Parkinson's Disease and Dancing

I love to dance! I have always loved to dance and having Parkinson's disease isn't going to stop me from dancing. Dancing uses a different part of your brain than walking, so it is very beneficial for people with Parkinson's to dance (and it's fun).  

Young YumaBev at dance competition

Back in the late 70's, my dance partner Dwayne and I used to enter (and often win) dance contests around central Florida. We were a good team and used to do some pretty spectacular lifts and tricky routines. I wore skimpy costumes and high heels and felt like a dancing queen.  

YumaBev cowgirl

In the early 80's, my competition days ended and Dwayne and I went our separate ways. I got married, became a widow, got married again, but I still liked to dance. Line dancing became popular in the 90's, no partner was needed and I soon mastered all the dances, including the ones with tricky footwork. Of course, what I really liked was the cowboy hat!  


Now it's 2012 and my feet aren't coordinated enough to do the fancy steps, but I still put on old disco tunes or a country song and shuffle around to the beat. I like it! It makes me feel like that dancing queen from 30+ years ago and maybe, just maybe, it will help me maintain my balance and my ability to walk for many more years to come. So, friends, put on some music and dance, dance, dance.


Use some humor, put on Shake (Sam Cooke), Shake Your Booty (KC & Sunshine Band), Shake Your Body (Michael Jackson), Country Girl Shake it for Me (Luke Bryan), The Shake (Neal McCoy), Shake It Up (The Cars) or Walk Like An Egyptian (The Bangles). 

Thank you for reading this story, I hope you enjoyed it. This is just one of a hundred stories in my book, Parkinson's Humor - Funny Stories about My Life with Parkinson's Disease. Please consider purchasing a copy from Amazon.com or your favorite online book seller. Thank you and have a Happy Parkie Day!