Learning Dance Therapy for Parkinson

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“Dance therapy to reconnect with yourself and others” is the motto of the cultural project ParkinsOn Dance, initiated by Dr. Bianca Nițu, choreographer Irina Marinescu and psychotherapist Loredana Larionescu, which takes place in the first part of this year.

There are various Dance for PD (Dance for Parkinson’s Disease) initiatives around the world, and this year, through the ParkinsOn Dance project, the art of dance is also helping Parkinson’s patients in Romania.

ParkinsOn Dance kicks off with a two-day workshop on dance therapy techniques for Parkinson’s disease – Learning Dance Therapy for Parkinson’s – held by specialists Melanie Brierly and Sari Lievonien, hosted by CNDB – National Center for Dance Bucharest.

The workshop is aimed at people with professional experience in movement therapy, dance, psychotherapy, who want to learn therapeutic dance methods for patients with this diagnosis.

The workshop will consist of dance therapy methods for people with Parkinson’s. These methods prioritise connection, in relation to one’s own body and the other, working with balance, posture and weight shifting, fluidity in and through movement.

Facilitators will work with dance expressions from the area of contemporary dance and Argentine tango. Participation in this workshop provides a basic understanding of the principles of dance therapy for Parkinson’s, but does not provide certification or qualification for working with people with this diagnosis.

Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative brain disorder that predominantly affects dopamine-producing neurons. The prevalence of the disease increases with age, with Parkinson’s disease affecting 1% of the population over 60. Of all patients diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, about 10%-20% are under 50 years of age and almost half are diagnosed before the age of 40. The condition is not curable, but there are many treatment options that treat symptoms and improve quality of life.

Recent clinical studies show that an hour of dancing twice a week statistically significantly improves balance, posture, fluidity of movement, ability to initiate movements and change directions. Not least, it relieves non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (depression, apathy, emotional flattening), helping to create a sense of joy, belonging to the community, well-being, and increased quality of life like no other form of physical exercise and no other therapy in general.

Special mentions

The workshop will be held in English.