Before the pandemic hit, I had the privilege of putting together and performing a ballet showcase at Terence Cardinal Cooke Nursing Home (TCC). As a board member and dancer in two ballet groups, Columbia Ballet Collaborative and Columbia Repertory Ballet, I was able to bring the very talented Columbia dancers to perform a special program for the TCC residents and faculty, combining my love of ballet with my passion for helping patients and residents.
During my time as a volunteer at TCC, I had limited skills that could help the residents physically or medically, but I found that one of the best ways I could help a resident was through simple acts of empathy by listening and trading stories and spreading joy by participating in their recreational therapy. The residents get wonderful types of recreational therapy, such as horticulture and art, but I noticed that they rarely get high quality performance art, nor do the residents have the ability to go out and take advantage of the shows that the great city of New York has to offer. Eventually, this RCSS project was borne out of a discussion I had with my Long Term Companion at TCC, who, when I told her I was a ballerina, clasped her hands together and murmured how much she would love to see me perform. Her wish, of course, led me to planning the showcase, and also started making me ponder the positive and therapeutic effects of performance art. The residents rarely get to experience the magic of live dance, and I knew that a ballet showcase could be a rare treat that would bring great joy to the residents for the day.
We performed on February 28th to a crowd of excited residents and faculty. As the residents filed in for the show, the dancers and I were still doing some last minute runs of our dances, but some already started applauding us and as when ran through short sections. Once the show finally started, the residents were such a great and interactive audience. One resident, who clearly had a vast knowledge of the music, would ask for composer information so he could better appreciate the music. Another resident seemed to really enjoy learning about the stories behind the ballet excerpts that we performed. They applauded with gusto after every piece, even throwing the occasional “bravo” or “beautiful”. As the residents were wheeled out after the show ended, many of them continued expressing thanks and enjoyment of the show. One resident kept calling out “Beautiful! Incredible!”, while another stopped to tell as many dancers as she could how much she enjoyed the show.
Performance art, particularly live dance, is an underutilized form of recreational therapy, mostly because of the difficulty of getting special flooring and getting many talented dancers to make room in their schedules for another show. However, when it is possible to bring dance to a nursing home, the magic of the performance can be so uplifting, something that I could see in the residents’ smiles, applause, and sweet comments.
Furthermore, the showcase certainly brought great joy to the residents, but what I did not expect was that performing for the residents brought as much or maybe even greater joy to the dancers. Most of them have never volunteered at a long term care facility or had the opportunity to connect with senior residents. Nevertheless they generously donated their time for this showcase and came away discussing how heartwarming it was to see the adorable reactions of the residents and sharing the art that we all love.
Since the showcase was such a success, I was hoping to bring another show to TCC again, especially since my long-term companion was not able to see the show. Hopefully after the pandemic has subsided, and it is safe to visit again, I can bring ballet back and fulfill her wish. Until then, my heart goes out to the residents of TCC, who I hope are still finding moments of joy in their day during this difficult time.
