Tango Therapy Project

The Tango Therapy Project (TTP) was conceived in 2023 with the mission to provide therapeutic benefit, improve quality of life, spark joy, and promote social connection through Argentine tango. We are a group of Philadelphia-based dancers who are inspired by scientific research demonstrating tango’s unique benefits for people with Parkinson’s Disease (PD), as well as individuals with other motor and neurological disorders and mental and physical conditions. We aim to share these benefits more widely by bringing adapted tango programs to people who might not otherwise experience this unique art form.

Why TTP?

TTP was inspired by a Philly- and Austin-based tanguera, Laurie Humphreys, who brought the idea to a small group of Philly tango dancers this past summer. As a tango volunteer with Power for Parkinson’s, Humphreys saw the liberatory potential of adapted tango for people with PD, who experienced relief and happiness in dancing. Parkinson’s Disease—the second most-common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s—impacts 10 million people globally and 90,000 more people each year in the U.S., and it manifests through a spectrum of motor and non-motor symptoms that can be physically, emotionally, and psychologically debilitating. While there is no known cure and medications may help combat symptoms, exercise is recognized as a vital therapeutic tool for people with Parkinson’s. And in studies exploring the efficacy of adapted tango and other exercise regimens, tango has performed as well as and sometimes better than other movement forms.

Why Tango?

Argentine tango is a social partner dance based on hugging another person and walking together. Because its essence is simple, tango is accessible to people of all ages and doesn’t require specialized physical training. Argentine tango is improvised; dancers learn and share a movement vocabulary, but much like life, the dance emerges in the conversation between partners in the moment. As a therapeutic tool, tango is a moderate-intensity activity that offers practice in countless real-life skills, including many that prove challenging for people with Parkinson’s and other conditions: walking forward and backward; movement initiation and cessation; varying speed and rhythm; foot placement and whole body coordination; proprioception and spatiotemporal awareness; navigating among others; memory and adaptability; sustained attention; partner work and synchronization; multi-sensory engagement; leading and following.

TTP for Parkinson’s and More

The United States is a country with an aging population. We are suffering an epidemic of loneliness and isolation that has only grown since the onset of COVID-19. Many of us are deprived of physical contact and we receive cultural messaging that treats the body, the senses, and the arts with suspicion. Too often, we disregard the social determinants of health outcomes in favor of medical intervention and pharmaceuticals. We need creative, cost-effective solutions to supporting quality of life at every stage, but especially as we age, alongside the technological advancements and scientific discoveries that have made our longer lives possible.

Tango offers a safe environment for experiencing physical touch and forming meaningful social connections and community. As a cultural phenomenon that encompasses dance, music, and poetry, tango invites lifelong learning, a connection to the wider world, and neurological engagement scientifically proven to boost happiness and well-being.

Why Give?

Your support now will help us realize our ambitious inaugural year goals. In 2024, we intend to:

DONATIONS directly support training, administration, program development, programming, evaluation, and documentation. Already, we are engaged in research, training, and relationship building with peer organizations locally, nationally, and internationally. Your support now will help us move toward our vision: a world where we embrace and become more whole.

We will share progress updates for each quarter in 2024, and in the meantime we extend gratitude for your support, well wishes, and interest in our work. If you would like to stay apprised of our work, including receiving announcements when registration opens for adapted tango programs, or volunteer trainings, please sign up on our website.

The Tango Therapy Project:

Meredith Klein, Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director (Director, Philadelphia Argentine Tango School)

Carolyn Merritt, Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director (Ph.D. Anthropology, Author of Tango Nuevo)

Rebecca N. Ichord, Board President (MD, Pediatric Neurologist at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia)

Kerry Kay, Board Treasurer (Holistic Health Practitioner and Tango DJ)

Laurie Humphreys, Board Secretary (Tango Volunteer, Power for Parkinson's)

Huaou Yan, Board Member (Attorney, Blank Rome LLP)

Amy Yang, Board Member (Deputy Director of Research, Evaluation and Data, AccessMatters)