Irish Dance's surprising benefits

A recent study by Italian neurologist and Parkinson's specialist Daniele Volpe found a new way to help those with the disease: Irish dancing. Volpe, an enthusiast of Irish music, was visiting Ireland when he noticed a man with obvious Parkinson's symptoms participate flawlessly in a traditional Irish set dance. Inspired Volpe returned home and put his observations to test. He took two groups of Parkinson's sufferers; one of which he put through six months of conventional physiotherapy. The other group was taught traditional Irish set dances during that time period. While both groups showed marked improvement, the group learning Irish dancing improved more in their control for every measurement category. Volpe theorizes that the reasons for these results is two-fold. One is the constant weight change found in Irish dancing combined with a constant change in directions. This forces the dancer to have very controlled footwork, even with the simplest steps. The explanation could be Irish music itself. The strong, upbeat rhythmic pattern of Irish reels and jigs may give off periodic acoustic cues that allow the brain to bypass certain transmission dysfunctionalities. The Claddagh School of Murrieta has long offered Adult Irish dance classes, but often interested participants shy away from the class because they feel they are "too clumsy", "too out of shape" or "have two left feet." Volpe's research proves that not only is Irish dance accessible to everyone, but it is also beneficial, not only as a wonderful cardio exercise, but to stimulate the brain and thought process. After-all dancing comes from the heart. For more information on adult classes at the Claddagh School of Dance's Murrieta location visit www.claddaghmurrieta.com For more information on Volpe's research, check out this article in the Irish Central: http://www.irishcentral.com/news/italian-neurologist-finds-improbable-cu...