After a successful pilot phase, the project launched by the Zurich Opera House and Tonhalle-Gesellschaft Zürich will continue, now expanded through a partnership with Kunsthaus Zürich.
Connect is a dance project for people living with neurological challenges such as multiple sclerosis (MS) or Parkinson’s. The initiative was inspired by Cathy Marston, Ballet Director of Ballett Zürich, who portrayed the life story of Jacqueline du Pré, a cellist with MS, in her ballet The Cellist. In collaboration with several partner institutions, a dance training programme for individuals with neurological challenges was developed. Musicians from the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich accompany some of the sessions. The training draws on the expertise of the Dance & Creative Wellness Foundation and is shaped by members of the independent dance group The Field. This unique project for Zurich and Switzerland will continue in the 2024/25 season, with Kunsthaus Zürich as a new partner.
Art and Dance: A Unique Connection
Kunsthaus Zürich brings a new dimension of art and design to the project. Participants draw inspiration from works in the Kunsthaus collection for dance sequences, performed in the gallery spaces or the auditorium. Additionally, the Kunsthaus enables participants to creatively deepen their experiences through painting and design in its art mediation studios.
By exploring artworks together, engaging in conversations, and expressing themselves through dance and visual art, participants experience moments of self-efficacy and resilience. Studies show that artistic activities improve mental well-being and enhance the quality of life for people with neurological challenges.
Why Dance and Music?
Recent neurological research highlights dance as an ideal intervention for conditions like MS or Parkinson’s. It emphasises the role of dance and music in overcoming motor challenges and enhancing psychosocial well-being and quality of life. The creative practice and approach of the Connect project are grounded in evidence-based research at the innovative intersection of art, dance and neurology. Movement offers participants the opportunity to connect with themselves and their environment. Dance fosters expression, posture, and creativity. The artistic element of Connect adds a new layer to this approach, offering further inspiration for personal and artistic growth through painting, drawing, and experiencing art.
Connect in the 2024/25 Season
The project will span a full year and include 90 participants in three groups. Weekly sessions will take place on Friday afternoons, with 38 sessions planned overall. Twelve of these will be held at Kunsthaus Zürich.
The remaining sessions will be held at the facilities of Tonhalle-Gesellschaft Zürich, focusing on choreographies by Ballett Zürich or musical programmes by the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich. The workshops are always led by professional dancers and occasionally accompanied by live music performed by musicians from the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich.
Interested in Connect?
The places for the 2024/25 season are fully booked, as many interested individuals have registered for the Connect waiting list in recent months.
Unlike many other countries, Switzerland offers very few dance programmes for people with Parkinson’s. To our knowledge, Connect is the only dance training in Switzerland specifically for people with MS. We view the strong interest from affected individuals as a mandate to inspire other institutions and dance professionals to create dance opportunities for people with MS, Parkinson’s, and other neurological challenges in Zurich and other regions of Switzerland, enabling as many people as possible to dance.
In the coming weeks, we will provide a link here to other dance programmes for people with neurological challenges.
