Photo: Supplied.
Nicole West, dancer and dance teacher, is well-known in the Redlands for her years of work with U3A and her recent collaboration with Theatre Redlands. In a more specialised role, Nicole also works as a teaching artist with Dance for Parkinson’s Australia (DPA).
The Dance for PD (Parkinson’s Disease) program was established in New York in 2001 to create an enjoyable social and artistic environment that meets the needs of individuals with Parkinson’s Disease, helping them to explore their physical, mental, social and creative capacity in a supportive community. It was brought to Australia by Erica-Rose Jeffrey in 2012.
Nicole, whose interest was sparked by the ABC series Keep on Dancing and desire to support one of the dancers in her regular U3A class who suffers from the disease, says that the program isn’t therapy but does provide many physical and mental benefits.
“People with Parkinson’s lose automaticity – the body’s internal rhythm – which makes walking difficult. The music beat in dancing – and every culture on earth has dance – can replace that internal rhythm and help focus movement,” Nicole says. “Basically, we run a standard dance class – usually half-and-half, sitting and standing. We have to be very aware of transitions between sitting and standing, then between standing and moving,” she says.
The form of dance depends on the style of the teaching artist. Nicole leans towards jazz and tap but the options include ballet, Spanish dance and non-progressive ballroom dances for couples.
“People are encouraged to do what they’re comfortable with; you can’t say you know Parkinson’s because the thing with it is that it’s really different for different people.
“We offer options and have two teachers, to work with people in different comfort zones. It’s also ideal to have volunteer helpers. It’s not all easy stuff – it’s dance, it’s meant to be challenging!”
Nicole gained her understanding of the changes wrought by Parkinson’s through training programs run by the international Dance for PD, supplemented by her own research and personal experience; her father has Parkinson’s.
“There are three big boxes for ageing well,” she says, “physical, mental and social – dance ticks all three.”
To find a class near you, visit www.danceforparkinsonsaustralia.org.
