Dance to support the creative potential of the second half of life

Dance that brings grace to aging.
Dancing feels good and is good for us.  A landmark study on creative aging found that participants in professionally conducted cultural programs use less medication, have fewer doctor visits, experience elevated mood, show an increase the in the level of independent functioning, and exhibit an increase in number of activities.

Research has also shown that regular participation in dance reduces the risk factors for dementia by 76%. There is no known medication that is this powerful!

Joyful and creative elders grace our communities.
Dancing brings people together and creates social connections.  As people express their self through dance they strengthen their connections with peers, family, and care givers. Dance connects people across generations and cultures.  Everyone has a dance within them.

For me an excellent dance performance includes the following: the dancers are 100 percent committed to the movement they are doing; they understand why they are doing what they are doing.  And something is being revealed in that moment: something about the dancer or about the subject, about the relationship of the dancers or about the world in which we live.  Something is revealed. – Liz Lerman

Dance and the Seven Dimensions of Wellness
Learn how Creative Dance for Health classes foster the seven dimensions of wellness.

Offerings 

Short term artist residencies
60-90 minute workshops for 8 -16 participants

These classes use the joy of dance to cultivate range of motion, balance, and creative expression.  Participants begin seated in a circle and have the option of doing some dances standing.  Thematic lessons use sequential learning and traditional folkdance to talk about our traditions and invite reminiscence.  Participants are engaged in creatively expressing their own legacy.

Long-term partnerships with host
Older adults benefit most from weekly participation in arts programming over a minimum of six months.  Building on the basic format of dance workshops, the design of this long-term partnership is based on internal needs assessments and includes the creation of evaluative measures.  In partnership we plan for periodic informal showings of participants’ dance.