Merseyside Dance Initiative Social Prescribing

8/20/2019 Merseyside Dance Initiative Social Prescribing

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Established in 1993, MDI is the North West’s leading development agency for dance. We workcollaboratively with local, national and international artists / partners to advance the productionand presentation of dance that has artistic integrity, is transformational in its impacts, diverse inits audiences, and engages people creatively.

MDI launched “Move on Up’ our Health and Well being strategy in 2012 and we have recentlyupdate it with dance for older people as a key focus. We aim to get people interested in danceand keep them dancing for as long as they want to, no matter what age, ability of mobility.

We know that participating in dance can:• Improve physical fitness

• Help with weight management

• Build confidence and self esteem• Improve core strength and flexibility

• Improve cardio vascular health

• Improve / increase social interaction

• Improve general wellbeing• Lessen feelings of loneliness

Move on Up, and MDI’s community dance work is based around the Five Ways to Wellbeing, aframework developed by nef (The New Economics Foundation) to help people’s understandingof how to improve both the length and quality of their lives. This framework can relate to dancein the following ways:

Connect - with others, at home, at work, in your community. Dancing together encourages youto learn about others in your group and appreciate difference. Dancing together once a week

may be the only time some people share human contact. Connecting with people is easier witha common interest in dance.

Be active - an active lifestyle not only keeps our bodies healthy, but makes us feel good aswell. Taking part in a dance class, workshop or performance at any level will keep you active.Being an active and engaged audience member will help develop the dance community.

Take notice – Watch and appreciate other people dancing on the street, in the church hall, onthe stage. Notice the beauty and skill in what they are sharing with you.

Keep learning - trying something new can help keep our minds and our lives active. Learning anew dance style, a new technique or a new way of working together are all valuable learningexperiences that can broaden our knowledge and appreciation of the world we live in. See lotsof different types of dance and learn what you like best.

Give - giving to others makes us feel better. Share you dance skills and knowledge with othersthrough a performance or sharing of work and ideas. Through training and developing danceartists and volunteers we aim to provide new and valuable dance experiences to as many

people as possible.


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Currently MDI offer the following opportunities for older adults that could belinked to a social prescribing project:

50 Moves Contemporary dance and performance companyA well established weekly class (performing is not compulsory). Participants learn a range ofcontemporary dance techniques, develop performances for community events locally and haveopportunities to work with visiting choreographers. Last year they performed at Sadlers Wells,

the leading dance venue in London at Elixir, a national festival celebrating dance for olderpeople.

‘I get up in the morning, I’m 73, I get up with all the aches and pain that we have at ourage, I get up, I come here, the music starts and I’m young again.’ 50 moves Participantand Company Member 2014

Dance and Movement for People living with dementia and their carers

Bi weekly class currently run in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Society which encouragingsocial interaction, support for carers, creative movement and gentle exercise.

‘I look after my wife who's been diagnosed with fronto-temporal dementia or FTD. Thiscondition affects her ability to use and comprehend language; to remember where thingsare; to recognise the things she's looking for; and to perform sequentialoperations. When any of these disabilities are mentioned in her presence, she becomesangry and suffers loss of self-esteem and self-confidence. At such times she tends toshun company and avoid social interactions.

We have participated in Dance and Movement for about 12 months and it has helped in

the following ways:

Although normally she cant manages sequential operations e.g. making a sandwich, inDancing she can remember and perform dance and movement routines: success with


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sequential operations.

Normally XXX can't understand, and therefore follow requests or instructions (e.g. 'Canyou put the milk on the table please') but in dancing ! XXX CAN follow the instructionsbecause the verbal instructions are accompanied by physical demonstrations. Again,success where there is usually failure.

And all these successes are in public - for other people to see. She is participating in a joint enterprise with other people with dementia and without, on equal terms. And they'refun. Absolutely marvellous for her sense of well-being, self-confidence and self-esteem.

Also, because of the format of these sessions with time for a cuppa and a chat beforeand after the activity, there has always been the opportunity to meet and get to knowsome really lovely people and to make new friends where there is tendency unfortunatelyfor old friends to disappear.

XXX often complains about various aches and pains and not feeling right in one way oranother. This can be worrying as she can often get very anxious and can't really explain

what's wrong or how serious it is. Often though, I can remind her we've got !

dancingcoming up and the complaint evaporates. This avoids me having to take her to the doctoron occasions when it wasn't really necessary. Alternatively, the fact of the activities beingthere helps to reduce anxiety and depression - and not just for XXX!’ Participant andCarer Dance and Movement for people living with Dementia 2014


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Dance for Parkinson’s with English National BalletWe run three ‘terms’ per year usually lasting 10 weeks. Participants come with friends, familymembers, carers or alone to learn ballet and vocal exercises that encourage appreciation of thedance form and can help to encourage freer movement and lessening of symptoms

‘It’s so nice to be able to do stuff with confidence without worring about shaking or beinga bit slow, it’s so different to going to Physio or therapy, as valuable as they are, it feels

“normal”.’ Participant Dance for Parkinson’s 2015.

Chair based movement with the African Elders groupThese bi-weekly social gatherings include an hour’s chair based exercise to music class

encouraging increased physical movement and exercises to try at home in order to combat asedentary lifestyle. Participants are encouraged to stand and move freely if they wish.

‘We’re moving parts of the body we don’t use anymore and bringing back movements weused to da ! We meet peole we haven’t seen for a long time as the Youruba Centre isnot around now. It gets me out of the house, it cheers me up! Today I was thinking aboutmy problems then I got a call saying “don’t forget we’re dancing today” I always lookforward to coming here.’ Participant African Elders Chair Based Dance 2015.


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BREATHE at Alder Hey HospitalThis project is for children with severe asthma and is run in partnership with the respiratory teamat the hospital and open to their outpatients. The project runs two or three times a year in‘courses’ of six to eight weeks. Children attend with parents / carers who gather socially in anadjacent room while the children learn dance techniques and breathing methods that can helpthem manage their symptoms.

“Maxine’s really helped me understand my breathing a bit more, she’s really healped mecope with asthma.’ Participant BREATHE at Alder Hey 2014

BREATHE was initially a Liverpool PCT funded project and successfully ran projects for adultswith asthma, COPD and Chronic Pain through partners including: Aintree Hospital, The NorthLiverpool Breathe Easy Groups and Sahir House.

'From a professional perspective I am inspired by [Maxine's] ability to connect withpeople and enable them to exercise and become energised, yet relaxed and feel goodabout themselves, leaving the group with a feeling of connectivity and warmth. [Maxine's]sessions have certainly helped to promote the cohesiveness of the group. I havewitnessed people with chronic pain exercise freely in a very safe and positive

environment and in a way that was such fun.From a personal perspective I suffer from COPD and have had a recent progression ofthe condition. I have benefitted from the sessions by focusing on how I breathe, I felt myposture had improved after the session, I felt very relaxed and had a great sleep thatnight!' Robert Downes HIV Team Leader Clinical Nurse Specialist HIV (Community)

MDI is seeking to develop the BREATHE project with local partners including Aintree Hospitaland the Royal Liverpool Hospital.

We are also interested in identifying research partners who could support our work in building

an evidence base to demonstrate the value and benefit of these projects on participants andtheir families.


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You can find published research and evaluations of dance work in this field on the followingsites:

• The Baring Foundation - Arts and Older People:http://www.baringfoundation.org.uk/publications-by-topic/#Arts

• English National Ballet / Roehampton University – Dance for Parkinson’s -http://www.ballet.org.uk/learning/dance-parkinsons/research/

• nef - The New Economics Foundation, Five Ways to Wellbeing -

http://www.neweconomics.org/projects/entry/five-ways-to-well-being • Arts and Dementia: http://www.arts4dementia.org.uk

You can also find information on all the above projects plus films and evaluation reports on theMDI website: www.mdi.org.uk Go to ‘Take Part / Dance and Health

Contact: Rachel Rogers, Project Development Manager, MDI, 24 Hope Street, Liverpool, L19BX, Tel:0151 708 8810 email: [email protected] www.mdi.org.uk @MDIStudio24

Merseyside Dance Initiative Social Prescribing

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