CLEVELAND — Playhouse Square launched Dance for Parkinson’s classes in collaboration with Cleveland Clinic as a part of its Arts & Minds initiative, which aims to help people with neurological disorders.
Joan Meggitt, who leads the Dance for Parkinson’s Classes, is Playhouse Square’s Senior Manager of Neurological Programming.
“It is accessible to everyone,” Meggitt said. “There is no requirement for dance experience, and there’s no level of mobility that is required.”
The classes are based in science and informed by the medical expertise of Cleveland Clinic professionals.
“I brought together myself a physical therapist, occupational therapist, speech therapist to discuss all different aspects of Parkinson’s so they know things to look for that they might need to be careful with,” Ellen Walter, a Certified Nurse Practitioner who represents the Cleveland Clinic’s partnership on the program, said.
Walter explained that Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder.
“Once about 70 to 80% of that part of the brain is damaged, we start to see physical signs in people with Parkinson’s, so maybe they have tremor,” Walter said. “Maybe when they’re walking, their arms won’t swing. They won’t have as much facial expression.”
Parkinson’s disease can be isolating. But, patients like Pete Smith say these classes are helpful.
“It really helps,” Smith said. “It helps with balance and my back.”
The program is Ohio’s first Dance for Parkinson’s Disease licensed affiliate – A distinction only 23 programs in the world have earned.
Right now, the benefits of the classes are anecdotal.
“We do want to bring in a small piece of research and do some before and after assessments so we can look at those things that we are talking about, the physical aspect, the, the cognition, the mood,” Walter said.
But you don’t need an official study to see that the class brings joy.
Meggitt’s favorite part of the class is the community that is created as participants begin and end the class acknowledging each other while standing in a circle.
“It’s a way for us to acknowledge, like, hey, we started here and now we’re here and we did it together,” Meggitt said. “Those moments are just my favorite.”
You can find more information about Arts & Minds programming and the Dance for Parkinson’s classes here.
This news item came from: https://spectrumnews1.com/oh/columbus/news/2025/12/04/parkinson-s-patients-find-community-at-playhouse-square
