A New York dance class for people with Parkinson’s has had such success – both medically and artistically – that it has attracted worldwide attention from medical professionals, says Ina Jaffe.
If you pictured a dancer, you probably wouldn't imagine someone with Parkinson's disease. Worldwide, there are 10 million people with the progressive movement disorder, and they struggle with stiff limbs, tremors and poor balance.
But over the past 15 years or so, a few thousand have taken dance classes that are part of a program called Dance for PD. It began in Brooklyn and has spread throughout the country and around the world. It has also attracted the attention of scientists interested in the ways dance might ease symptoms.
The program in Venice, Calif., is in its fifth year. One recent afternoon, "Broadway Baby" blasted from the sound system as nearly two dozen people tried to ... Keep reading on NPR
If you pictured a dancer, you probably wouldn't imagine someone with Parkinson's disease. Worldwide, there are 10 million people with the progressive movement disorder, and they struggle with stiff limbs, tremors and poor balance.
But over the past 15 years or so, a few thousand have taken dance classes that are part of a program called Dance for PD. It began in Brooklyn and has spread throughout the country and around the world. It has also attracted the attention of scientists interested in the ways dance might ease symptoms.
The program in Venice, Calif., is in its fifth year. One recent afternoon, "Broadway Baby" blasted from the sound system as nearly two dozen people tried to ... Keep reading on NPR