BACKGROUND: Patients with Parkinson's Disease (PD) undergo motor injuries, which 
decrease their quality of life (QL). Dance, added to drug therapy, can help 
treating these patients AIMS: To conduct a systematic review with meta-analysis 
with the aim to analyze the effects of dance classes in comparison to other 
interventions or to the absence of intervention, in randomized clinical trials 
(RCTs), on functional mobility, motor symptoms and QL of PD patients METHODS: 
The search was conducted in MEDLINE, LILACS, SciELO, Cochrane and PsycINFO (last 
searched in August 2017). RCTs analyzing dance effects in comparison to other 
physical training types or to no intervention, on functional mobility, motor 
symptoms and QL of PD patients were selected. The outcomes assessed were motor 
symptoms with Unified PD Rating Scale III (UPDRSIII), functional mobility with 
Timed Up and Go Test (TUG), endurance with 6 min walking test (6MWT), freezing 
of gait with Freezing of Gait Questionnaire (FOG_Q), walking velocity with 
GAITRite and QL with PD Questionnaire (PDQ39). Two reviewers independently 
extracted methodological quality and studies data. Results are presented as 
weighted mean differences.
RESULTS: Five RCTs were included, totaling 159 patients. Dance promoted 
significant improvements on UPDRSIII, and a decrease in TUG time when compared 
to other types of exercise. In comparison to the absence of intervention, dance 
practice also showed significant improvements in motor scores.
CONCLUSION: Dance can improve motor parameters of the disease and patients' 
functional mobility.