Dance Health
Support for people living with a range of conditions, their carers & health professionals
Our rigorously researched dance health programmes provide wellbeing support to people living with neurological conditions, long Covid and health professionals.
Dance health removes the stigma of being a patient and lifts them to a place beyond expectations of themselves, as a dancer.This brings significant confidence, wellbeing and the ability to express themselves and to enable their own recovery.
Dr. Dave Caesar – Senior Strategic Advisor, Health Workforce Directorate, Scottish Government
What do we do?
We work with experienced dance education professionals who are specialists in dance health and we have a full-time dedicated dance health team.
Find out more about our innovative programmes below.
Neurological Conditions
Multiple Sclerosis
SB Elevate®
These classes are a fun way for you to explore creativity, expression, musicality, fluidity, balance and posture.
Choose from live in-person classes in Glasgow, Perth and Orkney, online classes and on-demand resources.
Parkinson's
Dance for Parkinson’s Scotland
These classes improve balance, spatial awareness, confidence and fluidity of movement.
Choose from live in-person classes in Glasgow, online classes, links to partner hubs across Scotland and on-demand resources.
Dementia/brain health
Time to Dance®
By developing communication, expression, coordination, balance, creativity, problem-solving and social interaction, dancing supports brain health and improves quality of life.
Choose from live in-person classes in Glasgow, on-demand resources and online sessions for care homes and day centres.
Long Covid Support
Live online classes, on-demand films and audio resources to help people living with long Covid; supporting wellbeing through focusing on body alignment, breath, mobility and posture.
This programme has been created in collaboration with people living with long Covid and health specialists including the Royal College of General Practitioners.
On Demand
Bedside Ballet
SB Duet
A series of interactive digital dance films and audio resources for people with reduced mobility to enjoy at home, in care homes and in hospitals, or to share with their companions or carers.
SB Duet includes captions, a BSL interpreted film and is available in a range of languages.
Support for Health and Social Care Professionals
Health at Hand®
This programme was created in collaboration with NHS Scotland and Scottish Government. It helps people working in health and social care services manage physical and mental stress through movement.
These resources are also suitable for unpaid carers/ care partners and the package also includes a film specially created for children.
Social Prescribing
Scottish Ballet’s approach to social prescribing aligns with Scottish Government’s ‘Realistic Medicine’ approach, acknowledging that there are many circumstances where a non-medical intervention may deliver better outcomes with less risk. We are proud to be partnering with the Health & Social Care Alliance Scotland to explore pathways that seek to place our dance health neurological programmes into mainstream health and social care settings.
Dance Health Volunteering
Would you like to volunteer for our Dance Health programmes? We are always looking for people who would like to be involved!
There’s no experience necessary and full training is given.
Dance Health Research
Delivering innovative neurological work since 2015, our dance health team has been able to reach and engage with communities in Scotland and beyond through our classes, health resources, online programmes, training and research studies.
To develop and evaluate our dance health programmes and practice, we work closely with academics, health professionals and people with lived experience across Scotland and beyond.
