Magic Moments

Shortly after our Non Traditional Keep Dancing Tea Dance on the 24th July 2020, had finished, we received this lovely photo of Lynda and her Mother in law, Mrs James. Lynda one our of super keen dancers, who has danced twice a week with us online throughout lockdown invited her mother in law to join in and watch. Lynda cast the tea dance live via zoom onto her television so that Mrs James could enjoy the event on the big screen.

Lynda also sent this lovely photo and captioned it as ‘Mom as a flapper in her 80th birthday picture frame!!

Lynda went on to explain that Mrs James is now 89 and although she can’t dance (barely walks) she still loves that era, all the music and her attention was held for the whole hour – a rare occurrence! After the tea dance Lynda repeated our much loved Xpress-Yourself cool down “Catch a falling Star”, facing Mrs James music on her Google Home.

Xpress-Yourself, before the UK went into lockdown were regularly working in care homes across the West Midlands dancing with older, frailer adults and sharing this magic moments of gentle movement and reminiscing about dancing days gone by. Music can bring back memories for us all and its our best resource we have in our tool kit.

Music helps because it provides a rhythm and rhyme and sometimes alliteration which helps to unlock that information with cues. It is the structure of the song that helps us to remember it, as well as the melody and the images the words provoke.

Why does music evoke memories?
Tiffany Jenkins
October 2014

Whilst the tea dance may been virtual, it was still the very occasion to get out the best tea set and sit and enjoy eating cake together. Magic.

Looking forward to continuing dancing with you, either online or in the hall as possible. I think you’re doing an amazing job.

Lynda James
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