Everyone enjoys the vibrance, colour and movement of dance. It can serve different purposes for different communities:

Cultural connection for Middle Eastern residents

There’s growing recognition of the importance of culturally-appropriate activities for elders from non-English-speaking backgrounds - especially if cognitive decline or dementia is present.

Aged care residents from Greece, Turkey, Lebanon, Egypt and surrounding areas are transfixed and transformed when they see a bellydance performance, with carefully chosen music that transports them to their youth. There’s a strong nostalgia factor: you’ll see them happily swooning and swaying, singing along, dancing with eyes and hands and even getting up if they can. It’s magic!

Visits to individual rooms are also possible if you have some residents who aren't able to come to the common room, but would especially appreciate it.

Cultural insight for Anglophone residents

For cognitively competent English-speaking residents, we can offer a tour of Egypt (and beyond) in music, dance and costume!

Rachel uses her expertise in the diverse folkloric dances of the region, to prepare a cultural tour that begins in Nubia and travels up the Nile, to Alexandria and back to Cairo. At each stop, she shows and tells a little about the culture: music, costuming and customs. Where possible, audience members can join in: for instance, learning some of the moves of the southern Egyptian “fighting dance” with a stick, or clapping out rhythms. For people of any age who aren’t connected to this culture, it’s fascinating, and these insights allow audiences to appreciate the dance and music more deeply. It’s engaging, colourful and eye-opening.

Depending on your group, the presentation can be anywhere from 30 mins to 1 hour.