“DANCING is universal,” said Stocksfield dance teacher Molly Grey, “so why shouldn’t dance classes be inclusive for everyone too?”

It was this realisation which led Molly to start up her dance class, ‘Movement for the Mind’, which is specifically designed to be Dementia and Parkinson’s-friendly.

The class practises several dance routines, which are themed around working out both the brain and the body. Everyday actions, such as opening doors and reaching for items, are incorporated within the dances to help build upper-arm strength and boost memory.

“Music has been proven to help people with neurological conditions relieve stress and aid their ability to move,” said Molly.

“Some pupils have even taken to getting dressed in the morning to music, because they’ve found it so beneficial.”

What Molly feels is most important in her class, however, is how her pupils engage with the music.

“The body naturally wants to move when it hears music,” said Molly, “and every person moves uniquely. Classes are about feeling free to express yourself and communicate through dance, not about learning a routine.”

Socialisation is also at the heart of Molly’s classes, because she understands how isolating living with a disease can be.

“Everyday activities, such as leaving the house or socialising, can become overwhelming,” she said. “So I wanted the class to offer a safe space,and a sense of community for people living with neurological conditions.”

It was also important for Molly to base ‘Music for the Mind’ in the west of the county, because she felt it was deprived of Dementia and Parkinson’s friendly dance-classes.

She now receives pupils from all over Northumberland, and hopes in the future to train other dance teachers in inclusive dance, so that more workshops can run across the UK.

Molly was inspired to teach inclusive dance after she suffered a knee injury whilst studying dance at university.

“I began thinking of ways I could dance using only my upper body. It was then that I started to think about how I could help others who were less able-bodied to enjoy the magic of dance.”

After leaving university, Molly began training with the English National Ballet’s Dance for Parkinson’s programme, and then went on to teach dance at Dilston College in Corbridge, where she specialised in teaching young adults with special educational needs.

Molly’s experience at Dilston also inspired her to create a dance class for young adults with learning and/or physical disabilities called Express Yourself Dance, which incorporates disco dancing routines, costumes and performance into each lesson.

“The class really is all about expressing yourself through dance,” Molly said. “There is a fitness aspect to it as well, but it’s mostly focused on dancing freely, being social and having fun.”

For Molly, however, the job is not only about making dance more accessible to everyone, but also about giving something back to her local community, because she is now teaching pupils who knew her as a little girl.

“It’s like a full circle,” she said. “I’m now helping the people who helped shape me.”

Movement For The Mind runs every Tuesday from 1-2pm and Express Yourself Dance every Tuesday from 2.15pm-3.15pm at Torch Centre, Hexham.