Elders

 

Senior citizens across the globe have found ways to move their bodies with exuberance and joy and establish meaningful contact with others despite whatever physical or mental limitations they might bring to the practice. For those suffering with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, for example, the language of the body remains a vital tool of expression and communication long after words and logic have begun to decline or disappear. The simplest gesture can express a lifetime of experience, aiding in the often daunting task of integration that all of us face as we approach our elder years. Dance—even the wave of an arm or the wiggle of a finger—communicates the intangible feelings that have no verbal equivalent, a powerfully affirming process of self-expression and completion. Watch some of these young-at-heart people exploring the 5Rhythms practice: