We established a community advisory board (CAB) composed of local leaders from the Baltimore City community as well as people living with PD. The advisory board provided the academic team with guidance across multiple aspects of the project, including:

• Developing the project name
• Identifying meaningful community outreach locations
• Reviewing IRB materials to ensure clarity and accessibility
• Co-creating a community survey to assess preferences and barriers to participating in a Baltimore City–based dance and music program for people with PD
• Participating in outreach and tabling events across Baltimore City
• Contributed as co-authors on academic posters
• Contributing to class design and recruitment

Advisory Board Members

• Janet Johnson | Retired Maryland Department of Juvenile Services Case Manager; Community Advocate
• Pamela Ouyang | Cardiologist; Professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University; Researcher in cardiovascular health
• Melanie Reese | Executive Director (OWEL); HIV/AIDS Advocate; Community Organizer; Speaker; Citizen Scientist Researcher
• Inez Robb | Community Leader; Civic Engagement and Sustainability Advocate
• Karen Fortune | Patient and Advocate for Parkinson’s Disease
• Tiffany Sanford | Talent Acquisition and Recruitment Professional; Program and Training Specialist
• Mica Saunders | Fitness Professional; Owner of Moxie Movez; Senior Fitness Manager
• Sheila Baldeo | Senior Care Consultant; Director/Owner of Senior Resources; Certified Dementia Practitioner
• Betsy Simon | Founder and President of Healthy Aging Network; Public Health and Aging Advocate

See full bios and pictures of the advisory board members (PDF).

Together with the advisory board, we conducted 16 community tabling events throughout Baltimore. These events provided PD education and resources while also serving as opportunities to administer our community survey to gain insight on preferences and barriers for a Baltimore City-based dance and music-based program for people with PD.

Who Took the Survey

78 community members with a relationship to PD from all four quadrants of Baltimore City completed our survey. Most participants were adults aged 61–80, identified as African American/Black (95%), and knew a family member or friend living with Parkinson’s disease. 97% of respondents expressed interest in attending classes, with a location around Reservoir Hill (21217) emerging as an optimal location based on respondent zipcodes.

Music and Dance Preferences

Community members showed the greatest interest in singing and dancing classes.

• Top music styles for singing: R&B/Soul, Gospel/Spiritual, Blues, Jazz
• Top dance styles: Line dancing, Gospel Aerobics, Chair Dancing
• Top music styles for dance: R&B/Soul, Jazz, and Gospel/Spiritual

Barriers to Participation

Participants shared that transportation, scheduling and mobility issues could make it difficult to attend classes. They suggested transportation vouchers, free meals with social time, and seated movement options to make classes more accessible.

Scheduling Takeaways

A successful BEATs-PD class should:

• Be offered weekly on weekdays between 8am-4pm, ideally between 11am-1:30pm
• Include time for social connection after the class
• Provide transportation support

Guided by survey results and CAB input, we have developed four pilot dance and music–based classes tailored to the needs and preferences of the Baltimore PD community.

Pilot classes are facilitated by Dance & Bmore. Dance and Bmore instructors were supported by Dance for PD® and have received Dance for PD® training. After each class, we planned social time, snacks and educational sessions.

• We will use participant feedback from the pilot phase to refine and expand the program into a sustainable, longitudinal offering.
• We will return to participating communities to share information about the class, our research findings, and to close the loop.
• We will co-develop manuscripts about the project with the advisory board as co authors