People Dancing

Live Well & Dance with Parkinson's made a positive impact on the lives of people living with Parkinson's and of those of their families, loved ones and carers through dance activity, cultural experiences, and community connection. The programme enriched lives through creative dance experiences, offered greater connectivity with community & peers and aimed to embed legacy and sustainability through networks and partnerships.

At its heart, Live Well & Dance with Parkinson’s aimed to create access to new opportunities for dance and creativity in partnership with people living with Parkinson’s.

Across six locations in England (Birmingham & West Midlands, Bristol, Carlisle/North Cumbria, Leicester/Shire, Manchester/Greater Manchester, the Northeast), dance and cultural activity was planned and delivered locally through area steering groups. These groups established greater connectivity between people across community & peers, organisations, cultural venues, and dance artists to create legacy and sustainability.

Whilst activity responded to need on a local level the programme also had a national and international impact across partnership development and programmes of workforce development through artist training, networking and research.

Throughout the programme we consistently shared approaches for increasing access to activity and networks in the wider context of ‘Living Well’ through dance.

The Dance for Parkinson’s Network was initially born out of a series of meetings organised by Dance Umbrella around the presentation of work by the Mark Morris Dance Group (MMDG) in the UK. MMDG had started work with the Brooklyn Parkinson’s Group (BPG) in 2001 with the aim of devising a programme of dance classes for people with Parkinson’s.

In 2005 and 2007 Dance Umbrella held several awareness days where MMDG presented their work. These days were attended by students, dancers, teachers and a handful of individuals already working in this field. In 2008 Dance Umbrella, MMDG and BPG with the support of American Airlines, staged a day at English National Ballet studios, which inspired a growing collection of teachers who began to meet regularly to share experiences.

In 2011 and 2012 the group met to discuss how it could organise itself most effectively to promote, develop and expand work in the field and as a result, the Dance for Parkinson’s Network was launched in April 2012.

The Dance for Parkinson’s Network was made up of a small but expanding group of experienced teachers dedicated to providing a high-quality dance experience to people with Parkinson’s. The network included a range of individuals and organisations spread across the UK and represented a range of dance styles from tango to ballet, small classes in rural communities as well as programmes run by national organisations such as English National Ballet. Every class was run by specially trained teachers dedicated to providing participants with an exceptional, artistically focused dance experience. The network continued to establish a strong relationship with Dance for PD® the pioneering programme run by Mark Morris Dance Group and Brooklyn Parkinson’s Group and in the UK, its activities were supported by among others Parkinson’s UK, People Dancing, and the University of Roehampton.

Administration was led by People Dancing and had an elected Steering Group, which included, Sara Houston, Toby Beazley, Melanie Brierley, Daphne Cushnie, Joanne Duff, English National Ballet (Corporate Member), Sophia Hulbert, Margaret Owen (Participant) Pavilion Dance (Corporate Member), People Dancing (administration).

Over time, the network established a series of aims which would spearhead its work over the next few years. It was to lead the development of Dance for Parkinson’s across the UK by supporting the creation of new classes and providing practical guidance for teachers as they established their practice. Its work also included managing a mentoring scheme for new teachers, developing an online training module, delivering two-day Introduction to Dance for Parkinson’s training courses, and providing ongoing training and professional development opportunities for existing teachers. The network also fostered relationships between members and international counterparts, encouraged the sharing of resources, and worked to raise awareness of Dance for Parkinson’s by engaging with other established dance networks, Parkinson’s organisations, and medical professionals. Communication and advocacy were supported through the distribution of DVDs, testimonials and research, the development of this website and links to partner organisations, public relations campaigns where appropriate, and presentations at conferences and events.

Alongside these activities, the network was responsible for securing and managing funding to ensure its work could be delivered as effectively, sustainably, and cost-efficiently as possible.

Timeline & Key Dates

• 2001: Mark Morris Dance Group (MMDG) moves into its new home in Brooklyn and is approached by Brooklyn Parkinson’s Group (BPG) about starting dance classes for people with Parkinson’s.

• 2005: Dance Umbrella (DU) organises the 4th UK tour by MMDG and includes a programme to increase awareness of Dance for Parkinson’s meeting at Parkinson’s Disease Society (PDS) in London pilot workshops in London and Edinburgh meeting with potential partners in Edinburgh, London, Cardiff awareness day for interested and a few experienced teachers of Dance for PD in London.

• 2008: DU organises a full day seminar and workshop in collaboration with MMDG and BPG to raise awareness of Dance for People with Parkinson’s. Guest speakers include Dr John P Harris, Olie Westheimer, David Leventhal, and Amanda Fogg. A workshop was taught by three members of MMDG.

• 2009: DU organises the first training day for teachers of Dance for PD in London with members of MMDG, eight teachers and six observers attend.

• 2010: DU organises teacher training in London with MMDG incorporating a workshop with participants from three PD groups (Wimbledon, Croydon, and Kentish Town). Teachers and participants are also invited to attend performances of Mark Morris’ L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato at the London Coliseum. Dr Daniel Glaser, Wellcome Trust speaks to Network members. ENB pilot weekly classes at its home in Kensington.

• Sara Houston and Ashley McGill, University of Roehampton begin research programme. Network members (Joanne Duff, Anna Gillespie, Mo Morgan, Daphne Cushnie and Amanda Fogg) co-present workshops at the World Parkinson’s Congress in Glasgow to accompany Olie Westheimer’s presentation about Dance for PD. Learn to Tango starts providing classes.

• 2011: More teacher training is organised in April and November, new classes begin in Hampton, Surrey. Dr Sara Houston and Ashley McGill win BUPA Foundation’s Vitality for Life Prize for their research with ENB; ENB research programme extended to a further three years including new classes outside London.

• 2012: Members of the Network agree the aims, mission and values of the Network. First website launched.

• 2013: David Leventhal, Director Dance for PD mentors Network members giving its first two-day training residency at Roehampton University which is quickly oversubscribed. Members of the Network contribute to Culture, Health and Wellbeing Conference in Bristol and to the World Parkinson’s Congress in Montreal.

• 2014: Administration of Network moves from Dance Umbrella to Foundation for Community Dance (People Dancing) and a two-day training takes place at Foundation’s Summer School. The Network’s first Steering Group is formally elected. Parkinson’s UK bring Network into consultation about giving more empowerment to people with Parkinson’s, through dance.