Guidance Dance for Active and Healthy Aging

Description

As people get older, they move less and less: this can be due to pain, physical difficulties, habits, or even fear.

Dance, more than any other physical activity, improves our brain and nervous system.

It can help older adults move and feel better, improve their mood and wellbeing, and can even prevent brain-related illnesses.

Using guided dance improvisation, we support inclusion and diversity because everyone can join in, regardless of their physical condition, age, experience, or cultural background.

However, many instructors believe that dance is difficult and requires years of training, yet it’s something we all do instinctively.

Dancing is a natural expression in all human beings.

In this course, participants, even without a dance background, will learn to use guided dance improvisation to conduct dance sessions for older adults.

Without learning any steps or choreography, they will help elders take advantage of all the benefits that dance offers.

During the course, participants will understand the importance and benefits of dance/movement for active and healthy aging.

Through practical activities, they will experience how guided dance improvisation works and feels. Participants will learn to design, plan, and adapt dance sessions, which are inclusive and respectful.

By the end of the course, participants will have their own tools to lead safe and enjoyable dance classes.

They will be able to help older adults take advantage of all the benefits that dance offers them, including better physical and mental health, better mood, and greater emotional well-being.

Concept by Ainhoa Sarmiento

Learning outcomes

The course will help participants to:

• Understand the importance and benefits of Dance/Movement for older adults, and its benefits for physical and mental health, including emotional wellbeing;
• Comprehend how dance improvisation, guided through words and imagery, works, and why it is so beneficial, inclusive, and suitable for seniors;
• Learn how to design, plan, adapt, and guide safe and enjoyable dance/movement sessions for older adults;
• Use improvisation techniques with confidence, even without any previous dance experience or knowledge.

Tentative schedule

Day 1 – Introduction to the course

• Introduction to the course, the school, and the external week activities;
• Icebreaker activities;
• Presentations of the participants’ schools.

Active and healthy ageing

• Reflecting on ageing, movement, physical and mental health. Setting expectations.

Day 2 – Why dance?

• Benefits of dance for older adults;
• Improving postural stability, flexibility, and balance;
• Dance and the brain: improving memory and cognition through movement;
• Dance, self-awareness, and wellbeing.

Day 3 – Guided dance improvisation

• The fundamentals of dance improvisation;
• Practical activities to experience dance improvisation;
• Guided imagery to generate creative movement.

Day 4 – Dance and movement activities and games

• Exercises and games to improve mobility, stability, flexibility, and balance;
• Rhythm and coordination;
• Practical activities to improve mental health, self-awareness, and emotional wellbeing.

Day 5 – The structure of a dance session

• Warm up and cool down. The structure and rhythm of the dance session;
• Developing a personal box of tools for dance practice.

Day 6 – Course closure and cultural activities

• Course evaluation: round-up of acquired competencies, feedback, and discussion;
• Awarding of the course Certificate of Attendance;
• Excursion and other external cultural activities.

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