Ballerina quit stage to study therapy for MS

A PROFESSIONAL ballerina gave up her career to research how dance benefits patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), with the findings hailed as “ground-breaking” by experts.

Emily Davis, 27, worked with the world-renowned Philadelphia Ballet company for six years while also studying for a biology degree at the University of Pennsylvania.

She moved to Scotland in 2021 to start a PhD in dance health, and forged a partnership with Glasgow Caledonian University and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS).

While working in America, Ms Davis was a volunteer researcher in neurorehabilitation at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and she chose to focus on MS in Scotland, which has one of the highest incidence rates of the disease in the world.

More than 15,000 people in Scotland have the neurological illness which can affect the brain and spinal cord.

Ms Davis’ PhD study includes Dance for Multiple Sclerosis – A Systematic Review, which was hailed the sixth most read research paper in the International Journal of MS Care in 2023.

She worked with Professor Lorna Paul, a rehabilitation expert in allied health science at Glasgow Caledonian University, and RCS senior lecturer and doctoral degrees coordinator Dr Bethany Whiteside to demonstrate the feasibility and safety of dance therapy.

Ms Davis also noted improved psychological wellbeing, sense of belonging and enriched social relationships.

“When I looked at dance for other neurological conditions, I found that there were only 13 studies on dance for MS, and we are aware of really only a handful of dance programmes around the world,” she said.

“We know that movement, especially rhythmic movement like dance, can be really beneficial for movement disorders like Parkinson’s disease. Scottish Ballet is at the forefront of dance for MS in the UK and globally, so it’s been the best place to start.

“My research is looking at their SB Elevate classes here in Glasgow, where the programme first began development in 2018, and then looks at their more recently implemented SB Elevate classes further north in Perth and Orkney to find out what benefits the dancers with MS are experiencing.

“I’m also looking at how these classes are being implemented, recognising a city is very different from an island community.”