edna will take you on a journey to explore inclusive dance, movement to music activities with and for older people and families. Along the way we will share stories, skills and knowledge.
The inspiration for edna – energise dance nourish art came from a personal belief that dance, movement to music and art activities can make a difference to health and wellbeing. Edna, Luci’s grandmother, had a real love and passion for the arts, in particular singing and music. Edna developed dementia in her later years and Luci is interested in how dance, movement to music can help people living with long term ill health conditions.
The ethos of edna, values and recognises the benefits that dance and the arts have for health and well-being and wants to continue providing accessible and inclusive dance, movement to music opportunities for all. Through the first edna project, it demonstrated that participation in dance and arts can positively affect health and well-being of older people.
The benefits included significant improvement in:
- Posture
- Mobility
- Balance
- Wellbeing
Well I think it’s helped loosen my body up. One thing I particularly noticed is I’m more conscious of trying to keep my posture properly because we did these exercises where, with the breathing and rolling your shoulders back and keeping yourself upright and breathing better.
Female, age 71
edna’s people
Luci
Luci is a professional member of people dancing and qualified postural stability instructor. Luci first devised the edna project in 2013 and then in 2015 founded the company limited by guarantee, with a not-for-profit strand. As director and dance facilitator of edna, Luci delivers dance, movement to music sessions in the heart of communities in Medway and Kent. Her applied practice includes tailor-made and person-centred approaches, ensuring the sessions are inclusive and accessible for older people and families. Valuing and recognising the benefits dance, movement and arts can have for health and wellbeing, Luci, embeds postural stability exercises within her dance practice.
Wendy
Wendy Daws is an artist and creative practitioner based in Medway, Kent. Wendy thrives on working and collaborating with other people, sharing ideas, exploring hidden stories and making things happen. Sometimes working in educational settings, at other times community events. Wendy is passionate about her work, volunteering for the Kent Association for the Blind Medway Art Group that feeds directly into her creative practice. Wendy believes strongly that disability is not impairment to creativity. Art is for all regardless of age, ability or background.
Tania
Tania is a theatre maker and opera activist, one of the great fat ladies of opera, corpulent with sage advice from the operatic heroines and heroes of the past, and bursting with lines of song. She works with voice and storytelling and a whole heap of music and loves to hear the tales of other people and capture their unique and distinctive dialects. If you are lucky she might let you try on one of her fantastical hats.
Rebecca
Rebecca is a dance artist, arts manager and dance teacher/facilitator based in Medway, Kent. She trained in Dance and Culture at The University of Surrey . In 2010 she founded The Right Step Dance Company, a company that helps others provide and create dance opportunities, and has run every aspect of the company since. Rebecca also delivers cross-curricular dance training for primary school teachers and training for Active Armchairs dance artists, a programme of seated dance for older adults. The programme reaches those that may otherwise be unable to participate in dance across Medway and the surrounding areas of Kent.
@the_right_step, therightstepdc.co.uk