect of dance. In BVD we invite the participants to move to the music within the physical and mental possibilities they have, so everyone can join. In the exercises we stimulate to explore affectivity, vitality, creativity, sexuality and transcendence (connection to the group, the nature,the whole, the universe). We propose exercises to do on your own, in two’s, small groups or with the whole group. To invite ppl to connect with themselves again, restoring body and mind relation (we don’t talk during class stimulating to connect with the body more) and to connect with others again. This year I started working with a group for only women and some of the reported effects are: feeling more alive, feeling more open, having lost 10 kg without a diet, sense of wellbeing and being able to reach out.
Since I have to write a kind of thesis to become a fully qualified teacher I’m looking for opportunities to theoretically support the effects of BVD/ dancing on the healing of people especially those suffering from trauma (PTSD ). If anyone can give me any inspiration, I would be very gladly to hear. Believing that dancing is one of the ways to regain our health, love and joy!!!
reach out to others…
If it exists maybe I have it (seriously). The answer probably is “yes”, but I’m not sure. Anyway, “interesting”ed. 🙂
As a dance -movement therapist and psychologist, I work with many population groups with my focus on early attachment and trauma. The beauty of the work is that body-centered psychotherapy/dance therapy works from “the bottom up”. It can be used to heal early trauma stored in the reptilian brain, limbic system and prefrontal cortex which has been the focus of your last series. Non-verbal relating through dance activates the mirror neurons as the individual attends to inner bodily sensations,images and emotions. Dr Schore was my teacher and he says that he loves dance therapists who understand the power of non-verbal attunement! Thank you for this support of my field whose benefits are may to various population groups. It is a joyful way of working!!!!!
I am developing a Zumba for PD ai beth Isreal hospital, Boston, MA we are starting our second 8 week program. I am interested in contacting you. This is great what you are doing! Thanks Josie Gardiner Zumba Education Specialist
Those of us who work with individuals with Parkinson’s and who also love to dance, have witnessed the relationship between movement, partnering, and the joy of being lost in the moment.Read more about my experience this summer when Contra dancing was introduced at a Parkinson’s retreat.
Wonderful to see dance featured here! Yes, to Elaine’s comment. Go to the American Dance Therapy Association website. You’ll find that dance therapy has been used for decades for a wide variety of populations. Currently, I’m working primarily with people struggling with eating disorders. Thank you~Christine
This is wonderful exploring the healing power of dance. Did you know there is profession Dance Therapy. You can learn more about us American Dance Therapy Assocation ADTA. Have you explored having a Dance Movement Therapist join your facuty? Thank you
I enjoyed hearing about the use of Tango to help Parkinson’s patients, and seeing this short video clip as to how it is implemented. All the components are there, Spiritual, Mental, Physical and Emotional. There is a program available in Ohio called: Delay the Disease. It is a Physical Fitness Exercise program that emphasizes big movement to aid in decreasing symptoms, and is very effective. I think that including Tango with this program would be awesome.
Ruth! I am on fire powered by the possibilities for healing opportunities
In goups/circles, ie dance / movement first..universal entrainment..sets in ..when one gets it, Group energy/ frequency increases and all group members up their frequency. Internal shifts occur…each free to Focus on body mind…
Motion opportunities to”do your own work and healing will follow..
So….all treatment groups Are one..no more organizing around dianosis.
Disease / treatment groups …every one benefits by coming together to
Dance, up their body frequency, do their own internal shifts and well-
Being…more to come later. Dance includes sound treatment, thought..
Focus moves mood, touch/energy exchange and more Thank you!! Joan
Dear Ruth and others…yes, I know of this therapy, mostly in Argentina! I too have been dancing Tango for more then five years and am an Authentic Movement teacher and psychotherapist. I use this in my sessions and it works really well with couples to learn about lead and follow.
As a student of Dr. Alan Schore and his brilliant teaching and understanding of neuroscience, Tango is the best along to access parts of the brain that are outside our normal understanding. I have no idea sometimes how I just did what I did or dance what I dance…it comes from the reservoir within our inner knowing.
As a EMDR and BLS practitioner and Jungian oriented therapist, getting the body into our offices is essential to heal the whole self with the use of imagination and embodied remembering!
Thank you for posting this and I look forward to more!
Dear Ruth –
I am excited about your attention to Tango – I am very interested in seeing it attended to as the powerful healing tool it can be.
(I have been dancing Tango(Milonguero style) for about 18 months now – and it is the most joyful form of bi-lateral stimulation I know – I use it often, happily, and successfully to work through my own emotional upsets.)
Interestingly, tango seems to fit seamlessly with the special place Donna Eden gives to the “figure-8s”: if I understand her right she would consider “figure-8s” to be the primary, foundational energy pattern and thus as a portal to the healing process. Tango is full of “figure-8” movements.
Tango is a beautifully and powerfully rhythmic activity and this reminds me of CG Jung’s musings about rhythm (as an innate structure that bridges instinct and mind and carries pleasure (my words)).
There is “Tango therapy” available in other countries (Argentina and UK e.g.).
A therapist-friend of mine (and Tango aficionado) told me that he used Tango-therapy to help a veteran alleviate/reduce his PTSD symptoms.