Dance and Movement Sessions for Older People

Delia Silvester first trained as a ballet dancer and then as a PE instructor. She worked for the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) and the British Nursing Association, and over a period of twelve years, through outreach work in care homes, developed a series of movements-to-music and dances specifically designed to address the mobility and memory limitations of older people. Delia ran workshops for activities organisers on behalf of the National Association of Providers of Activities for Older People (NAPA) in south-west England. In 2004, she founded Dance Doctors, a dance company that performed in care settings, teaching both residents and staff. Susan Frampton has worked in the magazine and book publishing industries for over thirty years as a publisher and editor.

Introduction. Part I: The Benefits. 1. Why Movement is Important for Older People. 2. Moving in Old Age: How It Helps. Part II: The Dance Session. 3. Preparing Yourself. 4. Preparing Your Venue. 5. Thinking About Equipment. 6. Preparing For Your Participants. 7. Planning and Running a Session. 8. Choosing and Using Music. 9. Choosing Dances. 10. A Note About Wheelchair Dancing. Part III: The Dances. 11. Warm-Up. 12. My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean (bath-time). 13. Dashing away with the Smoothing Iron (laundry). 14. Greek Greeting Dance. 15. Create Your Own Circle Dance. 16. Morris Dance with Sticks. 17. Morris Dance with Hankies. 18. Oats and Beans and Barley Grow. 19. Amazing Grace. 20. Step Softly on the Earth. 21. Morning Has Broken. 22. Can Can. 23. Charleston. 24. Pearly Shells (Hawaiian). 25. Oriental Eye Movements. 26. Haul Away Joe. 27. Shenandoah. 28. What Shall We Do with the Drunken Sailor? 29. Hand Jive. 30. Line Dancing. 31. The Waltz. 32. Free/Creative Dance. About the Author. Appendix I: Calendar for Themed Sessions. Appendix II: Organisations. Bibliography. Index.