WE stretched and shimmied, shrugged and stomped. Arms fluttered to soft floaty classical musical notes and then punched the air in time with a strident African tribal beat.
And as the last strains faded of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s haunting Memory (made famous by Barbra Streisand and the musical Cats), a few blinked away tears.
The Senior had just been part of a weekly class run by not-for-profit group Dance Health Alliance (DHA) at one of the Sunshine Coast’s newest and most innovative aged care communities.
What makes these classes special is that they are done entirely seated and are choreographed particularly to restore a balance between body and mind for participants with dementia.
“The main aim is to get people moving, to stimulate them physically and mentally,” said the alliance’s Australian co-founder Gwen Korebrits.
“It is scientifically proven that the combinations that dance brings, through the physical, mental, and social exercise, benefits the grey matter, increasing the volume of the parahippocampal gyrus, a region of the brain that plays an important role in memory encoding and retrieval.
“It seems the combination of all the challenges physically, mentally and socially keeps participants engaged longer in the activity of dance compared to physio or gym sessions."
Gwen has run classes in NSW for several years. The alliance extended to Western Australia this year as well as the Sunshine Coast, the only region in state to pick up the program so far.
Class facilitator Leigh Leiman, a long-time ballet teacher and fitness instructor, runs community classes at Peregian Beach Community House and Noosa Leisure Centre.
As the IRT Woodlands group assembled – some in wheelchairs, most leaning on wheelie-walkers – their eagerness was almost palpable.
Leigh put their enthusiasm down to an abiding principle: “We encourage class members to leave the disease or mobility issue at the door and take a moment for themselves.”
Ian Muir, 69, who lives near the care facility, joined the group on advice that it could support his health issues, including Parkinson’s disease.
“I was told the music and movement help balance and co-ordination, and it does seem to. I was never a dancer but this is most enjoyable, not onerous at all,” Ian said.
When all were seated in a circle, Leigh began with small, slow movements to music – shrugs, sways and stretches. Feet tapped and hands clapped. As bodies warmed and the music picked up, actions became more emphatic and faster-paced for those able.
“There is no right or wrong in Dance Health Alliance classes. We focus on the pure joy of movement and how it feels,” Leigh said.
As the music continued and bodies moved to the rhythm, following Leigh's lead, faces brightened, becoming more animated.
When the soundtrack came to You are My Sunshine, the group, as one, sang in unison, smiling and swaying.
Shortly after, the last track of the hour-long session faded out. IRT Woodlands resident Cecily Rainger’s eyes glistened.
“My movement is hampered nowadays by my left leg after a fall. I never imagined moving to music again. I always danced,” Cecily said,
“This has made my day and reminded me of very happy times in the past: how I would hold onto the door frame, as a teenager, and lean way back, imagining being in the arms of a tall, handsome partner as he dipped me towards the floor.
“And that last track, Memory, that reminds me of my mother.”
Leigh was moved by the reaction: “I've always taught dance and fitness but to teach this is so rewarding to see sparks of passion and memories.”
