Dance has been proven to provide the three elements essential to health and well-being in mature adults: it engages the body, it stimulates the brain, and it actively encourages socialisation. So could dance be a way to delay the aging process? Glen Murray from MADE (Mature Artists Dance Experience), a Tasmanian contemporary dance theatre ensemble of mature adults, and Beverley Giles, an expert in the care of people affected by dementia, examine the connections between being on your toes and being ahead of the ageing game.
Beverley Giles
Beverley Giles is an independent care consultant and educator specialising in the art and skill of caring for people affected by dementia. She has acted as a Senior Consultant on the National Dementia Learning Project for Community Care, facilitated focus groups nationally.
Glen Murray
Glen Murray has a long and impressive resume in the world of ballet. He has performed with Sydney Dance Company and West Australian Ballet Company where he was privately coached by former Prima Ballerina Lucette Aldous. Glen performed soloist roles in both the classical and contemporary repertoire of the Australian Ballet from 1982-84, and began his professional dance career in Jonathan Taylor’s Australian Dance Theatre 1979-81.
In 2005 Glen founded MADE (Mature Artists Dance Experience Inc), Tasmania’s unique contemporary dance theatre performance ensemble of mature adults. MADE presented Princess for the Theatre Royal in November 2010 and a string of other performances for events such as Senior’s Week, Under the Radar at the Brisbane festival and Junction Arts Festival.
Further reading:
Want to learn a little more before Glen and Beverley’s presentation? Glen has suggested you head to The National Center for Creative Ageing, based in Washington, USA. Their website has lots of resources and recommendations for reading. Beverley has suggested you look into the work of the following practitioners:
Dr Cameron Camp, author of Montessori Activities for People with Dementia
Dr Bill Thomas, author of The Eden Alternative
Sally Garret co-author of ELTOS
Dr John Zeisel founder of the Hearthstone Way
Nettie Harper Executive Director of Hearthstone Manhattan
Carrie McGee Educator, Museum of Modern Art New York
Pam Schweitzer, founder of Age Exchange and creator of Reminiscence Theatre
John Ratey, author of Spark
