Commun ty Matters Parsons Presbyterian Manor
The 7 benefits of dancing at any age By Deborah Quilter
Pier I juts out over the Hudson River on Manhattan’s Upper West Side with mesmerizing views of the NewYork City skyline or New Jersey. As the waning sun hovered above the horizon, 16 older women waited for their Thursday dance class to begin. They didn’t seem to mind that the humidity felt like a sticky second shirt or that there was little breeze in the air. Sitting in the middle of that circle was Naomi Goldberg Haas, the 57-yearold founder of Dances for a Variable Population (DVP), a program that offers free classes to older adults in the NewYork City area. Assistant, teaching artist Rebecca Teicheira, explained the rules: Have fun and don’t do anything beyond your limits. Then Haas hit the play button on Simon & Garfunkel’s 1966 classic 59th
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November 2018
Kayla Schmidt takes on new role A familiar face in her role as a PRN (RN when needed), Kayla Schmidt is now in a new position at Parsons Presbyterian Manor. “I was a nurse on the floor, and have been in nursing for 12 years, but I’ve always been interested in taking on more of a leadership role,” said Kayla. “When the opportunity came available to be the Health Services Director, I was thrilled to get it.”
Kayla Schmidt takes over as health services director.
Kayla’s role will still involve hands-on resident care but will now have more staff coordination responsibilities. She’ll also still fill different shifts and staffing holes as needed, so she won’t miss out on personal time with residents. “I’m looking forward to learning new things and helping the whole building run smoothly,” said Kayla.
Credit: Courtesy of Naomi Goldberg Haas
As a matter of fact, running smoothly is something that comes naturally to Kayla, as when she’s not at work you can find her running half marathons or spending time with family. Congratulations to Kayla on her new position!
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Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy) and the students enthusiastically followed Haas through a seated warm-up where they lifted their legs, twisted their torsos and circled and snaked their arms, alternately reaching for the sky and swooping to the ground.
Haas then passed the baton to Teicheira, who seamlessly picked up leading the group. Participants also were invited to invent their own movements and lead the group themselves. Eventually everybody stood, split into two groups and had a Sharks-and-Jets style dance-off where they tried to outdo each other.
In conversations after class, Haas and her students shared seven of the benefits of dancing:
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Community Matters is published monthly for residents and friends of Parsons Presbyterian Manor by Presbyterian Manors of
501(c)(3) organization. Learn more at PresbyterianManors.org. Maegen Pegues, executive director Sloan Dwyer, marketing director To submit or suggest articles for this publication, contact sdwyer@pmma.org. Telephone: 620-421-1450 Fax: 620-421-1897 Address: 3501 Dirr Ave., Parsons, KS 67357-2220 Our mission: We provide quality senior services guided by Christian values. ParsonsPresbyterianManor.org
1. ‘You recognize the difference it makes’ Haas explained her philosophy of teaching dance: “There’s so much we can learn from dancing with each other. Also, by dance-making with each other, we gain an appreciation of our own body and beauty.”
Some students come for the exercise benefits. “Once you pass a certain age, you realize you have to be in a physical program,” Haas observed. “You recognize the difference it makes. On a larger social level, the lack of movement is killing us.” 2. ‘Touch is life-giving’ While dance has health benefits for the body and mind, Haas emphasized that her goal is to inspire participants to move creatively and feel empowered by that movement.
DVP classes also incorporate some partner work where people might briefly hold hands as they circle around each other on the floor. “Touch with someone else is life-giving,” Haas explained.
At the end of class, the dancers divided themselves into groups of four. Each participant would lead a few times, then pass the torch to the next person, so everyone got a chance to create a movement and follow their partners. Haas gazed on with affection as one group of students performed. “Beautiful,” she murmured.
3.You Can Rediscover Dance Students who had previously studied dance might find the class more doable than a class they would find in a traditional studio. DVP’s emphasis is on what you can do, not insisting that people attempt choreography that would be beyond their limits. Karen Beja, a 59-year-old school psychologist, began dancing with the
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group about three years ago. “I did a lot of dance as a young adult and I stopped in my late 30s and I miss it,” she explained. “Naomi has given me back movement.” 4. The ability to improvise and memorize for a better brain
In many dance traditions, there is no improvisation, but more than one student noted how good the improvisational sections were for their minds. Indeed, science is discovering many benefits of dancing; having to remember the steps and combinations helps maintain mental muscles. “In traditional dance, there’s not so much improvisation,” said Beja. “That was newer to me. Improv is really good for my brain. It’s fun.”
5.You get a chance to diversify your social circle Beja also enjoys the diversity in the class. People come from different age groups, races, socio-economic backgrounds and they have different abilities.
“Maybe it’s because it’s not a heady or verbal group,” she said, “but it’s more about movement uniting everyone.” That kind of mixture sometimes doesn’t happen in life.
Another plus of this diversity, according to Beja, is that in the classes, she observes people who are much older than she is. The older dancers set a positive example. 6. Making connections with people and the environment A few students found that the class helps them form new friendships. Beja took part in a performance at Grant’s Tomb and noticed how much closer many class participants became as a result. “People were very connected,” she said.
And the outside class environment offers an additional boost. “It’s wonderful to be outdoors,” said Beja. “You feel part of the city.” Naturally occurring props in different
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Sloan’s Spot
All the gratitude
When we go day-to-day with our daily routines, we often get caught up in the routine of the day. At times, we don’t always realize the numerous things in a day we should have full gratitude towards.
I had a life-altering event happen at the end of August that made me Sloan Dwyer look at the world completely different. I feel more blessed, thankful, grateful and I have a heart full of gratitude because I welcomed my first baby into the world. That will make you have nothing but a full heart. Also, it gave me a completely new attitude and appreciation for this lovely ol’ world we all live in.
For this and so much more, I am grateful.
However, I am trying to be better at being thankful for the small things every day. Even as small and annoying as being able to go to work every day. The smallest thing of living five With the holiday season approaching it makes us all feel minutes from my parents. Even as big as being able to bring a thankful and appreciative of our family members and precious baby boy into the world. I have never felt more friends. I know that it definitely just gives you that warm, cozy feeling. The holiday season allows us to make it easy to gratitude about this new adventure my partner and I get to feel a full heart of gratitude. Which makes sense. I know that take on every day. Try your best to take every day with a full heart of gratitude, I always feel it more than normal with Turkey Day and I promise it will give you a new outlook on life. Christmas.
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venues can also become part of the dance, including barricades which are used as ballet barres, she added. 7. There are other physical benefits of dance
Helga Busemann, a 70-plus former social worker who had been in physical therapy for her osteoporosis, felt that the dance class was more beneficial. “I like the enthusiasm,” she said. “In Naomi’s class, I get a full hour – and social support.”
Busemann once worked in a hospital setting and recalled seeing older patients who lived in sixth-floor walk-up
apartments. “People came to rehab because they couldn’t handle the stairs – and they couldn’t handle their lives, either,” she said, adding that she realized, “it could be me.”
As many people age, a “fear of falling and fear of breaking arises,” Busemann noted. “When people break their hips, some people come back, and some people don’t. I don’t want to fall. [In the class], Naomi does a lot of balancing.” For Busemann, exercise and movement are a must. “It’s like brushing your teeth. You have to do it. I need the exercise. I need the extra push of a class,” she said.
Demonstrating their skills Once a year, students show what they’ve learned in class to friends and passers-by during a public performance. This can be a very special experience for the dancers.
Alice Ellerbeck, a 62-year-old psychotherapist, was part of a performance in the iconic Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village. “That was really exciting,” she recalled. Approximately 10 of her friends and family members came to watch. “Anyone can dance. Everyone should dance,” Ellerbeck said.
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PARSONS PRESBYTERIAN MANOR 3
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Presbyterian Manor 3501 Dirr Ave. Parsons, KS 67357-2220
Memory Screening Event Friday, Nov. 30 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Parsons Presbyterian Manor 3501 Dirr Ave. Call 620-421-1450 for information or to schedule your appointment.
Art is Ageless
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calendar signing event
One need not travel far to meet famous artists. Join us on November 15 from 11a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the chapel for an Art is Ageless calendar signing event! Our featured artists will be: • Dorothy Jefferies • Janice Miller • Juanita Shepard • Lyn Kirk • Ewleen Good Since 1980, Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America has been proving that Art is Ageless by hosting local art exhibits and competitions for residents and area artists. Both amateurs and professionals are encouraged to participate. Judges from the local community judge works based on composition, mastery of technique and overall creativity. Winners from the local competition advance to the “Masterpiece” level. All finalists are judged against each other by two to three judges to determine the “Best in Show” for both amateur and professional categories. Finally, the judges are asked to select 30 amateur pieces and 15 professional pieces that will be featured in the annual Art is Ageless calendar. Come and meet these famous local artists and get your own copy of the calendar signed! 4 COMMUNITY MATTERS NOVEMBER 2018