Parkinson's Disease: Dance Analysis

Introduction

The purpose of this research is to investigate Mark Morris’ life, from birth to present day, and explore several influences throughout his lifetime. In addition, this research will provide an analysis of Mark Morris’ Dance for PD program, and the positive effects dance has on individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Morris, as a well-known choreographer, stood out to me because he created a program solely based on helping others through dance. It is my goal to explain Morris’ life and illustrate how one person can make a difference in many people’s lives. In this paper, I seek to reveal how Morris came about the Dance for PD program and influenced the rise of similar programs. I will also demonstrate the beneficial impact this program has had on patients with Parkinson’s disease. My interest in this topic came about gradually. I have always been immersed in the field of health, and I feel passionate about helping others lead healthy lifestyles. My passion for dance
has driven me to explore ways to incorporate it into the healthcare setting. I believe that the field of arts in medicine, specifically dance in medicine, in this case, will continue to grow and be widely accepted because people will see the tangible benefits that dance can have on the social, emotional and physical health of individuals. I believe that my exploration of this research topic is significant because it demonstrates Morris’ contribution to the fields of dance, therapy, medicine, and humanities. Using dance as a way to slow the progression of Parkinson’s is a relatively new area of study, and there is still more that can be learned and discovered about the way it affects people. Dance in itself can be renewing to the mind and body. A dance class that is specific to a certain disease and aims to strengthen the body in a precise way can potentially be a life changing experience for the participants, and that is what Morris offered with this program.

Discussion of Literature My research paper will proceed mainly from peer-reviewed articles, accredited publications from medical research centers, journals, and scholarly institutes, as well as visual recordings of Dance for PD participants, visual lectures by two of the co-founders, and from numerous written sources from the Dance for Parkinson’s website. With all the sources I have gathered I will be able to clearly highlight historical events throughout Morris’s life, the renowned Dance for PD program, and the benefits dance has to offer for individuals with PD. For instance, Joan Acocella, critic for The New Yorker, wrote the first Mark Morris book in collaboration with Morris’s cooperation. The Mark Morris book illustrates his childhood, company, relationships, music, personality, views between the war of ballet and modern, life in Brussels, Belgium, and his works (2004). The thorough biographical publication shed some light on questions I formed throughout this paper. In addition, this book depicts personal dialogue of individuals that Morris knew from a social and personal standpoint. The Mark Morris book also formulated Morris’s chronological timeline providing me with historical occurrences that happened in his life. Another resource I discovered was a video called Why Dance for PD by the MMDG (2017).
The purpose of this video is to demonstrate personal interviews of individuals with PD and how they feel about taking the Dance for PD classes. The footage mentions five reasons why Dance for PD is beneficial and valuable. I found this video in the website Dance for Parkinson’s under the audio/video resources, which is open to all interested in this topic. It is a helpful resource and consideration for spouses, friends, and family, caregivers, and clinicians interested in helping those who have PD in a positive and fun way. Why Dance for PD video is relevant to my research paper because it provides personal insight of individuals with PD and their point of view in how these classes have helped their well-being. The unique feature of the material is the raw footage from the participants and the one participant declaring her favorite part of the class, which is “passing the energy around the
circle”. One scholarly article from the Journal of Neural Transmission tested the effects on motor skill and quality of life aspects using a dance intervention program called Dance for PD. Olie Westheimer, President of the Brooklyn Parkinson Group (BPG), and some of her other peers conducted this uncontrolled study. Professional dancers and teachers taught the Dance for PD class for 8 weeks, making it a total of 16 sessions. Twelve out of the fourteen subjects completed the sessions. Improvements in gait (walk) and tremor were found after the study was over. Additionally, they led individual interviews and the participants expressed benefits in their physical, emotional, and social well-being. Westheimer’s investigation is important for my topic because it reveals qualitative and quantitative data to defend my argument that dance is beneficial for people with PD. Another resource introduced the point of view of the instructors of Dance for PD, David Leventhal, and John Higginbotham. In this article, it mentions the prosperous Dance for PD program, and introduces the idea that this class is not a dance therapy class, but rather “dancing for the sake of dancing” class (Young-Mason 275). The article also indicates how this program has impacted those with PD, their spouses, family, friends, caregivers, and clinicians. Young-Mason suggests the idea that clinical nurse specialists should consider this program for people that have PD if offered in their community.

Scope of Project The parameters of this paper branch from the subject of the contributing aspects leading to the renowned achievement and success of the Dance for PD program. Additionally, it also stems from similar programs offering the Dance for PD curriculum and the positive outcomes dance has for those with PD. The first vital topic will begin with Morris’s historical timeline and the influences that occurred in his life. I will cover the limitations this program had in becoming established and the major events leading to this prominent program. As I began my research, I discovered that there were a few credible articles representing the benefits of dance for people with PD prior to 2001, limiting my research to this present decade. For instance, one of the first articles to make a big leap in the field of dance and Parkinson’s was a preliminary study published in 2007.