It takes two and more to tango with Parkinson - NEURO 26

We will take part at the 4th European Congress of Neurology and Neuropsychiatry which will take place on February 23-24, 2026 in Paris, France. Neurology Conference 2026 will bring together leading neurologists, neuropsychiatrists, researchers, and healthcare professionals from around the globe to discuss the latest developments in neurology, psychiatry, and brain health.

Abstract: Tango para Todos Parkinson’s (TapaToP) is an initiative that offers tango classes to people with Parkinson’s disease and their partners. The initiative has developed a method based on Argentine Tango (AT) technique, enriched with insights and interventions from dance and music therapy. In this workshop, we will briefly introduce the fundamentals of Argentine Tango and present video material illustrating our methodological approach. However, the majority of the workshop will be experiential in nature:
participants will actively engage with the core characteristics of AT and the way these elements are taught.

The following aspects will be addressed:
• the dance is based on the simple walking step,
• the characteristic music,
• the dynamic between leading and following,
• the embrace,
• the shared dance posture,
• mutual attunement,
• the improvisational nature of the dance,
• and its social dimension.

Participants who completed the course reported, among other outcomes: improved posture, a more positive emotional state, greater physical fluidity, increased initiative, and reduced passivity in the person with Parkinson’s. Additionally, the activity was experienced by both partners as enjoyable, stimulating, and positively challenging. During the workshop, we will explore how these core elements may contribute to such effects, through targeted movement and dance exercises that are experienced and reflected upon together.