CHICAGO – May 19, 2024 – Since July 2023, Dancing With Parkinson's – a collaborative program from Northwestern Medicine and The Joffrey Ballet – has helped more than 90 people with Parkinson’s disease and their care partners stay active while confronting the social and emotional challenges of this progressive brain disorder. On Sunday, May 19, participants from the program will take the stage for their first-ever public performance at Joffrey Tower’s Black Box Theatre. The 30-minute show will feature dances from both the Chicago and Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Health & Fitness Center classes, and will include performances from The Joffrey Ballet’s JAM (Joffrey Abilities in Motion) program, created for individuals with disabilities and neurodivergent children and teens.

“Coming out of COVID, many people with Parkinson's felt very isolated, but Dancing With Parkinson’s has created a wonderful sense of community for our patients,” said Katie Fagan, senior program coordinator and clinical social worker for the Northwestern Medicine Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Center. “In the beginning, many participants felt some initial trepidation about joining the program, either because they don't have a dance background, or because of where they are in their Parkinson's journey. The success of this class shows how willing our participants are to explore new ways to help themselves when given a supportive environment to do so.”

Attendees can expect to see the groups perform synchronized routines in both jazz and lyrical dance styles. Tom Dobrinski, a Dancing With Parkinson’s participant who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2021, says he is looking forward to the performance highlighting much of what his class has worked on over the last year.

“It’s been fun,” said Dobrinkski. “At first, I didn’t know what to expect. I’m not much of a dancer, but my balance and movement feel more fluid after class, so I keep coming back. Who knew a year later we’d be performing on a Joffrey stage. My wife and I are so fortunate to have a program like this available to us. The sense of community and camaraderie have been a plus for us in this journey.”

“As Dancing With Parkinson’s turns a year old this summer, it’s amazing to look back and think about all the people who never thought of themselves as a dancer completely embrace the artform,” said Carly Liegel, community engagement program coordinator with The Joffrey Ballet and Dancing With Parkinson’s instructor. “Between this program and our JAM classes, this show will celebrate a diverse range of ages and movement abilities. I hope it serves as a reminder that there is no right or wrong way to move. Any body is a dancing body.”

General admission tickets are free and can be reserved here. Doors to the theatre will open at 12:30 p.m., performances begin at 1:00 p.m. There is no planned intermission.

More information about Dancing With Parkinson’s

Built for individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and their care partners, Dancing With Parkinson’s aims to enhance physical, mental and emotional well-being through the joy of dance. This research-backed program connects the mind to movement, in conjunction with others and with music, to address both physical and social-emotional symptoms of the disease. Whether dancing in a standing or seated position, participants engage in movements tailored to their abilities, fostering strength, flexibility and creativity.

“Dance involves highly coordinated and controlled movements, which might help with the stiffness, slowness, and postural instability associated with Parkinson’s disease,” said Danny Bega, MD, movement disorders specialist at Northwestern Medicine. “Dance is proposed to offer cognitive and social benefits as well. The sense of community and enjoyment that comes from dancing and listening to music with other people may also address common PD-related problems such as depressed mood, fatigue, and isolation.”

The class series explores various dance styles including ballet, jazz, tap, modern and improvisation. All Dancing With Parkinson’s teachers have completed at minimum an introductory training through Dance For PD, a New York City-based program that pioneered dance classes for people with the movement disorder.

Classes are currently offered downtown at The Joffrey Ballet’s South Loop Studios and at the Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Health & Fitness Center. There is no cost for patients and their care partners to attend. Summer sessions will begin in Lake Forest, Ill., on June 24 and downtown sessions will begin on August 6.

To register for classes, or to learn more about offerings for Northwestern Medicine Parkinson’s patients, please contact movementdisorders@nm.org.

CHICAGO -  Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital in Lake Forest, Ill., and Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield, Ill., have earned a prestigious recognition from the Parkinson’s Foundation. The two suburban hospitals are now recognized as Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence Satellite Centers of the Movement Disorders Center at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Northwestern Memorial Hospital has been a Center of Excellence since 2002. Currently, only 51 Centers of Excellence have been named worldwide; 37 are in the United States. 

A Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence is a medical center with a specialized team of neurologists, movement disorder specialists, physical and occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, mental health specialists, and others who are up to date on the latest Parkinson’s disease medications, therapies and research to provide the best care. Each center is required to meet rigorous care, clinical research, professional training, community education and outreach criteria. 

"We are excited and honored to be named a Parkinson's Foundation Center of Excellence Satellite Center,” said Martha McGraw, MD, the Douglas L. Johnson Chair in Neuroscience and co-director of the Movement Disorders Center at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital. “We emphasize a multidisciplinary, holistic approach to caring for patients, and the Center of Excellence designation reflects the outstanding personalized care our teams offer across the Northwestern Medicine system.” 

Lake Forest Hospital provides a unique program that cares for patients and their families affected by Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders by promoting health, education and support. The program is completely donor-funded, with the mission to provide wellness programming to all individuals affected by Parkinson’s disease at no cost. 

“We are honored to be recognized as a Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence,” said Avram Fraint, MD, a neurologist at Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital. “Our comprehensive team of experts delivers a patient-centered approach to the management of Parkinson’s disease. We offer eight unique exercise classes, including aerobic, strength training, balance, agility and stretching that provide physical and emotional support for those living with Parkinson’s disease.” 

The Parkinson's Foundation leads the development of new treatments and care models through its Centers of Excellence network. Each Center of Excellence is staffed by some of the world’s foremost specialists in every aspect of the complex, multidisciplinary care that delivers the best results for people with Parkinson’s. 

Lake Forest Hospital and Central DuPage Hospital work closely with the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine by recruiting study participants and participating in research designed to to improve human health.