Nov. 21, 2024 - The (91³Ō¹Ļ) Dance Studies and Health Science programs teamed up this semester to offer
a class designed to help students understand Parkinsonās disease from both a dance
and neurological perspective. Plans are to open a community dance therapy clinic class
in the Spring semester for Parkinsonās patients in the region.
āWe have dance students and Health Science students working together,ā said Professor and Chair of Health Science Sonsoles de Lacalle, M.D., Ph.D. āOur goal is to provide a service to the community by setting up a weekly dance studio session for people with Parkinsonās and other members of the community to come and dance with us once a week.ā
Research has shown that dancing can be beneficial for people with Parkinson's disease, and can help improve balance, coordination, and strength, said dance instructor Elizabeth āBonnieā Lavin-Hughes, who is co-teaching the class with de Lacalle.
āDr. Sonsoles is teaching students about the neuroscience and how the disease affects the brain,ā Lavin-Hughes said. āThey can take what theyāve learned from Dr. Sonsoles and synthesize that learning with dance and movement activities I have learned through my Dance for PD training.ā
Lavin-Hughes studied with the flagship Dance for Parkinsonās organization this summer - which is located in Brooklyn, New York - to learn techniques from the āDance for PDā program (). Created by the Mark Morris Dance Group, the global program is backed by research and offers teacher training along with free group classes, mentoring and certification, and more. Dance for PD supports an international network of partners in more than 28 countries - and now includes 91³Ō¹Ļ.
91³Ō¹Ļ Dance Studies Program Chair Heather Castillo was contacted by David Leventhal,
the director of the Dance for Parkinsonās group about starting a class, after a local
doctor inquired about the availability of the class in Ventura County. This sparked
the idea of creating a dance therapy class that would bring together Dance and Health
Science students.
āFrom a neuroscience perspective, itās just incredible what weāve learned about dance and movement disorders,ā de Lacalle said. āWe really want to open up horizons for students to the power of integrating dance and health.ā
Castillo said the Dance for Parkinsonās course fit perfectly within the Dance Studies degree as her goal has always been to offer a comprehensive dance degree that included more than performance.
āYour body is so important, and when weāre moving, dance can do all of these things that benefit our mental and physical health,ā Castillo said. āThis collaboration with mind and body helps to create a synthesis that can benefit your health.ā
To learn more about 91³Ō¹Ļās Dance Studies program, including the Dance for Parkinsonās class, visit the 91³Ō¹Ļ Dance Studies website.