Dance and art: New online hub connects Canadians living with Parkinson's

A national online arts hub led by Rebecca Barnstaple at the University of Guelph will launch in April to link Canadians living with Parkinson's to programs such as dance and singing, and the article reports that research and practitioners say dance can support balance, cognition and mood.

Researchers and practitioners are launching a national online arts hub in April to connect Canadians living with Parkinson's to programs such as dance, singing and visual art. The project is led by Rebecca Barnstaple, an assistant professor of theatre at the University of Guelph. Growing research and accounts from participants suggest dance can help with balance, cognition and mood for people with Parkinson's. The initiative is described as part of a broader movement toward social prescribing to link arts and social services with health needs. Key details: - The hub aims to connect Canadians living with Parkinson's to online arts programs, including dance and singing. - More than 110,000 Canadians currently live with Parkinson's, and Parkinson's Canada expects that number to exceed 150,000 in less than ten years. - Rebecca Barnstaple is leading the project; she has taught dance to people with Parkinson's since 2013 and plans an April launch. - The article cites Dr. Alfonso Fasano, a neurologist at University Health Network, who reported that Parkinson's may become the most common neurodegenerative disease. - Research from Joseph DeSouza at York University is reported to show that people who took dance classes once a week over six years had improved cognition and maintained walking stability compared with those who did not. - The article notes that in Canada some people with Parkinson's can wait up to two years to see a specialist or receive treatment. Summary: The online hub is intended to broaden access to arts-based activities that practitioners and some studies report can support physical and mental aspects of living with Parkinson's. Launch is scheduled for April, and researchers say questions remain about which specific elements of dance produce the reported benefits.