When Marie Cleaves Rothacker first started teaching a dance class for people with Parkinson’s disease, she was nervous about working without one kind of instant feedback: facial expressions.  As a dance instructor, she often relies on smiles and grimaces to figure out which students need help.

But soon after starting Dance for Parkinson's - Central PA in Hershey, Pennsylvania, Marie began to notice the unique methods people with Parkinson’s disease develop to show their feelings.

“You figure out a way to communicate with each other,” she says. “With dance, it’s through movement. It was pleasantly surprising to see how they’re able to still find that personal expression even with the limitations that they’re given.”

Since last January, Dance for Parkinson's has taught around 65 people with Parkinson’s disease in Millersville University and at Penn State Hershey Medical Center. The class was inspired by the Mark Morris Dance Center in Brooklyn, which offers dance classes for people with Parkinson’s disease.

The benefits of dance and other exercise for people with Parkinson’s disease have been well documented. For example, evidence suggests that exercise can help people with Parkinson’s improve balance and motor coordination.

At Marie’s studio, the focus is more on traditional dance lessons more than a clinical approach. At the end of class, she’s satisfied if she sees students leaving with smiles on their faces.

And besides non-verbal feedback, Marie received positive responses from a survey she sent out to students and caregivers about their experiences in a session last summer.

“Mother used to do line dancing and ballroom dancing, so some of the songs were familiar and made her very happy,” one caregiver responded.  “She talked of the music for days after class. This is significant because she is often very depressed.”

Responses like that help Marie know she’s doing her job.

“I’ve always wanted to use dance to help people,” she says.