Dance Therapy 101!
Written by Julie Taylor
Dance Therapy 101...
Dance might just be the best way of all to keep fit, socialize, practice your attention and memory - and just get caught up in the music and raise the spirit! Music touches the very Joyful spirit or soul as well as the Physical, Emotional and Cognitive needs of rebuilding. (It's worth remembering though that Joy will be experienced only if dancing is something that you love! It won’t work if you hate it?!…)
Physical steps and exercise are a part of every dance and most dances are a great way to keep fit – mentally and physically. Something really helpful – magical even - happens for me when I dance or sing… I can’t technically ‘remember’ the steps to a dance or the words to a song and if I try to remember them, I can’t… But when I hear the music, some other kind of memory – maybe it’s muscle memory?! – takes over and I can ‘remember’. Which feels amazing and empowering and just wonderful! I hate coming up against all the things ‘I can’t do’ each day (and most days I see to it that I don’t). I try not to talk about any disabilities but to suddenly be ‘able’ to do all this is beyond words marvelous. (For years I was waiting until I could remember before I joined a choir or a class… Which, for me, didn’t work - I still wouldn't be dancing.)
Dance Lessons 101: The Ultimate Couples Dancing Instruction Video for Beginners (Shawn Trautman's Dance Collection) - the best and simplest dance instruction DVD out there - perfect to have in a care-home. ReBuildingYou depends on your support to grow - BUY HERE - the prices are exactly the same, Amazon is a completely safe and trustworthy website and you’ll be supporting RBY at the same time. Thank you! Click on the images or on the blue words to see more...
Emotional fulfillment comes from the sense of belonging and meeting other people. Isolation can be a nasty enemy for those Rebuilding, especially from an emotional or brain injury. We have to get used to being a ‘new’ person even though the ‘old’ person is still very much alive inside… In fact we get to love both the new and the old person we are...
Cognitive healing comes from having to learn a whole new language in the name of the steps. In salsa rueda and bachata rueda, which is danced with partners in a circle formation where the dancers respond to a ‘caller’, Spanish is usually used – so in addition to having to learn dance terms, you need to learn some Spanish! For me, these 'ruedas' are the best classes as I don’t have to remember a dance in advance. In any case, it’s very good attention and memory practice - remembering a sequence of steps and instructions - hence I am still in a beginner class almost 3 years later!
As with so much of the information on this site, access to a computer would be a good way to find out exactly what’s available to you in your town and to learn a bit more about it. You will even find some dance instruction on the web – complete with music - so you can learn the steps before you go!
Learn to Salsa Dance DVD - There's nothing quite like going to an actual live class... But to help you learn the steps (and it may well take you a little longer) and to practice, this DVD is great (soon we'll have our own!) ReBuildingYou depends on your support to grow - BUY HERE - the prices are exactly the same and you'll be supporting your RBY at the same time. Click on the images or on the blue words to see more...
The first examples of dance classes that pop into your head are probably ballroom dancing, including the waltz, foxtrot, quickstep, cha-cha and mambo. These are seriously under-rated and very good fun. Tango is often a separate class and has become very popular - I find that one tougher to do. There is also salsa – a fun, sexy and fast form of Latin dance and the slower, sister dance of Bachata. These dances are quite demanding but are very good exercise and quite exhausting. Men really enjoy these lessons! It may be necessary to work up to salsa and bachata first by walking and then going to beginner level aerobics and Pilates, as these dances can be quite energetic. This is exactly what I did and I love every minute!
Tap dancing is popular, along with ballet - which is available for adults in most communities. At a beginner level this dance is quite slow and the music soothing – your muscles will begin to tone up in no time.
East Indian dance is one of the 'new' dances available - there are traditional dances for most countries – Greek, Scottish, line-dancing, country... I understand that physical fitness is not such an issue with these older dances as in most societies – and in our society too when these dances were created – people of every age and level of fitness danced. I haven’t actually tried many of them myself yet – as I do I will report back to you. I can't wait to do my homework!
Belly dancing is also available in most communities but this is mostly for women. Having said that I have seen a couple of amateur male dancers! This is great exercise at all levels and it’s unlikely you would feel like a fish out of water while you were learning as it’s very much at your individual pace... Pole dancing is also popular now!
I’m sure there are lots of other dances available and when I am at a place where I can free myself from my tether to the computer I will explore and report back! Over the next few weeks I will take some photos of myself trying out various dances and I will put them here for all to see!
I look forward to ‘having’ to ‘research’ this! Meanwhile if any of you have found a dance which is particularly suitable for us, please tell me about it. I would love to hear from you!
Learn to Salsa Dance DVD - There's nothing quite like going to an actual live class... But to help you learn the steps (and it may well take you longer than some people) and to practice, this DVD is great (soon we'll have our own!) ReBuildingYou depends on your support to grow - BUY HERE - the prices are exactly the same and you'll be supporting your RBY at the same time. Click on the images or on the blue words to see more...