Big Circle With Social Workers and Students
23 Feb 2012 Leave a Comment
in life long learning, The Dancing Heart™
Kairos Dancing Heart staff (Maria, Carla, Peter, and intern Leonardo) were recently invited to co-facilitate at The Group Work Institute’s 2012 Spring Workshop at St. Catherine University’s lovely Coeur de Catherine Ballroom.
In a circle of 72 people including professors, social workers and social work students, we introduced interactive elements that we use in Dancing Heart™ sessions. We shook hands and made eye contact with all 72 people in the circle. We created a safe space in the circle by modeling movement to music and assured people that any way they chose to move would be okay. We breathed slowly together, then added deep slow movements to music. We worked with familiar music in ways that helped ensure group members were able to experience mastery in their movements. We worked toward the flow-state concept of Mihály Csíkszentmihályi. We wove in patterns of play as described by the National Institute for Play.
We were pleased to discover that the workshop participants seemed to recognize much of their own work in what we do daily in nursing homes, adult day programs and assisted living settings.
One social worker commented, “This shows we can get to ‘affect’ in a large group just like that (finger snap)!”
Another observed, “some of the best communication is nonverbal.”
By the time the workshop ended we were all in three concentric circles dancing and singing “Oh How Lovely Is the Evening” as a three-part round.
The group had indeed achieved high affect and bonding.
~ Peter ~
Tap Is Back
20 Feb 2012 Leave a Comment
One of the tools we’ve found delightfully useful in our Dancing Heart™ bag of tricks is adaptive tap dancing. People are surprisingly enthusiastic about strapping on the elastic, Velcro and steel button tapping straps we’ve developed and tapping out a rhythm on the hardwood sounding boards. It’s as though people’s lower extremities are grateful for the rhythmic expression that soon fills the room after folks get the hang of it.
Circulation to the feet and lower legs is often an issue for people, especially when walkers, wheelchairs, or just sedentary habits become part of the picture. Initial curiosity about the tapping soon turns into a contagious chorus of percussion which persists for surprisingly long periods of time. Simple but effective, many Dancing Heart participants have been surprised, delighted and energized by this Kairos tool of the trade.
What Makes Your Heart Dance today’s edition
15 Feb 2012 Leave a Comment
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22 years ago I attended “The Great Waltz,” an annual event put on by a classical radio station in San Francisco. My childhood friend Tracy had invited me I think to introduce me to her co-worker Margaret. The event featured a live orchestra and people were encouraged to dress in formal wear or period costumes. It being San Francisco there were many men with beards dressed in ball gowns. As Margaret and I were waltzing, couple near us slipped and fell. I felt so bad for them that I faked a fall to help them feel less awkward. Margaret thought it was funny and she went down as well. The next year Margaret and I were married. All these years later nothing makes my heart dance more than being locked in a waltz and looking into her sweet blue eyes as the world spins around us.
We are loving the responses we’ve received and would love to know yours?
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What Makes Your Heart Dance?
14 Feb 2012 Leave a Comment
Today I sent an email asking people the question “what makes your heart dance”? I included this photo and story about a gentleman who worked for months to be able to stand and dance with his wife.
I promised we’d post the responses on our blog and here is our first batch.
Smiling faces even with wheelchair dancing, especially when you are almost 100. And a certain 103 yr old was on the dance floor all night going strong at our dance last Friday having a great time. – Babs
What makes my heart dance is being a Kairos Dancing Heart volunteer. Seeing the participants so full of enthusiasm and excitement when we walk in – they are so eager to join in the fun of dance and storytelling. We see the laughter in their eyes and we share the love in our hearts. I’ve been away from the Dancing Heart for a while recovering from surgery and I have missed all the wonderful people – participants, staff, volunteers – connected with Kairos Dance Theatre. I hope to be back with the Dancing Heart program soon and feel my heart dance again!! – Faith
I’d say – knowing that I get to spend time with my adult children, they’re the most important thing to me! Also getting to stay in touch with my dad who lives in California and has moderate dementia, I cherish those phone calls where he still knows me and can give me encouraging words like he always has. – Laurie
Please join our ever growing list and share your comments! We’ll keep the Valentine’s love flowing this week.
Eros –Alive and Well
06 Feb 2012 Leave a Comment
It is Tuesday afternoon and I am preparing for our Dancing Heart™ session at Heritage Commons. As I rummage through our scarf and boa bag—I remember rummaging through my mother’s closet and jewelry box, looking for the shimmering bracelet, or a colorful scarf or even a wig. I smile; getting excited to “play”. At our sessions we always begin with what we call the creative spark, it could be special song, dance, and theme—usually kinesthetic, to get the energy moving.
The moment I arrive I pull out the boas, and wrap it around the necks of Char, Debra and June. I play “Fever” by Peggy Lee. Char takes the lead and teaches us a sensuous hand dance, we imagine we are taking a white glove slowly off. Debra shimmies to “everybody got the fever…” and June stands and erupts into a playful hip shake, hugging herself… “fever when you hold me tight”.
As the song ends, we look at each other and laugh in delight, pink and yellow feathers are scattered on the floor–it looks like a late night party.
I look around at this group of wise, playful elders and know that Eros is alive and well in all of us.
Carla
Pay Attention. Love Everyone!
03 Feb 2012 Leave a Comment
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Dancing Heart™ at Wilder’s Adult Day Program was honored by royalty today. In observance of St. Paul’s Winter Carnival traditions the wonderful caring staff at the Wilder program is crowning a queen and a king every day of the week this week. Today was Dancing Heart day so we were honored to be part of the coronation and celebration. Upon receiving the crown King Darian was asked for a few words of wisdom. He skipped nary a beat while proclaiming “Pay Attention!” and the crowd went wild.
Part of the ensuing celebration involved the enactment of a lovely dark purple water dragon in view of this being the Chinese year of the Water Dragon. The Water Dragon suggests that the king’s reign will be characterized by the Power of Flow. Next the Queen was to be chosen, not an easy task among such a gathering of wise and lovely ladies-in-waiting. When the crown finally settled on Astrid’s head the crowd went wild again. When asked for her words of wisdom the queen spoke with such a sense of truth and beauty that it seems certain her words will reverberate beyond this place and beyond this day,
“Love Everyone”!
The Arts Define Who We Are
01 Feb 2012 Leave a Comment
We’re very fortunate because we have Congressman Ellison who clearly understands the value of the arts. Read this article from Minnpost.com for all the details.
Every day we see the impact the arts has on our senior population. Today two of our teaching artists returned from a Dancing Heart™ session with a group of Russian immigrants completely exhausted and exhilarated by the experience. The participants couldn’t get enough of the music, of dancing together, of laughing and sharing. Cris, our violinist, was moved when one woman shared how hearing the violin touches her heart.
After experiencing a session like that how can one not want everyone to have similar experiences?
How have the arts touched your life today?
Wade In the Water–Joan’s Last Dance
27 Jan 2012 Leave a Comment
in In Memory, Intergenerational, Legacy, Performance
I have known Joan Calof for over 10 years. We are both storytellers. Joan joined Kairos Dance Theatre two years ago at the age of 81-spunky, talented and full of “chutzpah”. Joan had a wonderful gift of creating Jazz like poetry mixed with her life experiences– experiences that sometimes had a wild Bohemian edge to it. Joan brought her sexy, sensuous, jazz persona into the dance company. She was playful and flirtatious and over the two years we danced together– I watched her heart open in the arms of the “Kairos Family.”
Joan entered hospice four months ago. Several Kairos dancers came to her bedside one evening. There was one dance that Joan loved–”Wade in the Water”. It seemed a perfect dance for her transition into the next world. Maria, Peter, Jesse, Georgiana and I created a tight circle around Joan’s bed, we pushed the CD player, and each of us with Joan so, so thin under her thick covers, looking heavenly– began to dance, together, synchronized, our arms moving lyrically, as water. The room filled with presence. We breathed, we cried and we danced. What a perfect last dance.
We will miss you Joan.
Carla
Romeo
23 Jan 2012 Leave a Comment
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Romeo has been coming to Dancing Heart sessions for three years and has exhibited a knack for sharing love with humans of all ages and abilities. Sometimes Romeo would be just the right bribe needed to get a particularly stoic gentleman to join our dance circle. However, Romeo was unable to go to all of our sites because he was not a certified therapy dog. But that is no longer the case.
We’re happy to announce that Romeo has graduated and been certified as an official therapy dog. This will allow him to participate in Dancing Heart sessions at the V.A. Adult Day Program where I’m sure he will be very popular!
Upon graduation Romeo received a bright red kerchief reading “Paws a while for Love” which he wears with pride.
Thanks to trainer Lynne Silvis at The Canine Coach.
Stone of Hope…I Do Believe
12 Jan 2012 1 Comment
Dancing Heart participants have been thinking over the words of Dr. Martin Luther King this week and offering some thoughts of their own. One man got a hitch in his voice singing “We Shall Overcome” after recounting how his own father, a banker, lost everything in 1929 and wasn’t able to earn a dime to support his family for three years. A woman recounted trying to make ends meet as a single mom with five kids in the early 60′s.
Words of wisdom poured out: ”Love God, love one another, ACT that way”, “Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional”, “Do what you can with what you have.”
People from all walks of life shared movement, music, and emotion as we shared the widespread human experience of finding the stone of hope in a mountain of despair.
