Craig Taylor participates in a dance class for people who have Parkinson's disease and their carers in the Utzon Room at the Sydney Opera House Photo: Janie Barrett
To the music of David Bowie's The Jean Genie and Heroes, the dancers dipped and turned, moving their hands to form the shapes of the king and the queen in the famous lyrics.
John Coles, 66, lifted his arms in the air, turning his palms in and out, attempting a classic ballet pose, as the dance class for people with Parkinson's disease and their families and carers began atthe Opera House's Utzon Room on Friday.
Occasionally Mr Coles' arms wouldn't fully obey his instructions, but many others in the room were struggling to control even unrulier limbs and jerky hands.
Later, Mr Cole, of Chatswood, beamed: "I enjoyed it very much. I like David Bowie and it is a good feeling you get from dancing, which is not something you normally do," he said.
"I am no good but I felt very happy doing it," he said, adding that the sense of joy and wellbeing he felt "was more important than the dancing".
There were times when they felt isolated at home, said Mr Coles' wife, Susan."And you may feel nobody understands, especially when [the disease] progresses," she said.
Parkinson's disease affects about 80,000 Australians, with about 20 of those diagnosed under 50 when diagnosed, and another 10 per cent under 40.
Participants in a dance class for people who have Parkinson's disease. Photo: Janie Barrett
The disease manifests itself differently, but typical symptoms include tremors, slowness of movement, rigidity, depression and anxiety.
I will be king. And you, you will be queen. Though nothing, will drive them away.We can beat them, just for one day. We can be heroesDavid Bowie's Heroes.
A pilot program by Dance for Parkinson's Australia with Ballet Queensland found people with Parkinson's who attended regular classes showed improvements in their gait cadence and velocity while walking in a straight line; they were more comfortable, had increased emotional wellbeing, and had an improved ability to communicate.
The program began in the United States in 2001, and the Queensland study found it encouraged people with Parkinson's to try other activities, such as joining a choir. The disease has no cure, but singing and dancing can improve quality of life.
Queensland Conservatorium Research Centre's Professor Don Stewart told the ABC last week that people with Parkinson's who joined a choir were less embarrassed or worried about people's reactions to them.
"Some felt they had to conceal their Parkinson's from others or avoid situations which involve eating or drinking in public," he said.
At Friday's class at the Opera House, Erica Rose Jeffrey, the co-ordinator of Dance for Parkinson's Australia, urged participants - some in wheelchairs, others with walkers and some happy to dance in their chairs - to "dance with the body you brought here today".
After warming up, they were taught simplified dance moves by the Michael Clark Company's dancer Benjamin Warbis, who performed in one of the company's productions at the Opera House this month.
"Don't worry: I've been doing this for years and I still get confused," Mr Warbis said when his corps de ballet collapsed in confusion and laughter.
Kay Dunphy, 70, does Dance for Parkinson's classes twice a week in Sydney.
" I love it: it is the music as well that makes you so happy," said Ms Dunphy, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's eight years ago.
Sometimes she felt self-conscious in public, but not with her "dance friends". Only last week, Ms Dunphy's dance class broke into impromptu song, "We all started singing ... and we sounded wonderful."
The class is part of an ongoing accessibility program called Dance Connections, a collaboration between the Opera House and Dance for Parkinson's Australia.
Since 2015, it has held occasional dance classes based on works programmed at the Opera House, including the Australian Ballet.
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