Kristina McIntosh who has championed the successful Parkinson’s Dance program at Quinte Ballet School of Canada (QBSC) since 2018 will be honoured with the Quinte Arts Council’s Arts Recognition Award at a special celebration this Thursday in Belleville.
QBSC’s Parkinson’s Dance program, with free one-hour movement classes at 196 Palmer Road in Belleville on Thursday mornings from September to June, draws participants living with Parkinson’s disease and those with mobility issues that range in age from 55 to 93 years.
Parkinson’s Dance classes are open to all levels and abilities and the program welcomes caregivers to actively participate.
Christina Taylor, QBSC Board Chair says “through her teaching at QBSC’s Parkinson’s Dance program, Kristina has developed new techniques for working with people of different abilities. It’s been amazing to see how these weekly creative movement exercises with musical accompaniment at QBSC’s studios have benefitted from Kristina’s leadership to assist Parkinson’s Dance participants gain confidence and mobility and bonded them as a group. The Parkinson’s Dance program has expanded with two instructors leading the program – Kristina McIntosh and Jocelyn LoSole – drawing participants from Belleville, the greater Quinte area, as far north as Campbellford, Centre Hastings and Tweed, west into Quinte West, east into Napanee and south into the County.”
Since 2022, Kristina has been expanding the program to local retirement homes to reach more adults with mobility challenges and those living with Parkinson’s.
Six local retirement residences and long-term care homes in Belleville and Quinte West now receive monthly or bi-monthly creative movement and dance classes with the costs of classes in their facilities subsidized by the retirement homes.
More than 100,000 Canadians live with Parkinson’s disease and 30 more are diagnosed every day.
A number of leading neurologists and movement disorder specialists include dance and movement classes among a shortlist of recommended activities for their patients with research studies showing that dance can improve strength, flexibility, motor skills, balance, cognitive functions like memory and multi-tasking.
For more information about joining free Parkinson’s Dance classes at QBSC on Thursdays from 10:30am to 11:30am call 613-962-9274 X23 or email parkinsonsdance@quinteballetschool.com.
