Dementia Disco – enacting Joy as Resistance
Image credit: Fern Deacon, Stare Society Studio
At Dementia Disco, we are determined to change the way society thinks, acts and talks about dementia. We want to change the narrative around dementia to one which is focused on what is possible post-diagnosis. Which is why we are 100% behind the Creativity and Wellbeing Week theme of “Critical Hope”. Too often, a diagnosis of dementia leads to passivity and a sense that life is now an inevitably grim tale of managed decline; our mission is to use the power of music to encourage people living with dementia to dance every day. By remaining active participants in their lives, people can continue to experience joy and hope while living with a dementia, as well as accessing the well-established physical and mental benefits of exercise and socialising.
As part of our work towards this goal, we have been very lucky to work with some people who are as passionate about the power of music and dance as us: we have partnered with professional dancer Ailsa McPhee and Sport England to create a series of fabulous videos which we hope will inspire people to dance every day. Given that Ailsa’s social media handle is “The Daily Dance“, the partnership was meant to be! Using classic uplifting songs and filming in the most incredible range of locations (Las Vegas, on the beach in Spain, at the car wash in Stockport!) Ailsa has put together easy to follow, simple routines which are guaranteed to put a smile on your face as you follow along. Not only that, she has developed the routines using a series of exercises developed by Manchester University as part of a trial aiming to increase leg strength and reduce fall risk. By dancing every day, people will not only benefit from the dopamine, endorphin and serotonin hits that dancing provides – they will also be getting stronger and able to stay active for longer.
Video credit: Ailsa McPhee, The Daily Dance 365
To showcase Ailsa’s work, we have launched Dementia Disco TV on our website and YouTube channels and will be rolling it out to our care home partners, so that the Daily Dance can become part of the routine for those residents. Our aim is that dancing every day will become part of the routine for everyone living with a dementia. The idea of “critical hope”, as expressed by Paulo Freire, is all about taking a stand against despair – one of our favourite phrases at Dementia Disco is
“joy as an act of resistance”
This is why the theme of Creativity and Wellbeing Week resonates so strongly with us. We see the transformative power of music and dancing at every disco, whether at our regularly monthly discos around the country or at our mobile care home discos. We currently run 8 monthly discos across the country, and we hope to continue launching discos in new locations. In fact, we have another pilot disco taking place during Creativity and Wellbeing Week at the wonderful StockRoom in Stockport Town Centre (5-7pm Friday 22 May). Our monthly discos are free to attend and provide people with a welcoming, inclusive space to enjoy a night out, with music, dancing, good friends and good food. If this sounds like something you’d like to get involved in, please contact us at hello@dementiadisco.org.
