By Alissa B Daschbach MA FF EMT
For an introduction to Dance for PD® (Parkinson's disease), please see Dance for Parkinson’s Disease: Evidence-Based Benefits.
One Dance for PD® community in Pune, India came to be because of a remarkable dancer, choreographer, and artistic director Hrishikesh Pawar. Here we feature an interview with Hrishikesh and his story about the power of dance for Parkinson’s disease.
Who is Hrishikesh Pawar?
Hrishikesh Pawar, born in Pune, India in 1983, is the most passionate dancer I know. His love for dance and desire to make this ancient artform accessible to not just those managing PD, but all people, is a wonder to behold. It is my hope that in reading this interview, you too will embrace his love for dance and jump into moving with the same joy and enthusiasm he shares with anyone he meets. It may just change your life.
Hrishikesh’s story
Hrishikesh grew up as a very shy child. He came from a traditional working class family with parents who had dreams of their only son going to a polished English school. (Hrishikesh realized years later that his parents did not understand that native language reflects culture and that culture brings in so much more.)
His parents were able to fulfill their dreams and Hrishikesh went to the school with what he calls “well-educated family boys”. He often felt disoriented in school, because, coming from a very conservative, not-so wealthy household, he could not relate to his classmates who would return from their summer holidays with stories of shopping adventures in exciting places away from home.
These conversations would cause Hrishikesh to climb into a shell because he felt he had nothing to share.
Then he started dancing.
Hrishikesh was a gifted dancer and, as he tells it, he “became a big star where suddenly teachers would know my name”. But, it was not only his teachers. His classmates and young people from other schools would see him and celebrate his gifted dancing. This gave him a sense of belonging.
Going from feeling isolated and shy as a young boy to becoming a celebrated dancer transformed Hrishikesh's life. And, it was all found in dance.
“I always craved to be somewhere. So I think dancing gave me that, and I kept that power in myself, saying, Oh, my God. Imagine what dancing has done for me. It has made me travel. I work with one of the best companies in Berlin. I wake up thinking, it's a great day.”
In 2003, Hrishikesh attended the prestigious Palucca University of Dance in Dresden, Germany where he earned a Masters degree in contemporary dance teaching and choreography. After teaching and performing in Dresden, Hrishikesh moved back to Pune, India where he opened his Centre of Contemporary Dance in 2007 and his own dance company in 2009 (in collaboration with Max Mueller Bhavan of Goethe Institute).
Hrishikesh learned of Dance for PD® after conversations with David Levanthal, the Program Director, through emails and “very, very bad Skype calls”. He had also recently seen Olie Westheimer’s film Why dance for Parkinson’s disease? (2009) - a videography of the impact of dance in PD. After seeing the film, Hrishikesh knew exactly what he wanted in terms of developing an intervention for Parkinson’s disease through dance. He decided to open up his Dance for PD® program in partnership with the Sancheti Clinic (Pune, India) in 2010.
Hrishikesh says now that the Dance for PD® work is at the center of the dance school that he runs with everything around it revolving around the program. He calls it “a space of joy…and a space of validation for me”. It is through this program that Hrishikesh has been told he keeps hope alive.
Interview with Hrishikesh Pawar - Dance for PD instructor
“Movement is a gift. You should share it with everyone.” Hrishikesh Pawar
You are known to be the pioneer of bringing Dance for PD to India. How did that come to be?
When I started the Dance for PD® program, it started at the Sancheti Hospital because I didn't even know what Parkinson’s looked like. For three months, I had to go and I just observed. I wanted to find out, how do these doctors talk to their patients? Who are these neurologists? What kind of physiotherapy is available?
And, we started a pilot program in the hospital for dancing. There had been days when I would just go there, play my music for one hour, and nobody would show up because it's just hard, you know, using public transport. Or, as you said, “why do I go to a dance class when I can't move? Like, why would I do that?”
Then the next week or the following day, they would end up coming (to the class), and then they would ask, “Hey, what happened in the last class?” And I said, “Well, thank you, but none of you came in. And, I was here.”
Also, somebody told me, “We did not think that you would give us your time. You're so young and you will give up on us.” Which I thought was so fascinating, because for them, they said it like a matter of fact. And for me, I was like (holds his heart), I had a rock on my heart. I was like, Oh, my God, how would I do that? How?
I think that's where the bonding became stronger. There was a sense of understanding that I'm going to be there, so I better be there, and we have to dance together. And that negotiated a conversation saying, “He's with us. He's not away from us, or he's not letting go of us”.
What made you decide to move your class out of the hospital setting?
After three months, we moved the class from the hospital to a dance studio because we wanted dancers. We didn't want patients. I just wanted them to have this feeling that they're going to a dance class.
As you age, you are either going to a physiotherapy or you're going to some therapy or you're going to a doctor's consultation. You're not doing any social activities. It's wonderful to have one space where you see young people, you see middle-aged (people), teenagers, you see PD members. You see all of them just going in and out. I love it. I think it’s one of the greatest joys of building communities.
We’ve forgotten to build communities. Because everybody is so busy, everybody is so stressed. Everybody wants to prove their merits. But there is no sense of community. Everybody's trying to be individualistic, even with their emotions, which I find is very scary for a human race, because we were meant to hold each other. We were meant to be with each other. We love the idea of belonging.
What bonds communities of Dance for Parkinson’s is the commitment with each other to work together to move better, feel better, and take care of their bodies. Tell me about the relationships you have built in the Dance for PD community?
I have done it for 15 years of my life as one of my biggest privileges and prides that I have. I wanted dancing to be exciting every day. I feel the Dance for PD® program has given me that.
It has given me an excitement of movements. It has given me the greatest joy of storytelling, and it has given me the biggest hope...for myself.
How can I put it? I think this is beyond a relationship, Alissa. I think there are so many personal bonds. The team (facilitators, interns, and admin) and each of them (the dancers) have a relationship with me. I make sure they do because I really know what's happening in their lives. Not like a snooty aunt. (laughs) But they're very open to me, and I'm very open to them, and there's a sense of support.
With PD members, it's really funny. They’re sometimes my kids, they're sometimes my philosophers, they're sometimes my guides, they're sometimes my inspiration, they're sometimes a support that I need, and vice versa. They think that I'm that support person. They feel that I make them young, but they also make me value aging. They really, really make me value aging because that's also something that dancers forget because we abuse our bodies so much when we are young.
For me, having the PD members, dancing was really that sense of realization and belonging. It gave me that. It still teaches me what honest movements are. It still allows me to say, Hey, don't be this athletic person. Look at how just a hand coming up can make you look beautiful. But there's a way of doing it. There's an honesty because I feel dancers forget... Dancers do forget that sense of honesty in their body because it's all about proving how much they know, especially now.
Tell me about teaching dance in the context of India.
Well, you know Alissa. What’s funny is that when you are doing work, especially in the Indian context, it is, I think, culturally and on the canvas of dancing, India is just very, very different. You know, even culturally, politically, and economically.
Even in India, we do a class that primarily holds everyone together, because we can’t do just one language. You know, there are so many different languages. Whether they are from the South or from the North or whether they are from the East or the West, what festivals that are happening. Because in India, we have a festival every week. I mean, it’s insane.
But, then the question is (okay) who do they believe in. And, then it’s also a generation that believes in the idea of God. So, I wouldn't dismiss that as well.
You have to be respectful towards that. And, mind you, in India it’s also a generation that has never had a rehab. They never have experienced, apart from physiotherapy, they never stepped out, except for medical purposes, unless they are getting operated, or going to visit a hospital, or they are going for physiotherapy, some sort of a therapy in a hospital.
So, this has been very, very exciting.
How do you encourage people to join your class?
You know what happens also, I realized as aging happens, is the very fact that one forgets to prioritize oneself because you're either doing things for your husband, extended families, your kids, your grandkids. So it's everything about the other person. And in India, there's a sense of guilt as well if you take your “me time”.
We've (the dance instructors) encouraged them to get their grandkids at home, or their relatives, to the class, just to make sure that they are attending a class. And it's wonderful that after, let's say, 15 years, you have them walking in with their guests, for example, who are visiting, and they don't want to miss a class for sure. So that's been really exciting, to be honest.
You've probably seen so much growth in the dancers, stepping away from their identity as, “I'm a person with Parkinson's disease” to “I am a dancer”. Is this what you’ve seen?
There is a sense of authority now of accepting the disease. Instead of neglecting the disease, they've become advocates. You don't have to really say anything. They have taken the center stage in saying that, Okay, we understand you guys. This is how we live. This is how we are functioning right now, and this is how wonderfully you can also live. It is not a relative. It is not a doctor, but there's a sense of you not being alone in that community.
What are some of the preconceptions that people walk into the room with about dance when they first start the program?
Most people enter the room believing that dance is about ability, technique, or performance. Many feel they need to already “know how to dance” to belong. Especially in Dance for Parkinson’s, people often arrive thinking, “My body cannot do this anymore,” or “I am not graceful enough.”
There is also a strong fear of being seen—of being judged. People compare themselves to others or to an image of what a dancer should look like. One of the first things I try to dissolve is this idea that dance is about doing something right. For me, dance begins with being present in the body you have today. The moment people realise that there is no correct way to move—only an honest one—something begins to shift.
How do you inspire dance in people who are embarrassed, shy, or not comfortable dancing in front of others?
I never ask people to perform. I invite them to an experience.
We begin with very simple actions—breathing together, small gestures, imagining everyday images like water, wind, or walking through a familiar space. These are movements everyone already knows. When the focus shifts from how I look to what I feel, embarrassment slowly melts away.
I also share the space with them—not as someone demonstrating perfection, but as someone moving, listening, sometimes even struggling. When people see that vulnerability is allowed, they feel safer. Slowly, the room becomes less about individuals and more about a shared rhythm. And once people start moving together, confidence arrives naturally.
How have you helped your students move more freely when they are hesitant to dance?
Freedom does not come from pushing the body—it comes from trusting it. I do believe, 'Movement grows through permission, not pressure'.
I work gradually. We start small, often seated, often with very gentle movements. I encourage students to notice sensations rather than results. I remind them that hesitation is not a problem; it is information.
Over time, through repetition, music, and imagination, the body begins to remember its own intelligence. I don’t correct movements to make it look better—I guide attention so the movement feels easier. That is when movements become free. When participants feel respected and supported, hesitation transforms into curiosity, and movement becomes more fluid and expressive.
What is a Dance for PD class like?
A Dance for PD® class is not therapy—it is a celebration of movement.
We work with rhythm, music, imagery, and stories. Yes, there is structure, and yes, it supports balance, coordination, and mobility—but these outcomes are not the focus. Joy is.
There is laughter, conversation, moments of quiet concentration, and moments of shared energy. People are not treated as patients; they are dancers. The class becomes a space where Parkinson’s does not define the person. For many participants, this hour is not about managing a condition—it is about feeling alive, expressive, and connected.
What changes have you seen in your students over time?
The changes are subtle, yet profound.
Physically, I see more confidence in walking, standing, and initiating movement. Emotionally, I see people arriving with brighter faces, more openness, and a willingness to be seen. Socially, friendships form—people who once felt isolated begin to feel part of a community.
Perhaps the most beautiful change is in how people relate to their bodies. Many arrive with frustration or disappointment. Over time, that relationship softens. The body is no longer an enemy—it becomes a companion again. When that shift happens, dance stops being an activity and becomes a way of reclaiming dignity, joy, and agency.
Any last thoughts?
(Teaching dance for Parkinson's) is really the sentiment of everything I do, everything that I have learned, experienced, felt, or wanted, really. I think the Dance for PD® program has just made me a very secure and a very satisfied artist. I mean it with all my heart.
Bios
About Hrishikesh:
Pawar is considered by his peers to be one of the most important voices in Indian contemporary dance. His portfolio boasts numerous feature films and theater pieces as a performer and choreographer. Pawar has also been awarded the prestigious McArthur Fellowship (2015-16), the Young Berlin Fellowship (2024) for performing Arts (Akademie der Kunst), and the Bowen Award for Inclusive Choreography* (2024-25), among many other awards and honors.
For the Bowen Award, Pune is creating “Rhythms of Resilience” - a celebration of the power of movement and music in fostering resilience and well-being among those living with Parkinson’s. Rhythms of Resilience will be shown as both a live performance and documentary.
About Alissa:
I began dancing when I was three, shadowing my older sister, a beautiful ballerina. But, I was not drawn to classical ballet. I preferred straight lines, and power - flying to the music. I stopped when I turned 13. Twenty years later, after the loss of my younger sister to leukemia, I returned to both school and dance, to celebrate life and all its gifts. This is when science and movement shaped my life. I grew as a dancer, sculptor, and scientist, all of which inspired a performance project titled Living Movement. When the pandemic hit, my plans changed (like so many others) and I stepped away from dance. I turned to writing and eventually found deeply meaningful work as a science writer. However, there was something missing: dance. Then I met Hrishikesh, whose contagious joy inspired me to return. I now plan to complete my long-held performance work and teach inclusive dance in my community.
Recommended reading:
Dance for Parkinson’s Disease: Evidence-Based Benefits
Gut-Brain Health and Probiotics for Parkinsons
PS128 Probiotic & Parkinson’s - How Does it Work?
