Introduction

“Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive, neurodegenerative disease that belongs to the group of conditions called motor system disorders”. PD cannot yet be cured and patients get worse over time as the normal bodily functions, including breathing, balance, movement, and heart function worsen.

The most common type of Parkinson disease is idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (PD), first described by James Parkinson, an English physician, in 1817 as paralysis agitans (the shaking palsy). Parkinson’s disease most often occurs after the age of 50 and is one of the most common nervous system disorders of the elderly. PD is caused by the progressive loss of dopamine brain cells (neurons) in a part of the brain called the substantia nigra. It is characterized by tremor, slowness of movements (bradykinesia), stiffness (rigidity). Postural imbalance and gait disturbances. Other symptoms can include depression and anxiety etc. (causes, diagnosis, treatment and symptoms refer appendix I).

One approach to reducing the symptoms of PD is through the use of exercise. Traditional exercise approaches to deal with gait and balance difficulties may include dynamic balance training, treadmill training, or strength training. Recommendations have been made regarding key components of an exercise program designed for those with PD. Keus et al. recommend four key areas: i) cueing strategies to improve gait, ii) cognitive movement strategies to improve transfers, iii) exercises to improve balance, and iv) training of joint mobility and muscle power to improve physical capacity.

Dance as a Form of Exercise:

Dance is an activity that is performed with music. (i) The music may serve as an external cue to facilitate movement, thus addressing the first recommended component which is the use of external cues. (ii) Dance also involves the teaching of specific movement