Sandra Harnisch-Lacey
Belonging
“I have loved connecting with older people through dance and creativity”
‘Belonging’ was an intergenerational dance and health project exploring the experiences of the Covid-19 lockdown. The project ran over four weeks and culminated in an outdoor performance for the residents at Cartref Care Home, Cardiff. Four ladies in their 60s and 70s and three teenagers met on Zoom exploring their personal lockdown stories through somatic improvisation, creative writing and art. The whole project was based on co-creation with the participants leading the trajectory of the discovery.
The project was of real benefit to the mental and physical wellbeing of the participants, connecting generations and providing a platform for the participants to find connection with each other and with their bodies. Contemporary dance, creative writing, and art were encountered as tools for creative self-expression to work through past lockdown experiences. All participants experienced physical and mental wellbeing and strong bonds between the generations were fostered. The teenagers felt encouraged and supported by the older women, who themselves were inspired by the youthful energy and enthusiasm of the girls. The qualitative and quantitative results of this research project indicate strongly that intergenerational dance projects can have wide-reaching positive impacts on well-being, social cohesion and social engagement.
“I made new friends and connections with beautiful people and the high school girls have been an inspiration. I have totally enjoyed their energy and company.”
“This project has been hugely helpful to me. I started this project with a clinical mental health disorder that left me feeling distressed and confused on a daily basis, but as the sessions went on, I felt myself becoming more mindful, centred and peaceful in my everyday life, not just during sessions. The somatic improvisation techniques that I learned in this project where honestly of the best things I had ever experienced. I felt so free and powerful and remembered why I loved dance in the first place.”
