Connect – Dancing with Neurological Challenges

Connect is a dance project for people living with neurological challenges such as multiple sclerosis (MS) or Parkinson’s. The idea originated with Cathy Marston, the ballet director of Ballett Zürich, whose ballet The Cellist tells the life story of Jacqueline du Pré, who suffered from MS and died at a young age.

In collaboration with several partners, a dance training program for people with neurological challenges was developed. Musicians from the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich accompany selected sessions. Some of these take place at the Kunsthaus, where paintings or sculptures inspire the movements. The training sessions are based on the long-standing expertise of the Dance & Creative Wellness Foundation and are co-designed by members of the independent dance group The Field.

Recent neurological research identifies dance as an ideal intervention for neurological illnesses and disorders such as MS or Parkinson’s. It emphasizes the role of dance and music in overcoming motor challenges and in improving psychosocial well-being and quality of life. The creative practice and approach of the Connect project are based on evidence-based research at the innovative intersection of dance, art, and neurology. Movement offers participants the opportunity to connect with themselves and their surroundings. Dancing shapes and enhances expression, posture, and individual creativity. Encounters with visual art can provide additional impulses.

Connect in the 2025/26 season

After a summer break, weekly training sessions in three groups will resume in autumn 2025. These sessions are led by professional dance practitioners with the relevant expertise. Musicians from the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich will provide live music in selected sessions. Over several weeks at a time, the Connect training sessions focus on a choreography by Ballett Zürich, a musical program of the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, or an exhibition at the Kunsthaus. In the sessions, participants explore these works from different perspectives under the guidance of the leading artists. This allows them to immerse themselves in a musically, artistically, and dance-inspiring environment.

The experience is enriched by visits to the three institutions. At the Opera House, we will attend the dress rehearsal of Romeo and Juliet by Cathy Marston; at the Tonhalle, the dress rehearsal of the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich under the direction of Paavo Järvi, featuring works by Lalo and Bruckner. At the Kunsthaus Zürich, there will be a dialogic guided tour of the exhibition of the Brazilian artist Lygia Clark.

The weekly dance classes will be offered on Friday afternoons in the Vereinssaal of the Tonhalle Zürich and in the collection rooms of the Moser Building at the Kunsthaus Zürich.

Interested in Connect?

Connect takes place from October to July, every Friday afternoon. The season is divided into three blocks. When a new course block begins, any available places are allocated in the order in which registrations were received.

In Switzerland, there are still very few dance programs for people living with Parkinson’s or MS. We see the strong interest in Connect among those affected as a mandate to motivate other institutions and dance practitioners to offer dance opportunities for people with MS, Parkinson’s, and other neurological challenges in Zurich and other regions of Switzerland.
Starting in autumn 2025, new programs will be available in Basel and Lucerne, and existing offerings in Zurich, Bern, and Valais will be expanded.

In the coming months, we will publish a link here to other dance programs for people with neurological challenges in Switzerland.