Regina class gets people with Parkinson's out of the house — and back on the dance floor
'Just the community connection itself is a huge achievement,' dance teacher says
Larry Wiens and his wife were avid ballroom dancers until Parkinson's disease (PD) made it too difficult for him.
"It was hard to give it up," he said.
Now a specialty dance class in Regina is giving him a another chance to cut a rug.
Dancing with Parkinson's is a Toronto-based non-profit offering free classes for people living with PD across Canada.
In Regina, the classes are free and take place at the public library's Sunrise Branch on Mondays at 3 p.m. CST. They are currently scheduled to run until July.
"The goal is to bring as many folks with Parkinson's into the space, and their caregivers and their family members are all welcome," said one of the teachers, Heather Cameron.
"We have a specially designed class that is a movement-based, dance-based, artistic class for people living with PD."
Cameron said the central goal is to bring folks with Parkinson's out of isolation.
"Just the community connection itself is a huge achievement," she said.
Wiens said he and his wife enjoyed the class immensely.
"It is great to meet with other people and couples, especially those who are in the same situation with Parkinson's struggles," said Wiens.
"It is very therapeutic meeting with other people."
He said it was also fun to get back on the dance floor.
"Once we got into it, it was great," he said. "I'm a little slower on my manoeuvres compared to what I used to be."
Tess Kuz, another instructor, said more and more research has affirmed the positive impact of dance, especially for those living with Parkinson's.
"You go through a number of years dancing with people of all ages, abilities, and you begin to realize that joy really is the essence of dance," she said.
"The truth of the matter is that people who are navigating Parkinson's disease, and people who care for people with PD, it's not always a joyful experience and can be quite isolating."
The class "can enhance cognition, mobility, coordination, balance and really gets all those feel good hormones going," Kuz said.
Dance with Parkinson's Canada also has online classes on its website every day at 11 a.m. EST.
"You can dance from the comfort of your own home," Kuz said. "That's a great way to stay connected and to be introduced to the larger community."
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