Connect is a dance project for people living with neurological challenges such as multiple sclerosis (MS) or Parkinson's disease. The impetus for this came from the ballet director of Ballett Zürich, Cathy Marston, whose ballet ‘The Cellist’ tells the life story of Jacqueline du Pré, who suffered from MS and died at an early age. A dance training programme for people with neurological challenges was developed in collaboration with several partners.

Musicians from the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich accompany individual sessions. Some of them take place in the Kunsthaus, where paintings or sculptures inspire the movements. The training sessions are based on the many years of expertise of the Dance & Creative Wellness Foundation and are co-designed by members of the independent dance group The Field.

Recent neurological research sees dance as an ideal intervention for neurological diseases and disorders such as MS or Parkinson’s disease. They emphasize the role of dance and music in overcoming physical barriers and improving psychosocial well-being and quality of life.

Movement offers participants the opportunity to connect with themselves and their surroundings. Dancing shapes and encourages expression, posture and creativity. Encounters with the visual arts can provide additional stimuli.

After a summer break, weekly training sessions in three groups will take place again from autumn 2025. These will be led by professional dancers with the relevant expertise. Musicians from the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich will provide live music in selected sessions. In terms of content, the Connect training sessions will focus on a choreography by Ballett Zürich, a musical programme by the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich or an exhibition at the Kunsthaus over a period of several weeks. In the sessions, the participants examine these works from different perspectives under the guidance of the teaching artists. This allows participants to immerse themselves in an inspiring musical, artistic and dance environment.

The experience is enriched by joint visits to rehearsals at the Opernhaus Zürich and the Tonhalle Zürich.

Weekly dance classes take place on Friday afternoons in the rooms of the Tonhalle-Gesellschaft.

Connect takes place on Friday afternoons during the season from October to July. The season is divided into three blocks. Whenever a new course block starts, places become available again, which we allocate in the order of registration.

In Switzerland, unlike in many other countries, there are still very few dance programmes for people living with Parkinson's or MS. We see the great interest in Connect from so many people affected as a mandate to motivate other institutions and dance professionals to offer dance programmes for people with MS, Parkinson's and other neurological challenges in Zurich and other regions of Switzerland so that as many people affected as possible can dance. From autumn 2025, new offers will be created in Basel, Lucerne and Lausanne and some existing offers in Zurich, Bern and Valais will be expanded.

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

If you are interested in the project and dance offers in Switzerland, you can register here for further news.

Patronage

Cathy Marston, Ballet Director and Chief Choreographer Ballett Zürich

Ilona Schmiel, Intendant Tonhalle-Gesellschaft Zürich

Cooperation

• Tonhalle-Gesellschaft Zürich

• Opernhaus Zürich / Ballett Zürich
• The Field
• Dance and Creative Wellness Foundation, Clare Guss-West

Scientific Advisory Partner

• Neurology Clinic Universitätsspital Zürich: Parkinson Team and MS Team
• Elevate ® Scottish Ballet: Specialists in a dance program for individuals with MS

Supported by

• Otto Beisheim Stiftung
• Freundeskreis Tonhalle-Orchester