Escape, expand, embrace: the transformational lived experience of rediscovering the self and the other while dancing with Parkinson's or Multiple Sclerosis

Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experience of dancing with Parkinson's and Multiple Sclerosis in an inclusive dance group called ReDiscoverMe (RDM). Methods Participatory research approaches and interpretative phenomenological analysis were used to make sense of the lived experience captured in interviews and observations. Arthur Frank's conceptual framework on embodied storytelling from his book The Wounded Storyteller was the study's theoretical lens. Themes are both described and represented in images made by an RDM participant. Findings Dancing in a nonjudgmental environment was described by participants as a way to rediscover themselves while continually adapting to living with chronic illness. We interpreted this experience of rediscovery as an active, recursive process involving three movements: escaping, expanding, and embracing. Through these movements, participants could rise above the self and illness. Conclusions The lived experience of dancing in this group was characterized by transformations of the body, self, and life. Through escaping, expanding, and embracing, participants could more easily embrace the body's contingency, integrate the self and body by becoming dancers, connect with others living with illness, and produce desire through passion. Participants could therefore experience illness as a journey and gain something from the experience.

Automated summary

This study explores the lived experience of dancing with Parkinson's and Multiple Sclerosis in the inclusive dance group called ReDiscoverMe. The findings show that dancing in a nonjudgmental environment helps participants rediscover themselves and adapt to chronic illness. Through movements of escaping, expanding, and embracing, participants are able to transcend the self and illness.