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Kairos is an
inter-generational dance troupe whose community based program, The
Dancing Heart, invites everyone to start moving, whatever their age.
“Our oldest person was 70,” says Maria Genné, founder and artistic
director of Kairos, “and that wasn’t nearly old enough.” She realized
there was a large group of frail, elderly adults more or less forgotten
by our community and decided to do something about it.
“We all want people to live independently, just not separately,” says
Maria. “Our community is aging and elders need to interact with others
in a way that matters.”
That’s why The Dancing Heart is so effective and has received
national acclaim for its work with seniors. Maria and her troupe take
the program to nursing homes and adult day programs throughout the
region and participants are responding in ways they didn’t think
possible — people in wheelchairs want to stand up, folks are smiling and
interacting with each other, and more people are coming to meals and
other social activities. Nearly half of the participants with mid- to
late-stage Alzheimer’s showed improvement on cognitive tests after eight
months of participation.
While the concept was somewhat untested, The Jay and Rose Phillips
Family Foundation saw the potential of this innovative and unique
program, and provided backing early on. Now, research shows that
movement and creative activity enhance mental and physical vitality
later in life.
According to Maria, movement comes from our life experiences and is
inspired by our stories. “Your body and brain are connected and movement
helps with memory,” she says. “Everyone can dance, everyone has a story
and everyone has a gift to share. If you can lift your finger, just
wait!”
Kairos Dance
Theatre is an intergenerational dance company located in Minnesota,
whose mission is to share the joy of dance and unleash its power to
nurture and heal. |
