HARTFORD, Conn. — One weekly senior dance class in Hartford is stepping up the meaning of dance therapy. It's part of a science research project studying how dance can strengthen memory and mobility.
"Put dancing and cognitive training together. It's not just the dance," said Kun Liu, PhD with Yale School of Medicine.
Liu is part of the research team behind the project by the Brain Peace Science Foundation.
"In the first three months, we start to see the results. And right now, we're in six months," said Brain Peace Science Foundation President Freddy Ramirez, who also leads the dance class.
Ramirez said he always liked music and dancing. The songs, rhythms and movements, especially with the Latin music he favors, put him in a festive mood. Over the years, Ramirez said he discovered that the music also has an effect on elderly people dealing with the onset of Alzheimer’s or mobility issues.
After Ramirez started noticing how the music would get seniors active and moving, he started doing some research with groups in New Haven. At regular intervals throughout the research, the team interviewed participants and collected data from tests such as having seniors identify colors or checking on their balance. The results were hopeful.
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"I had a cane for balance because I was falling. Now, I'm not using a cane. It's the music that makes the difference. If I'm at home and I feel unbalanced or whatever, I just put on some music, and the music goes through your brain, and you're in balance," said dance class participant Katherine Ahmed.
Call it the magic of music, but there is a method to the movement.
"Every movement, we know, is bringing a message to the brain," said Ramirez.
"We will improve their processing speed, improve their attention, then there's more music movement. They need to remember the movement, and then we can work on their working memory," said Liu.
Ramirez pointed to the progress seen in an 88-year-old participant who suffers from Alzheimer's.
"She comes to the class, she doesn't move. Immediately after hearing the music, she gets up and starts to dance," said Ramirez.
There's also the more significant message Ramirez sends as he leads the class.
"We want the class to have fun. I want the people to get excited. I want the people to dance, to feel beautiful," said Ramirez.
Ramirez teaches the Dance Therapy class at the South End Wellness Senior Center, one of two senior centers that Catholic Charities operates for the city of Hartford. The classes are Tuesday and Friday afternoons in the Maple Avenue facility, with 20 seniors participating in the study and being assessed along the way.
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Angelo Bavaro is an anchor and reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at abavaro@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook and X.
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