Dance for PD
Dance for PD® offers specialized dance classes for people living with Parkinson’s disease, their families, friends, and care partners. Taught by professional dancers, the program fosters joy, creativity, and community while addressing balance, flexibility, and confidence. Classes are accessible, inclusive, and offered in more than 30 countries worldwide.
Dance for PD® is an internationally acclaimed, evidence-backed program that offers specialized dance classes for people living with Parkinson’s disease, as well as their families, friends, and care partners. Founded in 2001 through a collaboration between the Mark Morris Dance Group and the Brooklyn Parkinson Group, Dance for PD was one of the first programs to invite people with Parkinson’s to participate in dance classes led by professional dancers, rather than focusing on movement through a strictly clinical lens.
At the heart of Dance for PD is the belief that professionally trained dancers are movement experts whose knowledge about balance, sequencing, rhythm, and aesthetic awareness is valuable to people living with Parkinson’s. The program’s approach draws from diverse dance styles—including ballet, modern, jazz, tap, folk, and improvisation—to create an enjoyable, creative, and stimulating experience that nurtures physical and emotional well-being.
Class Experience
Dance for PD classes are designed to engage participants physically, mentally, socially, and artistically. Each class includes a carefully structured progression that may begin with seated movements, transition to standing exercises using a chair or barre for support, and conclude with traveling or group dances. The focus is on artistic expression and creative exploration, rather than physical therapy or symptom correction, although many participants report improvements in balance, coordination, gait, and confidence.
Classes feature live or recorded music, often performed or curated by professional musicians, to enhance rhythm and motivation. Dancers use imagery, storytelling, and a welcoming sense of play to create an environment where participants are not defined by a diagnosis, but rather invited into an inclusive community of movement and artistry.
Global Reach
Since its founding, Dance for PD has grown into a global movement, with classes offered in over 400 communities in 30 countries. The program’s adaptable, inclusive curriculum allows teaching artists around the world to tailor the experience to local cultural, linguistic, and community needs. In-person and virtual classes ensure access for those who may be homebound or live in rural areas, and the program continues to expand its multilingual and culturally responsive offerings.
Training and Professional Development
Dance for PD provides comprehensive training and certification for teaching artists, ensuring that classes are safe, effective, and artistically enriching. Through online and in-person workshops, mentorship programs, and continuing education opportunities, Dance for PD supports a vibrant, global network of teachers, dancers, musicians, therapists, and healthcare professionals committed to improving quality of life through dance.
In addition to its foundational training, the program offers advanced professional development courses, movement observation labs, and specialized modules that address topics such as music collaboration, trauma-informed practices, and dance for advanced Parkinson’s.
Research and Impact
Dance for PD has been the subject of more than a dozen peer-reviewed studies and academic papers that document its positive effects on mobility, gait, cognition, mood, and social engagement. Research has shown improvements in walking, balance, and motor coordination, as well as reductions in depression and anxiety. Equally important are the qualitative outcomes: participants consistently report feeling more connected, empowered, and joyful as a result of taking part in classes.
Dance for PD also works with researchers and clinicians to support studies that further explore the benefits of dance and movement arts in Parkinson’s care, and it advocates for the inclusion of arts-based programs in wellness and treatment strategies.
Community and Inclusion
The program’s ethos is one of radical inclusion. Classes are open to anyone living with Parkinson’s—regardless of age, stage, or ability—as well as their care partners, friends, and loved ones. No prior dance experience is necessary. Dance for PD celebrates the creativity and resilience of each participant, fostering a supportive community built around shared movement and expression.
Dance for PD also partners with community organizations, health systems, universities, and cultural institutions to embed its work into broader health and arts ecosystems. These partnerships amplify the program’s reach and sustainability, and they create opportunities for reciprocal learning across disciplines.
Digital Resources and Accessibility
To meet the evolving needs of the Parkinson’s community, Dance for PD offers a robust selection of digital resources, including:
* On Demand streaming classes in multiple languages
* An At Home video series (digital or DVD) for those without access to live classes
* Virtual live classes via Zoom with teaching artists from around the world
These resources ensure continuity and accessibility, especially for those navigating mobility challenges or living far from physical class sites.
Recognition and Legacy
Dance for PD has received numerous awards and recognitions for its innovative work at the intersection of the arts, health, and community well-being. It has been featured in major media outlets such as The New York Times, PBS NewsHour, NPR, and The Guardian. The program is recognized as a model of excellence in arts in health and has been cited by the National Endowment for the Arts, World Health Organization, and other global institutions as a leading example of how the arts can support public health. The award-winning documentary Capturing Grace (2014) tells the story of Brooklyn Dance for PD participants preparing for their first public performance.
Dance for PD is more than a class—it’s a community, a philosophy, and a movement. Through dance, people with Parkinson’s and their loved ones reconnect with a sense of possibility, identity, and joy. With a commitment to artistic rigor, cultural humility, and person-centered care, Dance for PD continues to inspire and innovate, transforming lives through the power of movement.
Programs & Activities
1. Sustaining hybrid and online classes for our global community, as well as in-person classes in Brooklyn, Manhattan, The Bronx, Staten Island and Queens and expanding Dance for PD class offerings throughout the New York City area with a goal of increasing access to underengaged populations and young onset/newly diagnosed individuals throughout all five boroughs and around the globe.
2. Fostering collaborative partnerships among Parkinson’s disease, arts, and medical organizations around the world to support establishment and expansion of classes based on the NYC model, and spearheading research efforts that continue to prove the safety and benefit of dance interventions for people with PD. In addition, Dance for PD aims to support new programs through targeted launch and to provide opportunities for artistic creation and performance through the annual Lucy Bowen Award for Inclusive Choreography.
3. Offering demo classes when Mark Morris Dance Group tours to cities where Dance for PD classes already exist, and producing demonstration pilot classes in communities that have expressed interest in establishing a future Dance for PD program.
4. Training and certifying qualified teachers in the Dance for PD approach and best practices and sharing information with administrators and PD group coordinators so that they can carry out administrative best practices in support of local Dance for PD programs.
5. Maintaining products and resources—website, teacher handbook, At Home instructional videos and On Demand video resources for persons with PD, members’ and teachers’ online groups, and online training—that serve to support, enhance, and expand our mission and inform a wide variety of stakeholders about the benefits and strengths of the program. Members’ and teachers’ groups and virtual platforms aim to foster a global network in which information and ideas can flow freely to enhance the working knowledge of practitioners and participants.
6. Collaborating and partnering with scientists and academic institutions to foster research on the impact of dance on people living with Parkinson's and their care partners.
