Italy
Having a contemporary dance lesson in a Museum setting is the new form of support therapy for people affected by Parkinson’s disease in Italy.
The Dance Well initiative, sponsored by the Operaestate Festival Veneto, under the artistic direction of Roberto Casarotto, holds one-hour dance lessons in the Museo Civico in Bassano del Grappa (Vicenza) twice a week for people who suffer from the condition.
Parkinson’s disease (caused by a neurodegenerative disorder that affects movement) is fast reaching epidemic proportions all over the world, explains Daniele Volpe, Director of the Neuro-Rehabilitation Department at Villa Margherita in Arcugnano (Vicenza), a state-of-the-art treatment center for Parkinson’s disease. The condition can be treated with specific medications but these are not entirely successful on their own.
There is a need for rehabilitation programs to improve the patients’ quality of life.
Scientific research shows that “the most important aspect is to keep moving,” Volpe says, “because movement can trigger neuroprotective mechanisms in the brain, encourage neuroplasticity and lead to the creation of new synapses.
This means we can slow down the disease.” Dance Well focuses primarily on people with Parkinson’s disease, but the project is trying to involve others in the community, namely young people and immigrants. Some 300 people gather every week at the exhibition halls of the Museo Civico.
Having a contemporary dance lesson in a Museum setting is the new form of support therapy for people affected by Parkinson’s disease in Italy.
The Dance Well initiative, sponsored by the Operaestate Festival Veneto, under the artistic direction of Roberto Casarotto, holds one-hour dance lessons in the Museo Civico in Bassano del Grappa (Vicenza) twice a week for people who suffer from the condition.
Parkinson’s disease (caused by a neurodegenerative disorder that affects movement) is fast reaching epidemic proportions all over the world, explains Daniele Volpe, Director of the Neuro-Rehabilitation Department at Villa Margherita in Arcugnano (Vicenza), a state-of-the-art treatment center for Parkinson’s disease. The condition can be treated with specific medications but these are not entirely successful on their own.
There is a need for rehabilitation programs to improve the patients’ quality of life.
Scientific research shows that “the most important aspect is to keep moving,” Volpe says, “because movement can trigger neuroprotective mechanisms in the brain, encourage neuroplasticity and lead to the creation of new synapses.
This means we can slow down the disease.” Dance Well focuses primarily on people with Parkinson’s disease, but the project is trying to involve others in the community, namely young people and immigrants. Some 300 people gather every week at the exhibition halls of the Museo Civico.
