06/20/2016
FIRST SESSION OF TAKE THE LEAD NEARING CONCLUSION
By Steve Steiner
[email protected]
(Editor’s note: This is the next installment in an ongoing series about Take the Lead, a program for people with dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and other cognitive impairments, yet who are still able to live at home; it is a partnership between Patchwork Memory Bridges Inc., and Care to Dance. The latter is a ballroom dance organization that visits assisted living facilities and Take the Lead is an extension of Care to Dance.)
First things first. Before anything else, on Tuesday, June 7, Dr. Fran Morris of Patchwork Memory Bridges, made sure everyone had a headset before she began playing music. As she had in previous weeks when neurobic exercises were the focus of Take the Lead, she opened up her session with music and a gentle fragrance; again, stimulating the brain.
Reactions differed as the music played. Morris herself was practically bouncing in her chair. She waved her wrists and hands. Others were seen tapping their feet, while others just remained still.
“Well, is there anybody who hasn't heard that song,” Morris asked. The song was “Let's Twist Again” and was popularized by Chubby Checker.
With that, Morris segued into what the participants did during summertime in their youth. Jim Spence, who is dealing with vascular dementia, recalled that he and his brother worked. They lived in Maryland growing up. But the work wasn't wearisome.
“We had fun. We had a sailboat,” said Jim Spence.
Wayne Wiswedel also worked summers. He grew up in Michigan.
For Rainey Burke, now 93, who grew up in Chicago and lived near Lake Michigan, she recalled visiting museums and other venues.
When they again donned headsets, Rainey smiled as she listened to the music. Afterwards, Morris directed a question her way.
“Rainey, you liked the music. Why?” Morris asked.
“I like to dance,” she said, adding she would dance to any music. “Let's play it again.” The music is by the Beach Boys. Another memory gets recalled. “Church. We'd go in a group to a public dance hall. We all supported the other churches that held dances.”
Wayne Wiswedel said he didn't dance when younger and pointed to his wife.
“I have a witness,” he said, laughing.
Juanita Spence said her husband, Jim did dance, albeit reluctantly.
“He'd dance because I wanted to,” said Juanita.
Jim Spence then reminisced about his youth. He and his brother, Jeff, grew up in Baltimore, where his mother worked. Their father died at an early age, he said. That was part of the reason he and his brother worked in the summer, to support their mother.
Following the pattern she had already established in the previous sessions, Morris switched to smell and taste. She then switched to touch. For smell and taste she had them first sample peppermint and then cloves.
She challenged participants to identify the tastes. Most were surprised the first item was mint tea leaves, but many guessed the second, cloves. How many items did they recall in which cloves are used, Morris asked. Most got ham, but few recalled it in chewing gum.
For touch, Morris distributed sand and had the participants make something with it.
“Did any of you play in the sand,” she asked.
“No, my brother Jeff and I would be working,” said Jim Spence
“My grandparents lived near the coast in Massachussetts,” said Rainey. “They would take us to the beach. It (the water) was cold until you got used to it.”
Morris closed out the session with physical activity. Everyone was arranged in a circle and a beach ball was tossed about.
Afterwards, she played “Let's Twist Again” and they twisted.
Then it was a slow, romantic song, Nat King Cole's version of “Red Sails in the Sunset.”
Watching them dance was Debra J. Sutton, who also had participated in the beach ball toss. She watched Wayne and Marilyn Wiswedel.
“I think Wayne's remembering a little foxtrot,” she said.
Wayne smiled, as did Marilyn.
“Look what we've learned,” said Wayne.
A short distance away, Juanita and Jim Spence danced. There was a look of bliss on her face. Smiles of endearment with a twinkle in the eyes were there for Jerry and Rainey Burke.
JUNE 14 SESSION
Because of vacation bible school, the Take the Lead dance session took place in smaller quarters located in an outbuilding on the campus of St. Stephens Lutheran Church. Despite being cramped, attendees were able to review the dance steps they had been doing over the course of the session.
Led by Egland Sliwa, she began with the merengue. She had everyone “march in place” for an eight count. Then she introduced a step she called the “ladder,” a slight variation from the first part.
“You do two back, two to the right, two to the left. Then repeat,” she said. Several times she led them in the dance steps before having them do it to music. But there was still more. Sliwa then had them do a turn, 180 degrees, clockwise for the men, counter-clockwise for the women.
“How'd you guys feel about that,” Sliwa asked. Responses were almost uniform as most say good.
At this point Rainey Burke needed to sit. It would not be the only time she would find it necessary to sit. Despite her good mood, it appeared as though she was having a difficult day, physically. A short while later, Juanita Spence found it necessary to sit, not because she was tired but because a knee was giving her trouble.
After a short break, everyone was ready for another dance. The choice came down to either rumba or foxtrot and it was the latter they want to dance. Rainey was at a loss to understand something Sliwa explained, which was the count. In response, Sliwa switched to a different explanation on the pace of foxtrot.
“Slow, slow, quick quick,” said Sliwa.
Round and around the room they went, smiles coming to their faces as they listen to Doris Day sing “Steppin' Out With My Baby.”
Next Tuesday's session will be the final one for this session, Buddy Johnston announced. He added that it will be a wrap-up party and that another dance will be taught, east coast swing.
“I'm sure everybody in this room has done swing of one sort or another,” he said, and commented upon what he had observed.
“I was looking at some of your faces and it was bringing back some memories.”
At his urging, Sliwa and her partner, Stan Shepherd, showed a few steps in east coast swing. Some of the participants did the standard step count: one-two-three, one-two-three, rock step. Others, however did a two count and omitted the rock step.
Then the session came to an end. Before everyone departed, Dr. Fran Morris called out.
“Wear your beach clothes,” she said, and then she complimented them. “You guys did terrific. I'm very pleased to see you remembered the steps.”
