Baycrest NBS Sharing Dance Seniors at Home


Dance your way through the fall – at home!

Baycrest and Canada’s National Ballet School (NBS), industry leaders in geriatric care and dance training, are offering FREE six-week dance courses for older adults, which can be accessed from your home or wherever you are.

Through its artistry and physicality, dance supports overall physical, emotional and social wellbeing. Regular dancing also helps develop skills and confidence, while enriching your day-to-day life through creative expression.

Classes are taught by professional dance teachers from Canada’s National Ballet School, are accompanied by a live musician, and include a variety of movement options. The six-week pilot will include the release of one dance class about 20 minutes in length, each week, and content will develop physically and artistically from one class to the next. Classes are released weekly and available on demand at your convenience. No dance experience required!

Two course options are available

Courses begin: October 27, 2020
Length of each class: Approx. 20 minutes
Both courses are FREE during this continued pilot phase

Seated Classes: These classes offer a gentle pace and are danced entirely from a seated position.

Register

Seated and Standing Classes: These classes offer both seated and standing options for dancers, and are slightly faster paced than the fully-seated classes.

Register

 

ABOUT BAYCREST NBS SHARING DANCE SENIORS

Dance is for everyone! Developed by Baycrest and Canada’s National Ballet School (NBS), Sharing Dance Seniors is a safe and accessible dance program that engages older adults in meaningful dance activity that benefits physical, cognitive and overall health. Programming is delivered through the following methods:
 
  • For Dancers - Baycrest and Canada’s National Ballet School are pleased to offer free dance courses as an exciting new pilot, which can be accessed from your home or wherever you are. A new term begins October 27, 2020. Register here.
     
  • For Organizations - Baycrest NBS Sharing Dance Seniors delivers dance classes via video stream to communities across Canada. With the goal of providing the highest quality dance programming for seniors, an instructor from NBS will teach a class via video streaming from the studio in Toronto to a range of settings including community centres and retirement homes. Contact sharingdance@nbs-enb.ca for information. 

You don’t have to have any dance experience. As long as you want to move to music, everyone is welcome.

— Dorothy "Dot" Gordon, over 90 years of age

Why Dance for Seniors?

Dance has so many benefits! Physical benefits of dancing in older adulthood may include (Keogh et al., 2009):

  • Improved aerobic power
  • Increased muscle endurance
  • More strength
  • Greater flexibility
  • Improved balance and gait
  • Increased bone-mineral content
  • Muscle power
  • Reduced risks of falls
  • Reduced cardiovascular health risks
Dance may also be emotionally and socially beneficial for older adults by helping to reduce isolation, encouraging a sense of community, and providing a space for creativity and artistic expression.