Couple dancing

Do Younger & Older Brains Respond Differently To Dance?

Aga Burzynska, PhD Dance – as a ritual, therapy, and leisure activity – has been known for thousands of years. Today, dance is increasingly used as therapy for cognitive and neurological disorders such as dementia, multiple sclerosis, or Parkinson’s disease. Yet, the effects of dance training on the brain, such as in young professional dancers, are poorly

group of dancers

Dancing Can Reverse Aging In The Brain

Julia C. Basso, PhD A healthy and functional brain requires healthy, intact cells that fire effectively. Action Potentials Neurons generate action potentials, which are the brain’s primary source of currency. Action potentials are electrical signals that travel down the neuron. When the action potential reaches the end of the neuron (the axon terminal), the electrical

2 ballerinas dancing

Dance Harmony In Woodstock

Julia C. Basso, PhD Remember Woodstock?  If you went to the 1969 festival or not, Woodstock, NY (though not the actual site of the Woodstock Festival) is still a thriving artist’s community.  This town of ~6,000 people is a mecca for artists, musicians, writers, dancers, and many other vibrant bodies.  If you have not been

group dancing

Dancing Helps Heal Individuals With Parkinson’s Disease

Julia C. Basso, PhD Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that is characterized by problems of movement.  Though the disease normally manifests after the age of 60, in rare circumstances, the disease may develop earlier (known as early-onset PD).  PD results from loss of dopamine cells in a region of the brain called the

Dance And Neuroscience

A Conversation Between Dance And Neuroscience

Julia C. Basso, PhD Dance and neuroscience may seem like two distinct fields, but Jody Oberfelder, director, choreographer, and filmmaker, knows that they intersect in intricate ways.  Her recent work, The Brain Piece, just had its world premiere at New York Live Arts from June 28th to July 1st.   She notes that, “The Brain Piece

contemporary Dance

Cultivating Meaning Through Improvisational Dance

Julia C. Basso, PhD I just returned from the annual Movement Intensive in Compositional Improvisation (MICI) led by a dance company known as The Architects.  This group is composed of four wonderful women and mentors of mine, Katherine Ferrier, Lisa Gonzales, Jennifer Kayle, and Pamela Vail.  This group developed out of another group known as