Mouvement de passage: Creating connections through movement among persons with dementia

Abstract

One of the challenging consequences of dementia is the change in relationships that can co-occur with the progression of this condition. Despite this well-documented change, few arts-based interventions target the relational dimension of dementia. This study aims to explore the effects of one arts-based relational intervention: a movement program designed to foster connections within a group of persons with dementia. We used ethnographic methods—including participant observations and informal interviews—to understand the relational effects of this program conducted by two dancers and a musician. The movement sessions were video recorded, and participant movement trajectories were analyzed for different ways in which they created connections. We identified two types of connections—nonreciprocal and reciprocal—and four subtypes of connections—connection to exercise/music, connection to participant, interpersonal connection, and group connection—that participants engaged in during the movement program. Despite most participants not remembering the previous movement sessions, they experienced increasing numbers of connections over the course of the program, particularly reciprocal interpersonal connections. Participants explored new forms of moving and creatively transformed the movement structures proposed by the dancers. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of this program in augmenting connections and fostering exploration and creativity in individuals with dementia, providing a template for further developments of interventions targeting the relational dimensions of dementia. This study also highlights the potential of combining ethnographic methods and video analysis to include the perspectives of persons with dementia in research.

Interpersonal Physiological Synchrony for Detecting Moments of Connection in Persons With Dementia: A Pilot Study

“…Each exercise was accompanied by live music played by the musician using three instruments (kalimba, carillon, Indigenous drum) to structure the pace of the movements. For further description of the session, the reader is referred to (Motta-Ochoa et al, 2021 ).…”

Dementia and Dance: Medication or Movement?

“…These characteristics support the use of dancing methodologies as a potentially powerful treatment in the management of neurodegenerative disease. Increasing evidence also suggests that dance interventions/ therapy can improve cognitive function, reduce agitation and aggression, and other difficult individual specific dementia-related issues (Motta-Ochoa et al 2021). In addition, dance also provides potentially isolated individuals with the ability to form relationships, to socially interact with others and to improve their quality of life and societal meaningfulness.…”

“…In addition, dance also provides potentially isolated individuals with the ability to form relationships, to socially interact with others and to improve their quality of life and societal meaningfulness. Research has also demonstrated that dance interventions increase the quantity and quality of social interactions and individual connections experienced by participants with dementia (Motta-Ochoa et al 2021). Additionally, dance provides participants with mechanisms to examine new movement patterns providing connections with like-minded individuals and with themselves (Motta-Ochoa et al 2021).…”

“…Research has also demonstrated that dance interventions increase the quantity and quality of social interactions and individual connections experienced by participants with dementia (Motta-Ochoa et al 2021). Additionally, dance provides participants with mechanisms to examine new movement patterns providing connections with like-minded individuals and with themselves (Motta-Ochoa et al 2021). Motta-Ochoa et al, (2021) provide good examples of how dance and movement provide structured conditions for dementia patients to form connections, discover new knowledge, and express their personalities, in a safe and conducive environment.…”

“…Additionally, dance provides participants with mechanisms to examine new movement patterns providing connections with like-minded individuals and with themselves (Motta-Ochoa et al 2021). Motta-Ochoa et al, (2021) provide good examples of how dance and movement provide structured conditions for dementia patients to form connections, discover new knowledge, and express their personalities, in a safe and conducive environment. Many studies have demonstrated that dance provides individuals suffering with dementia a practical mechanism to form relationships using movement as the medium of interaction while obtaining both physiological and psychological benefits from dance participation (Low et al 2016, Ho et al 2018.…”