Connect – Dancing with Neurological Challenges

Connect is a dance project for people living with neurological challenges such as multiple sclerosis (MS) or Parkinson’s. The idea originated with Cathy Marston, the ballet director of Ballett Zürich, whose ballet The Cellist tells the life story of Jacqueline du Pré, who suffered from MS and died at a young age.

In collaboration with several partners, a dance training program for people with neurological challenges was developed. Musicians from the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich accompany selected sessions. Some of these take place at the Kunsthaus, where paintings or sculptures inspire the movements. The training sessions are based on the long-standing expertise of the Dance & Creative Wellness Foundation and are co-designed by members of the independent dance group The Field.

Connect in the 2026/27 season

From autumn 2026, weekly training sessions will once again take place in three groups. They will be led by professional dance practitioners with the relevant expertise.

Over several weeks, the Connect training sessions focus on an exhibition at the Kunsthaus Zürich, a musical programme by the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich or a choreography by Ballett Zürich. In the sessions, participants explore these works from different perspectives under the guidance of the teaching artists. This allows participants to immerse themselves in a musically, artistically and dance-inspired environment.

The experience is enriched by visits to the three institutions. In the 2026/27 season, the focus will be on a programme by the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich featuring works by Dieter Ammann and Sergei Prokofiev, the exhibition ‘Maria Lassnig and Edvard Munch – Malfluss = Lebensfluss’ at the Kunsthaus Zürich, and the ballet ‘Paz de la Jolla’ by Justin Peck.

The weekly dance sessions take place on Friday afternoons in the foyer and Vereinssaal of the Tonhalle Zürich, as well as in the collection galleries of the Kunsthaus Zürich.

Connect takes place on Friday afternoons from October to July. The season is divided into three blocks. When a new course block begins, any available places are allocated in the order of registration.

Further information on the programme and the individual course blocks can be found on the Connect project page of the Opernhaus Zürich.

Further information on the programme and the individual course blocks can be found on the Connect project page of the Opernhaus Zürich.