From effects to affect: the multidimensional impact of dancing with Parkinson’s

Then, the feasibility of implementing a dance program for people living with Parkinson’s and conducting an intervention trial in Northern Ireland was assessed and preliminary analyses were conducted on dance’s effects on motor and non-motor outcomes. Based on feedback from participants in our feasibility study and in the literature that dancing can have an immediate, short-term effect on mobility, mood and energy, a follow up study was conducted to investigate the short-term effects of dance on several motor and non-motor outcomes.

The final participatory study explored the lived experience of dancing in people living with Parkinson’s and Multiple Sclerosis and its impact on the body, self and relationships with others using a range of qualitative methods, including semi-structured interviews and observations analyzed using a phenomenological approach. This thesis concludes that dance has the potential to impact movement of the body, one’s state of mind, relational health, and the quality and movement of life in people living with Parkinson’s.

Many people living with Parkinson’s and other chronic illnesses who dance seem to make it a part of their lives due to its holistic impact on several dimensions of health and the passion that develops from the practice.<br>