On Friday 4th October we welcomed 40 residents from four local care homes (Park View Care Home, Warwick, Royal Leamington Spa Nursing Home, Gainsborough Hall Care Home and Sycamores Care Home in Leamington Spa) into our studio in Leamington Spa for a Tea Dance. The event brought together the residents to experience the joy of movement and music in a welcoming environment and aimed to enrich their lives through high quality cultural activity and social connection.
Residents enjoyed an interactive dance/movement workshop with our Creative Learning Dance Artist, Camilla Lloyd and 3 other Motionhouse Dance Artists, also supported by members of the wider Motionhouse team and our Head of Creative Learning. By engaging the residents in gentle, fun dance exercises, Camilla aimed to get them to connect with each other, maintain their motor skills, improve their mobility and coordination, and for them to have an enjoyable and engaging experience. Camilla chose music that reminded the residents of their younger years, and they enjoyed singing along to some of the songs. Everyone had a fantastic time joining in the dancing, and the care home staff were able to join in and dance as well.
After the movement workshop, two of our professional Motionhouse dancers performed one of our breathtaking duets, Lost, to entertain and inspire the residents and care home staff. The response to the performance was extremely appreciative and we had incredible feedback from both the residents and staff.
Everyone at the Tea Dance then enjoyed tea, cake and conversation, creating opportunities to connect and reflect on the shared experience. It was a lovely afternoon, bringing together Motionhouse staff, care home staff and care home residents. The residents had the opportunity to meet people from other care homes and also to talk to the professional dancers and other members of the Motionhouse team, who all benefited in turn from connecting with older members of their community, creating a feeling of togetherness and reducing feelings of loneliness and isolation.
Many of the residents and care home staff shared on the day how much they enjoyed the Tea Dance and afterwards we received emails and cards from care home staff thanking us for the afternoon.
Thanks to the Baron Davenport’s Charity for their support for this project.