Valentine's Day marks an exciting new partnership between Rambert Dance Company and Chelsea and Westminster Health Charity, inspired by Rambert’s newest piece of repertoire “Labyrinth of Love”. The partnership will begin with an interactive dance workshop for patients and visitors, facilitated by Rambert’s animateurs. The programme will also include a fortnight-long poetry residency project and a 10 week dance workshop programme for patients and out-patients aged 50+. The dance sessions aim to offer inspirational experiences through engagement with contemporary dance.
It is argued that creative activities such as dance can help patients connect with their experiences at a very personal level and contribute to the promotion of a sense of wellbeing. As a way of communicating non-verbally, dance can be seen as an antidote to the tough treatments the patients receive and as a way to temporarily forget feelings and emotions which are inextricably linked with illness. In addition, Rambert’s Learning and Participation team have been developing a strand of work in hospitals and care environments which has seen the animateurs delivering dance sessions to Parkinson, dementia, stroke and amputee patients, noting the inspiring impact that dance can have on patients. With dance providing so many physical and mental benefits, the potential seems endless for the rehabilitating effect of dance, even if only temporary.
Much research has been done in the area of the health related benefits of dance. For example, Murcia et al. 2010 - 'Shall we dance? An exploration of the perceived benefits of dancing on well-being' saw 61% of patients reported chronic pain lessened, 24% had improved self-esteem, 70% reported improved quality of life and 71% of patients found their balance improved (leading to decreased falls). For arthritis, Noreau et al. 1995 - 'Effects of a modified dance-based exercise on cardiorespiratory fitness, psychological state and health status of persons with rheumatoid arthritis' found patients' walking speed increased by 13%, there was reduced pain on the the Arthritic Impact Measurement Scale from 4.37 to 3.47 and significant decreases in depression on the Profile of Mood State from 14.2 to 8.8.