Re: [Organizers] what to do about a dancer with dementia

I always tell people about my one of my favorite dance partners when I was 23 and just starting to dive into contra dancing. He was about 7 decades my elder. Paul Kanaly---one of the sweetest people in the world, a former cross-country champion, and a verrry slow moving dancer. But gosh, what joy to dance almost gingerly with him. I don't really know how we create a culture of inclusiveness at dances (which is my professed ideal). Or in the world, for that matter. And inclusiveness might not be a priority for every dance community. (Certainly isn't a priority the whole world 'round.) But even if you do want your dance to be inclusive, it's tough to actualize those ideals. It feels easy for me to accommodate a small child who's on cloud nine and jumping like a kangaroo. Likewise, a beaming but frail/glacially-mobile elder like Paul Kanaly. Same with a dear friend who is perpetually 2 counts behind the phrase. I have a harder time with recalcitrant students at a school residency. Especially when they wipe their hands on their shirt after touching another child. Or my own child when he's maddeningly ill-mannered. Or, at a dance, someone who seems like they are pushing other people around. Or perhaps treating another dancer as an impediment to their enjoyment of the dancing. Or an apparently capable dancer who seems to be willfully ignoring the caller and the music and the other dancers. Argh! Yeesh. I'm enjoying this thought-provoking thread. Chrissy Fowler From: Organizers <organizers-bounces+ktaadn_me=hotmail.com(a)lists.sharedweight.net> on behalf of Heitzso via Organizers <organizers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> Sent: Tuesday, October 24, 2017 12:42:18 PM To: organizers(a)lists.sharedweight.net Subject: Re: [Organizers] what to do about a dancer with dementia I remember when, in my late 30s, all of us said we'd dance until we died, even if it meant dancing in walkers. Of course we didn't have a clue what that meant. This was back in the '80s when the Atlanta dance was a fairly focused age cohort: vast majority of dancers between 30-45. That age cohort is now in their 60s and 70s. Many have stopped dancing regularly. I both appreciate "community" while at the same time acknowledge age issues which affect dances. A nearby dance, Sautee, has a twice a month Tuesday evening contra dance that's intended as a beginner's dance but, when I've gone, seems more an elder beginner (50 and 60 year old beginners) or elder-elder dance. I believe that is the perfect spin off ... a dance that is slower paced and easier to dance (simpler sequences). I believe this issue (aging in general) is affecting our dances and will just get more prominent and that a pro-active solution is best. Heitzso Organizers Info Page - lists.sharedweight.net lists.sharedweight.net This mailing list is for organizers of traditional contra and square dances. It's a place to discuss any issues and ideas related to organizing and running ... _______________________________________________ Organizers mailing list Organizers(a)lists.sharedweight.net http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/organizers-sharedweight.net Organizers Info Page - lists.sharedweight.net lists.sharedweight.net This mailing list is for organizers of traditional contra and square dances. It's a place to discuss any issues and ideas related to organizing and running ... _______________________________________________ Organizers mailing list Organizers(a)lists.sharedweight.net http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/organizers-sharedweight.net