April marks Parkinson’s Awareness Month, which highlights the research and support for the 166,000 people in the UK who currently live with the condition.
There is currently no cure for Parkinson’s, which damages the brain over time and can cause symptoms such as tremors and stiff movement, but research shows dance can help manage the condition.
Dance for Parkinson’s at Creative Health Camden, in Kentish Town Health Centre, runs a dance class every Monday from 2-3.15pm to help those with the condition to move using ribbons, improvised dance, and sometimes Pink Floyd.
Jim has been living with the condition for five years now and regularly comes to classes.
He believes that the stress of Covid-19 may have contributed to him developing the condition, but nonetheless he tries to stay optimistic and active by attending the dance class and golfing.
He said: “I’ve been coming to these classes for two years.
“So far, it [Parkinson’s] only really affects my hand.
“And the last time I was with my consultant, he said that it’s progressing very slowly, and the reason is, because I exercise.
“And what he said was there’s no tablet better or as good as exercise.
“So, anyone who’s got it, keep doing the exercise.”
Anna Gillespie runs the classes and brings her keyboard in to give attendees the opportunity to listen to live music while they dance.
The professional dance teacher and musician has researched how dance can help those with Parkinson’s for most of her career.
Gillespie said: “For somebody who suffers from Parkinson’s, their ability to experience time is profoundly interrupted.
“So the body is sort of in temporal chaos.
“I’ve become very interested in the condition because when we listen to music, the way that music functions, is by organising time.
“It seems that people with Parkinson’s still have the ability to hear and understand music.
“So engaging them, musically, can be really useful to bring them into some kind of temporal normality.
“That can have a really profound effect on their movement because when they’re stuck, if there’s music, suddenly, they’ll be able to flow.”
Roger has been living with Parkinson’s for 20 years and has been coming to the dance class for six months.
He enjoys the class, but not just because he gets the chance to move.
He said: “I come here to help improve my movement and I like that it’s creative.
“But, I also come because I have friends here now, we’re a very mixed bunch.
“What’s great is that we can sit and have tea and biscuits after class.
“It means that I can get together with a group of people who have similar issues to me.”
Running these classes has been a learning curve for both Anna and Julian Lewis, who is also a teacher there.
Lewis said: “I’ve developed a greater knowledge of what the condition is and how it affects people but also how they are still capable and that this space creates or aims to unlock some of those capabilities.
“I’ve been a choreographer and teacher for professional dancers for many years but by teaching these classes I’ve learned a different set of skills.
“I’ve definitely had challenging moments.
“But, I’m amazed by the power of music and dance and how it can help.”
Gillespie added: “Something I still struggle with is the fact that Parkinson’s affects your facial muscles so some people have very blank expressions.
“Or sometimes, someone might open their mouth with no sound coming out, so when you’re asking them a question there might be no response.
“But it doesn’t mean that they haven’t heard.
“They have understood perfectly well, and they do have a reply.”
The number of people living with Parkinson’s is set to grow to 173,000 by 2030, meaning more people will rely on services like Dance for Parkinson’s manage symptoms and improve their wellbeing.
Further support can be found on the Parkinson’s UK webpage.
Feature image: Dance for Parkinsons
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