[WATCH] Documentary shows how the power of dance gave Parkinson’s sufferers new lease of life

One dancer’s revolution lit up the hearts of many, and it came through her simple dedication to make them dance.

Nathalie Muschamp’s dance therapy has allowed patients with Parkinson’s disease to cope better despite the progressive nature of the disease. Now, her adventure is finally being committed to film, in a documentary about her NGO, Step Up For Parkinson’s.

The TV premiere of the documentary ‘One Day We Will Dance Again’ will air on One TV at 4:30pm on 22 December, and on Christmas Day at 8:30am.

The documentary illustrates the journey of the inception of the organisation, and the importance of connection and community, as we learn more about Joey, David and many more, to listen to their stories. 

The film further shows how COVID-19 has impacted the organisation, making it impossible to meet and the loss of community with the pandemic. and therefore are losing are our community. 

The touching trailer confirms the beneficial effects of the therapy, which has been confirmed in a ground-breaking five-year research that found Parkinson’s patients reporting feeling better despite their disease progressing. A Roehampton University lecturer, Sara Houston, witnessed the dance groups’ positive effects on patients, helping them make friends and rebuild confidence.

Dance therapy for Parkinson’s has been an innovative initiative that provided empowerment and hope for anyone living with the disease, which in 2018 was approximately 2,800 people in Malta. Of these, 1,400 persons were diagnosed with the disease while another 1,400 are their carers.

“Imagine you haven’t danced before, you’ve never danced with your partner… and then just in the last chapter of your life, you start dancing, you become part of this wonderful family, and together you’re performing, and the adrenaline and the boost it gives to you by being on stage, that feeling of achievement at being able to give this whole performance, and  of giving them the power and their agency back, I believe we went beyond,” Nathalie Muschamp, a professional dancer and creator of the NGO, says.