Dance for people with Parkinson's disease brings happiness, well-being, and enhanced mobility

Abstract

This project has its starting point in a dance class with 14 people with Parkinson’s Disease who participated in Dance for Parkinson’s Disease® (Dance for PD). PD is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder associated with symptoms such as tremors, freezing, slowness of motion, and non-motor symptoms such as fatigue, sleep disturbances, and neuropsychiatric disorders. The purpose of this study was to explore the dancers’ experiences of participating in Dance for PD. The study was designed with a qualitative structure (framework). Data collection included diary entries after every dance session and, finally, two focus group interviews. All data were analyzed with thematic analysis. Three themes from all the data emerged: Maintaining everyday life, Working with health conditions, and Transformation to a happier life. The findings suggest that Dance for PD can be a complement to treatment. Attending the dance classes was an important activity in the lives of the participants. The participants in Dance for PD experienced improved physical mobility and well-being, and through the dance they gained an increased confidence in their own abilities and dared to challenge other aspects of everyday life. The dance teacher’s pedagogy with varying music and movements adapted to the participants became important for the actual experience of the dance. The dance promoted social interactions, and the participants experienced togetherness. In the study, Community of Practice (CoP) serves as a lens for discussing the findings.