Where Science Dances

She used to dance on professional stages; today, Ulrike Groß is investigating how dance can help people with Parkinson’s. The 36-year-old former professional dancer is now a postgraduate research fellow in the Department of Sports Science at Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg.

Yet for Ulrike Groß, the transition from the stage to university was never a break with the past. “For me, this change of direction is anything but unusual",” she says. Even before training as a state-certified stage dancer, she had studied health education and educational sciences in Freiburg, followed later by a degree in dance studies in Bern. Academia, she says, is the logical continuation of her passion, with a greater goal: “I hope to be able to make a small contribution towards bringing dance more into the mainstream as a resource for everyone."

At the University of Magdeburg, the sports scientist is now researching the effectiveness of dance on the motor symptoms of people with Parkinson’s disease. The condition severely restricts patients’ everyday lives due to gait disturbances, stiffness and balance problems. Medication does help, but its effectiveness diminishes over time. This is where Ulrike Groß comes in.

“Dance stimulates our brain on a motor, sensory, cognitive and emotional level",” she explains. The rhythm of the music, in particular, plays a special role in this. It acts as an external pacemaker and can compensate for the impaired motor control caused by the dopamine deficit. “In short: dance not only exercises the body, it also engages the brain, the mind and social life.”

Ulrike Groß is leading the study investigating the impact of dance on people with Parkinson’s, which involves dance training sessions: two groups comprising a total of around 27 participants met over 18 weeks for joint dance training. The dance sessions are structured so that they always begin with a warm-up, followed by free improvisation, choreography and a cool-down. The programme includes country dance, Greek circle dances, tango, cha-cha-cha and polka.

Ulrike Groß describes what happens in the dance studio with a big smile: “The dance class is something very special to me. Here, I have the chance to share my world of dance with people and, at the same time, to discover what sort of dancers they are and how they explore it all together with me. We laugh a lot. Parkinson’s disease fades very, very far into the background. It doesn’t really occupy our minds at all. It’s about being in the moment together with everyone and enjoying the dancing and the music."

Peter Kaminski, who accompanies his wife to the dance classes, confirms that this effect extends far beyond the classroom: “The dance class has a very positive influence. My wife really enjoys it, and so do I. I can see how she comes to life, how her depression lifts a little. Having this regular activity is wonderful." So much so that the couple want to continue the class even after the study ends, in the senior citizens’ dance group.

Ulrike Groß is particularly taken with the moments of improvisation – ironically, the very part that most participants initially like the least. “When everyone manages to get into it and dance freely, without overthinking it, I find that wonderful." She has also observed that: The participants are becoming more confident. They try out new things, overcome their inhibitions and, over time, execute step patterns with increasing confidence. The best feedback for her is “when people who started out sceptical ask if there’s a way to carry on."

Her own attitude towards the participants has also changed as a result of this work. “Before I led the dance session for the first time, I had a great deal of respect for what lay ahead",” admits Ulrike Groß. In her mind, she imagined she would be faced with people who were severely immobile and at enormous risk of falling. The reality was quite different: “Working with people with Parkinson’s has shown me that they still have numerous resources at their disposal that need to be utilised and, above all, nurtured. To be honest, during the sessions I don’t spend a single millisecond thinking about the fact that it’s a Parkinson’s dance group. To me, they’re adults who want to dance."

The dance training is due to end in June for the time being, but for the sports scientist, this is only the beginning. Another round of the study is planned for 2027, this time with a new dimension: EEG measurements are set to show whether dance also triggers neurophysiological changes in the brain. At the same time, she is working on her doctoral qualification.  “I love what I do, and I try my best to invite others to discover the world of dance with me,” she concludes.

Anyone living with Parkinson’s who is interested in taking part in the study from 2027 onwards can complete their registration now. If you are interested, please contact us by email or using the telephone number 0391 – 6757048 for further information.