I’m a fitness instructor. Can I teach this class?

One thing that makes Dance for PD® special for participants is that it is not first and foremost about working out. Yes, dancing is excellent and enjoyable exercise, and people experience a beneficial and sometimes rigorous physical workout as they dance in our classes, but our program is really about using the imaginative and artistic processes that professional dancers use to initiate, control and express movement phrases. This creative/cognitive content is fundamentally important for people with PD. Many trainees remark on how our program is different from fitness-based programs because we emphasize the aesthetic and imaginative aspects of dance, and the class is presented as a comprehensive dance class, rather than a workout for seniors or a fitness approach to dance. A fitness regimen is highly recommended for people with Parkinson’s, and with dance and other movement modalities, it forms a package of beneficial and complementary physical activities. But our participants tell us they like our class specifically because it is not first and foremost a fitness or dancercise class. And a growing body of scientific research points to the unique benefits of the dance experience.