Encouraging togetherness and learning in dementia care
CIRCLE DANCE FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH DEMENTIA TRAINING
‘Our project was made possible thanks to #NationalLottery players’
Circle Dance Training
Circle Dance training aims to enable and skill up staff to provide their own movement and music sessions with their service users. Staff have welcomed an activity in which people with moderate/medium stage dementia can engage. It offers the opportunity for a shared activity with partners, relatives and carers. It can be used in residential and day settings, assessment units, NHS and voluntary organisation groups with older people, people with learning disability, mental health conditions, and physical disabilities. It can be offered at care home social events, and Alzheimer's Cafes.
Course Aim
This one-day course will introduce participants to the use of Circle Dance and provide them with the necessary skills and knowledge to deliver circle dance sessions in their own settings.
The course is suitable for practitioners who work with people with dementia in group settings, such as care staff, activity coordinators, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, community dance practitioners, community musicians, exercise instructors, day centre workers and volunteers who are based in settings with people with dementia.
Course Objectives
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To introduce learners to the history of circle dance and its contemporary use in the field of dementia
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For learners to experience a variety of the circle dances
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To give a basic understanding of how dementia may affect physical and cognitive skills with respect to dance
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To equip learners with skills in devising basic choreography for circle dance in dementia
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To explore links with other activities, such as reminiscence, exercise and music
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To encourage learners to consider the planning, delivery, observation and monitoring of their circle dance sessions
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the course learners will be able to:
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Have learnt about the benefits of dance and specifically circle dance, for people living with dementia
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Understand and be able to explain best practice approaches in group facilitation skills for people with dementia
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Have practised planning circle dance sessions and be able to deliver circle dance programmes in their work settings
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Be able to create new dance steps to music
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Have practised observation skills and learnt about approaches for monitoring and evaluating circle dance sessions
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Training Style/Approach
The day is a mixture of taught content, experiential and creative learning, delivered in a relaxed way.
Sign up for circle dance training
The cost per delegate is £75 and our Open Course Programme will provide you with course dates currently available to book online.
The delegate rate includes 20 tracks of specially selected Circle Dance music suitable for standing and seated dance. Also available is an online resource containing dance notes and choreography, to accompany the music.
We offer discount for family carers, to take advantage of this special offer, please contact info@dementiapathfinders.org or call 0845 257 2250. Please contact info@dementiapathfinders.org to reserve your place.
Join our team of Circle Dance Trainers
As part of our ongoing efforts to expand the reach of Circle Dance for people living with dementia, we are excited to offer a Train the Trainer program. This training will be free of charge and is designed for those who are already familiar with circle dance and wish to become trainers themselves, enabling them to share this valuable practice with others.
The Train the Trainer sessions will be held at various points throughout the year. Specific dates will be shared in advance, allowing participants to plan accordingly. Liv McLennan, an experienced practitioner in circle dance and dementia care, will deliver the training. Liv brings a wealth of expertise in both the art of circle dance and the unique needs of people living with dementia.
To be eligible for this training, participants must meet the following criteria:
· Completion of Circle Dance Training
· Completion of Dementia Awareness Training
· Active experience practicing circle dance with people living with dementia
This ensures that all participants have the necessary background and hands-on experience to successfully become trainers themselves, spreading the benefits of circle dance to more individuals and communities across the country.
For further information on our Train the Trainer programme please contact info@dementiapathfinders.org
Trainers: Liv McLennan
Liv has had a passion for working for people with dementia since her teens, when her grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s-type dementia. After a music degree and time as an army musician, Liv worked for various charities, including the Alzheimer’s Society, developing projects mainly based around peer support and groupwork.
Liv then completed the renowned Certificate in Music Workshop Skills at Goldsmith’s College, and has been self-employed as a community musician, working with different groups. The main areas she specialises in are Early Years, Community Choirs and people with dementia. She works with various organisations, including Westminster Arts, Age Exchange and Alzheimer’s Society delivering music, movement, reminiscence and cross-arts projects. She is also a trainer in these areas and has run training sessions for community musicians and care workers in how to incorporate these techniques into their work. Liv plays the cello, highland bagpipes and saxophone, and dabbles in ukulele and kantele! In her spare time, she enjoys Circle Dancing and learning Appalachian Clog Dancing. She is also on the board of trustees for Sound Sense, the Professional Association for Community Musicians.
LEARNER REVIEWS
To commission Circle Dance for People Living with Dementia training for your service or for more information about open training days, please contact info@dementiapathfinders.org or phone 0845 257 2250.
Follow Circle Dance on Twitter @CircleDementia