Creative Aging Through Dancing
Developed in 2016 in support of the efforts of the Generations Lab of the Virginia G. Piper Trust and the Arizona Commission on the Arts, this program was designed to support and enrich the lives of adults across the aging spectrum.
Senior dance students from Sunnyslope Senior Center
About the Program
Creative Aging through Dance brings free and low-cost dance classes to communities across the Valley and helps Arizona’s seniors build strength, flexibility, and resilience. This unique residency program can be utilized in senior centers and facilities across the Valley. Taught by Ballet Arizona teaching artists, Creative Aging Through Dance includes movement classes, choreography basics, rehearsals, and a culminating performance.
Flexible by design, this program can be adapted to suit the physical and cognitive levels of diverse communities and partner facilities and we work collaboratively to build a residency that suits each partner’s needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Cost: Free for all participants
- Level: Beginner-friendly, with accommodations and advanced options available
- Attire: Comfortable clothing (no ballet attire required). Ballet shoes, dance sneakers, jazz shoes, or dance socks are recommended.
Why It's Important
From the Arizona Commission on the Arts:
“Creative Aging is a national movement to advance understanding of the vital relationship between creative expression and healthy aging, and a term used to encompass the many types of quality arts programs which support and enrich the lives of adults across the aging spectrum.
Decades of research have found that older adults are healthier and happier when participating in creative aging programs. Among the findings: fewer doctor visits and less medication use for study participants engaged in professionally-conducted arts activities; improved cognitive measures; and self-reported higher morale and less social isolation.
At any stage of life, our sense of well-being is affected by our ability to live with purpose and joy, to deal effectively with life’s changes and challenges, and to sustain positive, meaningful, dynamic relationships, but this becomes particularly acute as we age. Participatory, meaningful arts engagement has a clear and direct impact on these three elements which lead to improved quality of life in older adults.
Our nation is home to a growing older adult population; in Arizona, U.S. Census Bureau data estimates that by the year 2020, more than 1 in 4 people will be over age 60.
This ‘graying’ of America has precipitated dramatic changes in the field of aging, and as a society, we’re shifting our perspective and understanding of later life. Creative Aging utilizes the unique ability of the arts to move away from a deficits approach to aging, that stresses losses, to an assets approach that stresses strengths, potential and achievements.”
Current Residencies
Ballet Arizona Studios – (Phoenix)
- Mondays and Fridays
- October 6th – December 19th
- No Class : October 13th or November 28th
- 9:45am-10:45am
Registration Opens on July 14th.
Child Crisis Arizona (Mesa)
- Wednesdays
- October 1st – December 3rd
- 10:30am-11:30am
Registration Opens on July 14th.
Partner With Us
We work directly with organizations to determine the best course for collaboration. Every partnership is unique and we strive to do our best to meet the needs of senior groups and care communities around the Valley.
Currently, we have limited funding opportunities available for new partners to be able to bring this program to their community. If you would like to bring this program to your center and our funding opportunities have already been exhausted, we will be happy to work with you to try to find a mutually beneficial solution for collaboration.
Please contact us at bazeducation@balletaz.org for more information or to discuss potential partnerships.
2835 E. Washington Street
Phoenix, AZ 85034
Sponsors
Sponsors
Make an Impact
Donors are the heart of our organization. Each instance of support, from donations to volunteering, supports a company of dedicated dancers, dance education and community initiatives all year long. Ready to make a donation?
