2021 Volume 30 Issue 1 Pages 14-24
Various rehabilitation and fall prevention programs are carried out in facilities for the elderly. Among them, dance has attracted attention both as exercise therapy and art therapy. We have been discussing a dance program effective for elderly people who have difficulty dancing in standing position. This study focuses on dance programs in elder care facilities where instructors and participants improvise through creative movement activities, to clarify their characteristics from the perspective of the communication they generate.
Dance programs that include improvisational expression establish intersubjective communication between the instructor and participants in an equal relationship. We expect that preverbal physical involvement in such activities can activate the body and mind, reduce BPSD, and improve the quality of life. One-on-one physical communication facilitates intersubjective communication, and improvisational dance programs provide opportunities for the elderly to reactivate bodily sensations and feelings, and to improve their social skills.
