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More than Movement
Co-development of Dance for Parkinson’s
Research Workshop - 20th August 2018
More than Movement is a collaboration between the University of Manchester’s Body Eyes and
Movement (BEAM) Lab, Manchester Metropolitan University, English National Ballet and Equilibrium
Dance and Arts. A workshop was held on 20th August 2018 to share the findings of our ‘Research into
Practice’ project, funded by an Economic and Social Research Council Impact Accelerator Award, which
explored the benefits of dance for people living with Parkinson’s.
Research update The project involved the co-development and evaluation of a dance programme incorporating elements
of Ballet and Bharatnatyam, which aimed to help improve everyday movement and communication in
people with Parkinson’s. At a previous workshop in February 2018, we shared the initial plans for the
project and gathered further ideas from people with Parkinson’s, artists, practitioners and researchers
interested in dance and Parkinson’s. Following on from this, the dance programme was developed by a
small team including dance artists, a dance for Parkinson’s facilitator, Parkinson’s representatives,
researchers and a physiotherapist.
Dance for Parkinson’s Research Workshop August 2018
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Dance artists Helen Gould and Gayathri Ganapathy described the influences behind the programme and
their experience of working with each other and the participants to co-develop the classes, which
included elements of Ballet and Bharatnatyam (classical Indian dance). Helen described the English
National Ballet Dance for Parkinson’s programme and the aspects taken from this, and Gaya explained the
use of facial expressions, fine hand gestures and story-telling in Bharatnatyam that fed into the classes.
Participants completed assessments in the lab before and after 6 weeks of dance classes. Potential
outcomes were explored including dexterity, movement imagery, and emotional responses. Movement
and activity during classes was recorded using wearable sensors, and participants rated positive and
negative emotions before and after each class. After the trial, the participants and development team
were invited to focus groups to discuss their experiences of the project.
Results and reflections
Initial findings indicate that a co-developed dance programme drawing on Ballet and Bharatnatyam is
feasible and well-received by people with Parkinson’s, and classes may have an immediate impact on
mood. Pre- and post-trial assessments suggest that the programme could potentially improve fine hand
movements, emotional processes and quality of life. Further analysis will examine changes in activity and
movement quality over the 6 weeks.
Feedback from participants suggested other positive benefits such as the use of imagery in everyday life
and increased confidence, and the social and creative elements of the class were valued. A short film was
shown of two of the participants sharing their experiences of the development process and classes.
Dance taster
Helen and Gaya led a ‘taster’ session that showcased some of the sequences used in the dance classes
during the project, including elements of Ballet and Bharatnatyam, and illustrated the use of imagery and
story-telling in dance (for example, imagining ‘weaving’ through space).
Moving makes me
feel free…dance is
joyful
Imagination helps with
movement in normal life…
Dance for Parkinson’s Research Workshop August 2018
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Group discussions Workshop participants gathered in small
groups to discuss the following topics:
How might the benefits of dance translate
to everyday life?
How might dance help with expression
and communication?
How can more people with Parkinson’s be
encouraged to participate in dance?
Notes from the discussions will contribute to
ideas for future research and practice.
Exhibition
The event concluded with an exhibition of
images that brought the project to life.
Photographs taken during dance classes were
accompanied by portraits of some of the
participants. A poster display illustrated some
of the methods used to measure observation
and participation in dance, as well as some of
the comments made by participants reflecting
on their experiences.
Next steps
Further analysis of the data collected during the trial is under way. We plan to report our findings in
conference presentations (including the Parkinson’s UK Research Conference 2018) and journal articles,
as well as through Parkinson’s UK updates.
We are also conducting a survey of artists/practitioners working in dance for Parkinson’s – please contact
[email protected] for information.
Further information
BEAM Lab: http://beamlab.lab.manchester.ac.uk/
English National Ballet Dance for Parkinson’s: https://www.ballet.org.uk/project/dance-for-parkinsons
Equilibrium Dance and Arts: http://equilibriumdancearts.wixsite.com/equilibriumdancearts
To join BEAM’s mailing list please email: [email protected]
@BEAM_Manchester @ENBallet @EDA_Dance
Dance trial and workshop photography by Chris Currie
