Dance for Parkinson's

High quality dance classes for people with Parkinson's, their family, friends and carers.

Spring Programme 2024 (classes take place at the Wesley Memorial Hall, New Inn Hall Street, Oxford)

Due to the on-going success and demand for the programme, MuMo Creative and Oxford City Council are delighted to be in a position to continue running the Dance for Parkinson’s programme in Oxford in Spring 2024.

Dance for Parkinson's is a national programme of high-quality dance activities for people with Parkinson's, their carers, their family members and their friends. Weekly dance classes provide a creative and artistic opportunity for participants within a supportive and social environment. The classes also provide an additional positive benefit to physical and mental health and wellbeing.

The results of the award-winning "English National Ballet, Dance for Parkinson's, an investigative study", carried out by Dr Sara Houston and Ashley McGill of Roehampton University can be found on the English National Ballet website or Roehampton Dance website.

Weekly Classes

• Venue: Wesley Memorial Church Hall, New Inn Hall St, Oxford OX1 2DH
• Dates: Dates for Spring term 2024 = Monday 15th January – Monday 18th March (inclusive) = 10 week term
• Time: 1pm to 2.15pm
• Refreshments follow on from 2.15pm to 2.45pm 
• £5 per class, or pay for the whole term in advance (10 x sessions: £50)

As usual, participants can pay in advance or weekly. Classes are £5 per person including carers, friends and family, or £50 per person if paying in advance for the full ten weeks. Payment can be made online (please contact Claire Thompson on contact details below for details of how to make a payment). If online payments not possible, please let Claire know to discuss an alternative option.

If you are interested in joining the classes, or if you have any queries about the programme, please contact Claire Thompson on cthompson@oxford.gov.uk / 01865 252820.

Quotes from current participants of the Dance for Parkinson's project:

"To forget I have Parkinson's for a couple of hours a week has been a most positive experience."

"Please accept my thanks for a truly enjoyable, as well as beneficial twelve week series of ballet classes. All of us found some measure of healing in the movement and music, enthusiasm and camaraderie. Some were literally transformed between the beginning and the end of a class, and we would like to be able to continue with our weekly exercises and music, imagining and laughing (or crying)."

• BBC News website featuring the Dance for Parkinson's programme
• BBC Inside Out featuring “Parkinson’s – The Funny Side”
• Dance for Parkinson's Big Give: Meet Anne
• English National Ballet Dance For Parkinson’s Sally