Knightly News

Basal ganglia and cerebral cortex aren’t terms you hear often in dance class. That is unless you’re taking Argentine tango lessons from 1991 Episcopal grad Dr. Madeleine Hackney. Dr. Hackney is a Research Scientist with the Center for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation at the Atlanta VA. She is also an Associate Professor in the Emory University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology. It’s an understatement to say that Dr. Hackney’s career has been successful and inspiring. From professional dancer to movement scientist, she is making a difference in the lives of others.

Flip through the 1991 Episcopal “Accolade,” and you’ll find photos of Dr. Hackney as part of the Dance Company and as a Highstepper. She began dancing at four years old as part of a BREC program. Her love of dance continued to grow as she did, and eventually, she was the only sophomore on the Episcopal Upper School dance team. During her senior year, Dr. Hackney and her classmates presented a student-led dance concert called Implosion. “It was a big production and we were very supported,” she says. The concert was presented in partial fulfillment of Dr. Hackney’s honor thesis about contemporary dance. The student dancers choreographed, organized and even designed t-shirts and hosted a bake sale for the event. They performed at a local arts festival (ISAS) and got the attention of area news outlets. It was a significant success and something she remembers fondly all these years later.

Dr. Hackney chuckles when asked to look back on her time at Episcopal. With such a successful, diverse career, she has been interviewed often, and it’s not every day that she’s asked to think about life in high school. Dr. Hackney attended Episcopal ninth through twelfth grade, and she remembers that time with great appreciation. She says the school’s academic experience set her up for success at her college of choice: New York University Tisch School of Arts. “Episcopal was great,” she says. “I felt very, very prepared. The academic foundation was there from Episcopal. Episcopal set me up for being a good student.”

“I had no intention of being a doctor.”

Dr. Hackney enrolled at NYU to be a dancer. Only two days after graduating from Episcopal, she left for New York and began to pursue her dream. She describes the Tisch experience as phenomenal, and in no time, she was ready to dance professionally. She performed and choreographed around the world. She learned new languages and explored new cultures. “It was a fantastic experience,” she says. However, she eventually tired of touring. She had long been a dance teacher, and she decided to explore more options.

While continuing to pursue dance projects in New York, Dr. Hackney considered becoming a psychologist, dance therapist or physical therapist while completing premedical curriculum at Hunter College, City University of New York, where she found herself learning calculus again. She enrolled in graduate school at 31 years old in the Movement Science program at Washington University School of Medicine in the Program of Physical Therapy.  At Washington University, she earned a Ph.D. in movement science. After long last and what she calls a “crooked arrow kind of journey,” she found her life’s work.

“I enjoy working with people who can’t move,” she says. “That’s where my calling is. I consider myself pretty lucky.” Under the direction of her advisor, Dr. Hackney delved deeper into an abstract suggesting that there are benefits for people with Parkinson’s Disease who participate in Argentine tango. With her advisor, she conducted the first “adapted tango” study that unexpectedly garnered considerable attention, especially since she was only a grad student. The New York Times newspaper highlighted her study in the science section, which had been  published in the Journal of Neurologic Physical Therapy. She gained support from the American Parkinson’s Association and the American Dance Therapy Association. The interest and success continued, and she earned funding from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs on her first request for a career development award. Since then, she has taken on a variety of leadership roles. She has earned funding from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute, has served as a reviewer for the Czech Science Foundation and other international organizations and was the recipient of the Selma Jeanne Cohen Dance Lectureship award through the Fulbright Foundation in 2015.

As a lab director, Dr. Hackney oversees clinical trials and research on the benefits of movement for patients with neurodegenerative disease. In online videos of her classes, she advises student researchers to hold onto their partners like an oak tree struggling to grow. “Partner dancing is just communication,” she says as the students tap their feet and sway. These classes and working directly with older people with challenging conditions are what Dr. Hackney loves most about her job. She includes her staff as dance partners for the older adults they are assisting, and the classes ultimately evolve into a social setting for everyone. Dr. Hackney says classes are fun, super energetic and beneficial. “We have a good time,” she says with enthusiasm.

As a longtime dancer, Dr. Hackney wishes more people would try the art form. “It’s for anybody,” she says with confidence. She points out the universal cultural and health aspects of dance, and she appreciates that the skills gained translate to other areas of life. “You must be disciplined,” she says regarding the hours of time and training that are required to develop art or perfect a dance. For Dr. Hackney, the commitment is worth it. “Life is too short to do something you’re not passionate about,” she says. She hopes current Episcopal students will keep that in mind. “Go where your passions are. If you put passion into something and persevere, you can accomplish so many things,” she says.

While Dr. Hackney’s days are filled with research, science and caring for patients, she still finds time to dance with her family. Her daughter takes ballet, and her son enjoys parkour. When she’s not dancing or reading, Dr. Hackney volunteers with her children’s school PTA. You may even find her assisting at her children’s annual Halloween carnival.

Want to hear more from Dr. Hackney? She will return to Episcopal next week as the guest speaker for the Arts Fête celebration. Tickets are still available for this adults-only event honoring 20 years of creativity in the Visual & Performing Arts Center.

Art Fête

September 15th at 6:30 pm

Catered food, live music by the Captain Green Band and an Episcopal showcase of Select and Children’s Choirs, Dance Ensemble, Drum Corps and visual artists. Tickets are available now! Purchase your tickets here.  

The Episcopal School of Baton Rouge 2024-2025 application is now available! ​For more information on the application process, to schedule a tour, or learn more about the private school, contact us at [email protected] or 225-755-2685.