Community impacts
The visits are a chance to escape loneliness and isolation for residents who face mounting difficulty participating in regular activities in their care environment.
During the dance visits, the artists and care staff see relief from anxiety, increased memory recall, moments of lucidity, breaks from repetitive behaviours, improved emotional regulation, more open body language and frequent bursts of laughter among the residents.
A McGill University study found that repeated visits helped individuals with neurocognitive disorders increase their capacity to communicate and form meaningful non-verbal interpersonal connections with their peers through movement.
Dance visits can enrich the relationship between residents and care staff, fostering a more creative and vibrant care environment for everyone. After a visit, everyday activities—like mealtimes, bathing or taking medication—take on a new tone.
Residents’ friends and family members who are present for dance visits often draw inspiration from Mouvement de passage’s non-verbal approach, exploring new and different ways to connect with loved ones living with cognitive decline.
The artists who participate in the dance visits also benefit from these intergenerational encounters. Working with seniors enriches their dance and music practices, allowing them to bring what they learn back to their communities.
care staff testimonials
*
care staff testimonials *
How can you even put it into words? It’s like a concentrated dose of love, delivered straight to the residents. Each artist takes the time to get closer and observe before finding a way to approach the resident, even with people who might appear unreachable. I’ve seen residents who seemed completely disconnected from the world burst out laughing, clap their hands, do a few dance steps and even sing. It’s like the invisible walls around them fall away for a moment. It’s an experience unlike anything else that goes straight to the heart and leaves the residents smiling long after the artists have gone. Thank you for these moments of genuine humanity. It’s initiatives like this that—one smile at a time—truly make the world a better place.
Sébastien
Recreation Technician at CHSLD Pierre-Joseph-Triest
I’ve been a resident attendant for 18 years and I think Mouvement de passage is the most moving activity I’ve seen! There should be something like this everywhere! It resonates in the body—the residents’ and mine. One of the residents was in tears because she found it so beautiful!
Josée
Resident Attendant at CHSLD Val-des-Brises
I was amazed the first time I saw the work of Mouvement de passage. I was really happy to see that every encounter was personalized to the resident. At a recent visit, one of the artists spent 20 minutes with a woman. The woman was dancing in her chair. It was wonderful. It was really moving.
Joël
Recreologist at CHLSD La Pinière
-
Click HERE to learn more about our visits to CHSLDs: our approach, how the visits work and our team’s expertise.
-
Click HERE to learn more about our partnership with McGill University to study how dance and music empower individuals living with neurocognitive disorders to meaningfully connect with the people in their lives.
-
Click HERE to read stories and reflections on our practice from our project’s artists.
