The following story was sent to me by email this week, and I have no idea who the author is, but the words and the dancing have helped me to refocus on fighting against the symptoms of dementia. Dancing would definitely be another non pharmacological and positive psychosocial intervention for dementia, although ballet is beyond me! It is worth reading the words before watching the video.

“For those of you  who love to dance~~~this is well worth watching. In a Chinese modern  dance competition on TV one very unique couple won one of the top  prizes.

The lady, in her 30’s,  was a dancer who had trained since she was a little girl. Later in  life, she lost her entire left arm in an accident and fell into a state  of depression for a few years Someone then asked her  to coach a Children’s dancing group. From that point on, she realized  that she could not forget dancing.. She still loved to dance and  wanted to dance again. So, she started to do some  of her old routines, but,  having lost her arm, she had also lost her
balance. It took a  while before she could even make simple turns and spins without  falling.

Then she heard of a man  in his 20s who had lost a leg in an accident. He had also fallen into  the usual denial, depression and anger type of emotional roller  coaster. But, she was determined to find him and persuade him to dance  with her. He had never danced, and to dance with one leg… are you  joking with me? “No way!” But, she didn’t give up, and he reluctantly  agreed thinking, “I have nothing else to do  anyway.”

She started to teach  him dancing.

The two broke up a few  times because he had no concept of using muscle, how to control his  body, and knew none of the basic things about dancing. When she  became frustrated and lost patience with him, he  would walk out.

Eventually, they came  back together and started training seriously. They hired a choreographer  to design routines for them. She would fly high (held by him) with both  arms (a sleeve for an arm) flying in the air. He could bend horizontally  supported by one leg with her leaning on him, etc.

In the competition, as  you will see, they dance beautifully and they legitimately won the  competition” When I watched this I didn’t even realize that she was  missing an arm because I was focusing on the guy with only one leg.  Really quite amazing.

This is very  inspirational, especially if you have never seen  anyone dance or understand  what parts are missing, I wonder what the  innocence of a child will say,  most of us in our prime couldn’t do one tenth of what this dance couple  have accomplished.

So, let’s celebrate what  we  do have and make the  best of it, just like this dance team.

I say, move  more, dance more, sing  more, play more, smile more and have fun with the passion and love this dance team has displayed.  Many  blessings.
Beautiful isn’t  it?

This amazing performance  has a lesson for all of us – to persevere through physical or  other perceived limitations, to reach a goal.”