Nov 21, 2024 CSUCI students learn dance designed to help those with Parkinsons disease

Nov. 21, 2024 - The CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) Dance Studies and Health Science programs teamed up this semester to offer a class designed to help students understand Parkinson's disease from both a dance and neurological perspective. Plans are to open a community dance therapy clinic class in the Spring semester for Parkinson's patients in the region.

"We have dance students and Health Science students working together," said Professor and Chair of Health Science Sonsoles de Lacalle, M.D., Ph.D. "Our goal is to provide a service to the community by setting up a weekly dance studio session for people with Parkinson's and other members of the community to come and dance with us once a week."

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 "Bonnie" Lavin-Hughes, who is co-teaching the class with de Lacalle.

"Dr. Sonsoles is teaching students about the neuroscience and how the disease affects the brain," Lavin-Hughes said. "They can take what they've learned from Dr. Sonsoles and synthesize that learning with dance and movement activities I have learned through my Dance for PD training."

Lavin-Hughes studied with the flagship Dance for Parkinson's organization this summer - which is located in Brooklyn, New York - to learn techniques from the "Dance for PD" program (danceforparkinsons.org). 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 CSUCI.

CSUCI Dance Studies Program Chair Heather Castillo was contacted by David Leventhal, the director of the Dance for Parkinson's 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.

"From a neuroscience perspective, it's just incredible what we've learned about dance and movement disorders," de Lacalle said. "We really want to open up horizons for students to the power of integrating dance and health."

Castillo said the Dance for Parkinson's 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.

"Your body is so important, and when we're moving, dance can do all of these things that benefit our mental and physical health," Castillo said. "This collaboration with mind and body helps to create a synthesis that can benefit your health."

To learn more about CSUCI's Dance Studies program, including the Dance for Parkinson's class, visit the CSUCI Dance Studies website.