Dance for PD invites those living with Parkinson’s disease to stay active

For people living with Parkinson’s disease, exercise is more than just a healthy habit — it’s part of their treatment plan. Evidence suggests regular movement can help improve symptoms and may even help slow disease progression. Now, through the Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence at Massachusetts General Hospital, clinicians across the Mass General Brigham Neuroscience Institute are prescribing virtual access to Dance for Parkinson’s (Dance for PD) so patients can stay active while building community, confidence and joy.

The free program, supported by the Harvard Medical School Arts and Humanities Initiative and the Movement Disorders division at Massachusetts General Hospital, welcomes anyone living with Parkinson’s disease, regardless of where they are in their treatment journey. Participants join virtual classes led by professionally trained Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Dental Medicine students who bring both clinical interests and a lifelong passion for dance to the experience.

Bringing a national program to Mass General Brigham

Dance for PD is part of a nationally recognized movement program that originated with the Mark Morris Dance Group in New York and has developed a strong evidence base over the years. The Mass General Brigham program was made possible by Galina Gheihman, MD, a general neurologist with the Mass General Brigham Neuroscience Institute who has long explored ways to bring the arts into neurological recovery. She partnered with then-Harvard Medical School student Anna Krotinger, MD, MBE, who is now a resident in Internal Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

“When I met Anna, she was already formally trained as a Dance for PD instructor,” Gheihman said. “She was offering classes in person in the community. However, by joining us to offer virtual classes, she made it possible for us to create the opportunity for our patients to participate remotely and make it easier to access the classes.”

Gheihman says the program is intentionally inclusive. Anyone living with Parkinson’s disease can participate. Care partners are also welcome to join. Classes are designed to be adaptable for individuals with a wide range of physical abilities and at various disease stages.

“We encourage any patient, whether they are newly diagnosed or have been living with Parkinson’s disease for many years, to join,” she said. “We see it as an augmentation to treatment and a means to improve quality of life.”

Why movement matters

Exercise has become a cornerstone of Parkinson’s disease care, and dance offers a unique combination of physical, cognitive and emotional benefits.

“Movement is such an important part of the treatment plan for people with Parkinson’s disease,” said Albert Y. Hung, MD, PhD, director of the Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence at Massachusetts General Hospital. “There is growing evidence to suggest that exercise might actually help to slow down Parkinson’s disease in addition to improving people’s motor symptoms.”

According to Hung, patients are encouraged to find activities they enjoy because consistency is key.

“The best exercise is the one that you can keep up with,” he said. “Dance is one of those creative outlets that people don’t necessarily think about, but when people hear about the idea of being able to exercise in this way, it’s really great for them.”

Patients in the Dance for PD program participate in one-hour classes offered every two weeks that begin with seated warm-up exercises and gradually progress to standing activities, always with seated modifications available. Classes incorporate a variety of dance styles, from ballet and musical theater to salsa and disco, while emphasizing accessibility and enjoyment.

Students turn passion into patient care

The success of the program is driven in large part by the medical student instructors who combine their interests in neuroscience, medicine and dance.

Irene Antony is a Harvard Medical School-MIT MD/PhD student with a background in dance and group fitness and an undergraduate degree in neuroscience. When she learned about the Dance for PD program, she knew she wanted to get involved with establishing the Mass General Brigham chapter.

“It felt like the perfect opportunity to combine my love of dance with my clinical interests,” she said.

That dual perspective shapes how she teaches: clinically minded about what movements are most helpful for people with Parkinson’s disease, while also artistically grounded in making class feel inviting, creative and joyful. Class participants agree, mentioning her cheerful disposition and attention to their individual needs as reasons they take the classes.

Likewise, Roene Nasr, a student at Harvard School of Dental Medicine who also has a background in dance and an undergraduate degree in neuroscience, saw the program as a natural extension of her interests.

“I’ve been a dancer for virtually my whole life,” she said. “Movement is not only essential to us but also healing. When I heard about this program, I felt like it bridged everything I believe in, stand for and have experienced myself.”

Medical student instructors complete formal Dance for PD training and certification before leading classes. That training gives referring clinicians and their patients the confidence that classes are not only engaging but also grounded in established best practices.

More than exercise

While movement is the foundation of the program, participants and instructors alike say the strongest benefit is the sense of connection and community it creates.

“I think the reason we’ve been successful and why we have had so many regulars come back week after week is because we really started to form a community within the class,” Antony said. “We get to know the people who take our class and they get to know us and each other. It truly is a community.”

Antony said that participants often join the online session early to connect with one another and share updates about their lives. Some have even invited friends from other states to participate in class. The virtual format has made the program accessible to people who might otherwise struggle to travel to in-person classes.

For the instructors, who are busy with medical and dental school, the classes offer meaningful rewards as well.

“Even on the busiest or most stressful days, showing up to teach this program has such a special way of completely lifting your spirits. I feel so grateful to be a part of something that always becomes the highlight of my week,” Nasr said. “Classes are the reason I start looking forward to Sundays.”

For Antony, the experience has deepened into something lasting.

“It’s really become a family,” she said. “It’s something to look forward to, and this family is always growing!”

Hung believes the program benefits everyone involved.

“What’s really great is that this program offers so much to the people participating, but I also want to acknowledge how much passion and creativity the students have put into it,” he said. “It gives people who love dance and movement an outlet to really share their passion.”