English National Ballet Dancers Help Sufferers of Parkinson’s Disease

Rudolf Nureyev’s Romeo & Juliet Trailer [Source: English National Ballet]

A small group of folks with Parkinson’s Disease took a 12 week class in which they learned steps from Rudolph Nureyev’s Romeo and Juliet.

“Over the course of 12 weeks they were temporarily transformed, rising out of wheelchairs during classes, smiling and rediscovering confidence on their feet.”

The study was conducted by researchers from London’s Roehampton University and adds to growing evidence that dance and other movement disciplines aid in a variety of conditions suffered by the elderly, in particular. This class was a bit unique in that members of the English National Ballet taught the movements which must have been an interesting experience for dancers that usually dance only with elite performers.

A related article from The Telegraph discusses Lebed, a “medicated dance and exercise programme based on physiotherapy moves”, that has been shown to be helpful with a variety of conditions.

Official Site: English National Ballet