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corenaks-blog · 5 years

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Portfolio Final Draft

Corena Kelly

Professor Burton

ENGL 2010

2 December 2019

I believe that writing is a way to engage and communicate on a different level with many different audiences and the most important part of that is knowing what audience you need to make an impact on. I think that writing is a very important aspect of your life and will be forever. Writing is a form of communication that can get an idea across whether that is for understanding, persuading, challenging, words of encouragement, etc. Writing is an extension of your ability to orally communicate. Writing is a way to expand your audience because you could have written an article that someone a few years later reads and uses for whatever purpose but you’re never going to know that person and they’re never going to know you but you were able to share that knowledge with them through your writing.

I believe revising is a way for not only you but others to give you a different perspective so that then your actual audience can get the correct impressions and intentions of your message. Revising is a process that involves more than just you and the words and thoughts that you have in your head. It takes criticizing and analyzing of not only yourself but of others to help you gain insight into what you’re actually saying and it could even simply be grammar or punctuation errors. Something as simple as that could be the life or death of your paper.

I feel like writing courses are there to help you learn how to use those tools or the tools that you need to be able to have good writing, whether that is with your revising process or your audience or your grammar or whatever thing it could possibly be. There are so many different things that you learn in a writing course and each writing course is a step upon step and it’s important for you to understand those steps. If you don’t understand those steps, writing and the writing process will be slow and frustrating and could possibly never make the impact that you desire it to be. Having the knowledge that you learn in writing courses are something that you need to know for the rest of your life.

I was and always have been pretty open to and curious about the benefits of writing classes. I’ve taken many especially since I’ve had a bunch of disabilities. But my disabilities aren’t something that can just be fixed by taking a bunch of English classes. But I know that I can write and I’ve always been engaged in my writing even if I haven’t been the one who has physically typed my papers. I still am responsible for the information and knowledge of the paper and I still do the research and still persist through my challenges to make sure that what goes in them is all me and there have been many occasions when I’m sitting and having someone typing for me, I’ll correct what they’re typing so that it says what I want it to say. This includes grammar, punctuation, and formatting. I always still take responsibility for when things are due and the correct what that they need to be done.

I definitely feel like my openness has grown this semester. I feel like I can share things on paper that I don’t think I would have normally. It’s allowed me to be comfortable with the way that I write. Although I’ve always felt like I’ve been an open person orally, it hasn’t always been so easy to do it on paper. Going through this semester, I have found a way to be just as open on paper as I am vocally. I’m really pleased with the journey of openness I’ve gone through.

My curiosity hasn’t really grown this year. I’ve always been a curious person and when it comes to writing it’s no different. I think my curiosity was more or less blocked this semester, honestly, because I wasn’t feeling like I was being challenged. Any questions that were asked in class by the teacher or student -- I already knew the answer to. I had no question or doubt in my mind as to what was expected of me.

Honestly my engagement has kind of lacked. I tried very hard at the beginning of the semester to attend classes but I felt like I was wasting my time because I wasn’t being engaged. Not because the professor didn’t try but more because the class below my abilities (although a standardized test won’t say that). For the most part I am engaged when I write. If it’s something that I don’t want to write about (if I’m assigned a topic or given too broad a topic), I don’t feel like wanting to engage. For the research project, I felt engaged because I think I would have done it anyway, but this class gave me an excuse and time to do it.

Persistence is not a strong suit of mine when it comes to certain things. However, although I stopped attending classes halfway through the semester, I still have turned in every assignment and have gotten pretty decent scores. I’ve been persistent about doing my assignments and making sure that they are to the expectation that was set. Although attending the class annoyed me, I’ve persisted with the assignments and have succeeded beyond what I thought was my ability.

I feel like I was very responsible for knowing what was expected of me and making sure that my assignments met the requirements and desire of my professor. I was also responsible for going to class which I ended up not doing because my responsibility was to have my assignments done and attending class was wasting my time. This course has taught me that responsibility is important even when circumstances change.

All in all, through the good and the bad, there were good things I learned about English and there were good things I learned about myself as well as I understood negatives that I didn’t realize existed. I am really proud of the work that I have put in and I am excited to develop my language/writing abilities with my next language class (Spanish 1010). 😊

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corenaks-blog · 5 years

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Bailando: How Dance is Beneficial to the World

Corena Kelly

Professor Burton

ENGL 2010

4 November 2019

When I moved to Utah County, I began to realize that I was depressed. I couldn’t figure out why. I knew that I had been depressed before but this was different. I have danced my whole life and I had stopped dancing because I didn’t know of places to go dancing. But then I found a place to dance in Provo and started going there twice a week. I realized that the more I went, the happier I became, and if I missed a time then I was more susceptible to feeling depressed. It has now been three and a half years and I am still going dancing twice a week. I have found a new family there. Because of this personal observation I have had many questions.

After looking through many different issues in today’s world, alongside my passions, I have found that dance is beneficial for many people who have mental and physical disabilities. The disabilities that I will focus on are: Autism, Dementia, Parkinson’s Disease, and Alzheimer’s Disease, but dance is beneficial to more than just those disabilities and conditions. I have several articles that talk about current research, as well as videos with evidence, and interviews with straight-from-the-source information. In this paper, I will go through each source, video, and interview, and break down the reasons why I so strongly believe that dance is beneficial. Dance and dance therapy is beneficial in many ways for people with mental and physical disabilities and conditions and should be more seriously considered especially when it comes to research.

I read an article called “Neuroception and Attunement in Dance/Movement Therapy with Autism” by Christina Devereaux that talks about autism and dance therapy and argues that dance therapy can be used as a treatment method. The fact that autism is a neurological impairment, and that’s what causes an un-interactive experience. However, having a way to express yourself through your body causes a different connection between your brain that then can allow for a social interaction that is essential for all mammals. Specifically, interpersonal and cognitive skills are essential for mammals, especially people. Dance and movement open up that pathway of social connection and can strengthen cognitive, interpersonal, and social skills. I liked this quote from the article: “The communication of ‘rejection’ or the movement away from social engagement is the nervous system saying, ‘Get away,’ ‘I’m afraid,’ ‘This is too much,’ ‘I can’t handle all of it,’ ‘Slow down,’ ‘Back up,’ ‘Help me,’ or ‘I don’t feel safe.’ Dance/movement therapists can translate this language and work with it through the movement process” (37).

Dance and movement is a possible treatment that can change the way people act towards autistic people as well as the way autistic people act towards the rest of society. It could even be a way to introduce them to society in a safer environment. This is important because we are finding that more and more people are autistic. So the more we understand this challenge, the more we can help them to be more fully participating and functioning members of society. This process of dance treatment can help us better understand how to be with them, and it can also help them to better understand how to be with us. This is just one of many ways dance therapy can be helpful. Another way is couple dancing being used to help with Parkinson’s Disease.

In “Music Therapy and Other Complementary Therapies for Parkinson’s” by Dr. Rebecca Gilbert, who is an APDA (American Parkinson’s Disease Association) Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer. She has a PhD in Cell Biology, and has trained in Neurology Residency and Movement Disorders Fellowship. Her article talks about the different styles of dance that help those with Parkinson’s Disease. These styles include tango and ballroom. This article said that tango and ballroom are the most helpful, and this makes sense because the music used for those dances (especially ballroom) often connects patients with their memories and younger selves. It creates connections in the brain that help the patient walk and move. Gilbert states that some benefits of dance and dance therapy for people with Parkinson’s Disease are: “Imposing rhythmicity on movement, providing exercise: dance can be a source of aerobic exercise and provides a fun way to increase a person’s fitness level, [and] working on balance and coordination” (Gilbert) The article also states that dance therapy is a good “complementary” therapy, which means that it should be used in conjunction with other therapies and treatment methods. Dance can help with mental illness and diseases like Parkinson’s. Later, we will talk about a healthcare professional and patient who have put this into practice.

This idea of dance helping elderly patients is also related to my interview with MeChelle Miller. Mrs. Miller is a medical assistant working for Aspen Homecare, which is a service that provides a variety of in-home care and assistance to elderly people who have a hard time caring for themselves. She is also going to school at Utah Valley University and getting a bachelor’s degree in medical administration. She has worked in hospice and homecare for about two years but has worked in the medical field overall for about seven years. I asked Mrs. Miller questions about the benefits of dance and dance therapy and she responded well by giving a lot of details in her answers and I felt like this was something that she thinks is important. I think this is because dance and dance therapy more directly relates to her current specific field of work.

Even though Mrs. Miller doesn’t know a lot about Parkinson’s Disease in particular, she is familiar with Dementia and Alzheimers and knows that music can turn a confused person into a human being who is able to have and hold a conversation. She said,

“I don’t know a lot about Parkinson’s; I know more about dementia and Alz and I know that for those, music is something that is a real connector. You can take someone who can’t talk and is just making noises and blubbering and have them listen to music for 30 minutes to an hour and then try to have a conversation with them and they can communicate and have a conversation with you.” (Miller)

This example that Mrs. Miller gave shows how immediate the effects and benefits of dance and dance therapy can be.

Mrs. Miller furthermore talked about how music has several health benefits and that dance also has benefits if the patient has the physical capability. She has seen the benefits of music on elderly patients. She said,

“I know that for our aging population… music and dance was something that was very much a part of their lives when they were younger. So at least at this point with those patients, music and dance is something that is being more utilized to engage with them and to access their minds. I know that it does have amazing effects on geriatrics when they involve music and dance, if they’re capable.” (Miller)

This interview has given specific answers and information from someone who is currently working in that field. It provides a living proof and perspective into a world that many of us don’t see. Mrs. Miller was very helpful and I wanted to continue to seek more personal opinions. I decided to interview a dance teacher and my personal dance partner Anthony Guerra.

Anthony Guerra knows a lot about the physical benefits of dance, but not a lot about the medical aspects and benefits. Mr. Guerra was a dance teacher for a few years and was also on the UVU ballroom dance team. He first gave me a long list of benefits for dancing in general. He also stated that dance and health aren’t usually seen in conjunction, at least in his experience. He also stated that it should be talked more about because of the several benefits. Specifically, he listed a couple of benefits that dancing could bring for seniors, including social benefits and physical ones:

“Improved condition of heart and lungs, increased muscular strength, endurance and motor fitness, increased aerobic fitness, improved muscle tone and strength, weight management, stronger bones, reduced risk of osteoporosis, better coordination, agility, and flexibility, improved balance and spatial awareness, increased confidence and self-esteem, improved mental functioning, improved general and psychological well-being, and better social skills.” (Guerra)

He then concluded that he thinks that dance is beneficial for people of all ages and can help with so many different aspects of life.

Most dancers or those who teach dance are already aware of these health benefits. However, because they are dancers, medical professionals tend to give them less credibility or not listen to them. Because dance teachers already have this knowledge, it is important for medical professionals to be more aware of dance and its benefits in terms of a possible treatment for both physical and mental conditions.

On an average, not a lot of medical professionals know about dance and dance therapy and the benefits they have on physical and mental health. Dr.. Top is a medical professional at UVU Student Health Services. I asked him the same questions that I asked Mr. Guerra, to see what he would say about dance and its medical benefits. Dr. Top was enthusiastic but didn’t really pinpoint anything specific about dance and dance therapy. He’s heard a couple of things but because he’s not in the physical therapy field he hasn’t heard about a lot of research.

However, Dr. Top did say that he thinks that my research is important and that dance is a good cardio exercise. When I asked if he had heard about or read any reports or studies about the medical benefits of dance, he said, “Not specifically from dance— I’ve heard of the benefits of cardio overall but not anything particular to dance, no” (Top). I then asked if he thought that it was important to spread awareness about the medical benefits of dance and he said, “Yeah, I think that anytime we’re able to get people to move more is a win. So whether it’s dance or bike-riding or basketball then I don’t care. As long as people are moving, that’s all we’re asking for. So it’s very important” (Top). This shows that the people who need to know this information know little to nothing about it and this leads to using dance as a treatment being not well-known in the healthcare community unless you’re in a specific field.

Not only is dance not seen as a treatment method in society, but it’s not even seen as a treatment method in the medical community. It was only recently that dance was accepted as a real sport rather than just a performing art, so this isn’t surprising. All of this proves that my research and goal to bring awareness to both the dance and medical communities about dance being a good treatment method for both physical and mental health issues is vital.

Coming across some of the things that I did in my research, I came across a video of a healthcare nurse like Mrs. Miller that did an experiment with a patient who has Parkinson’s Disease. Anicea Gunlock then posted this video of her experiment to YouTube and called it “Gait training for Parkinson's patient using music.” The video shows an elderly patient working to improve his gait, or his ability to walk more normally and efficiently. First, Gunlock explains what she’s going to do in the video and what her experiment is and how she uses music. She mentions that music is easily accessible in today’s day and age and therefore this treatment method is easy to use. Then, her video shows the patient trying to walk without music. His walker drags on the floor and he shuffles along. It takes him about 45 seconds to walk from one end of the room to the other. Then Gunlock plays music and the patient walks again. This time, the patient doesn’t drag his walker as much and he takes much bigger steps. He is then able to walk the same distance as before in about 20 seconds and then he keeps going. He ends up not using his walker at all, and even starts dancing with Gunlock.

I have found that this video is a great example of how music and dance can help a person with Parkinson’s Disease. In conjunction with Gilbert’s article talking about Parkinson’s disease and Mrs. Miller’s interview, this video shows that dance can be a valuable treatment method. The video provides visual proof of the effects that music and/or dance can have on a patient. It also proves that dance and music can have many medical benefits that we haven’t been able to fully tap into yet. Not only can dance help the elderly, but it can also help young children that have autism.

A group on Facebook called Upworthy posted a video called “Dance Therapy.” This video is about a dance instructor named Elizabeth Chacon who has two young dance students that are autistic. Chacon talks about how these students benefit from taking dance classes. The students are able to move around and practice specific movements in a safe space. They get the opportunity to express their feelings in a way that allows people to understand how they’re feeling and basically provides another way to communicate. One of the students is a boy named Chris who is eight years old. Chris’s mom Wendy talks about how Chris tends to have a lot of movements and make a lot of high-pitched noises. Wendy then talks about how there are very few places in society where she can take Chris and he will be accepted for who he is. The parents of these students and Chacon all talk about how there aren’t a lot of classes like this one offered. This means that people need to be more open to possible trainings and to creating more opportunities that allow things like this class to occur more often. This is both a business opportunity and an opportunity to help communities.

This video shows that dance can help those who are autistic communicate in a way that they normally wouldn’t be able to do. Dance classes could also help them understand society a little more, especially if this kind of therapy is started at a young age. Autism is just like any physical disability and should be treated as such. Even if it’s not done at a young age, there are some studies that are working with adults who have autism.

Julie Wadsworth and Simon Hackett have written an article together called “Dance Movement Psychotherapy with an Adult with Autistic Spectrum Disorder: An Observational Single-Case Study.” This article talks about the steps taken within a 45 minute period to help an autistic person choreograph movement. The main subject of this article was a 23-year old man called “Mike.” Wadsworth and Hackett said, “Mike had been admitted to hospital several times throughout his life. He was considered to be socially aloof interacting minimally with others and had some noise intolerance. He presented a risk of self-injury and physical aggression to others who had precipitated his admission to the specialist assessment and treatment unit” (Wadsworth).

I like that Wadsworth and Hackett give statistics and details about an experiment on a particular patient. They did do similar experiments on other patients but focused on “Mike” for this particular article. This allows you to see statistically what changes or outcomes can happen for someone who is autistic and uses dance and dance therapy.

Mike began by choosing an emotion, then he used tools and props that allowed him to have a sensory experience, then he practiced mirroring where he have to have eye contact and interaction (which is where a lot of social issues come up). Next, he created dance movements that told a story in six parts: a character, a setting, a task, an obstacle, some help, and an outcome. This then allowed Mike to do this choreography. Afterwards, he was again asked to pick an emotion based on how he was feeling. The experiment resulted in Mike being happier at the end of five out of seven dance therapy sessions. This article shares a particular story and experiment that was done in a very specific way that shows how much we have learned and how much more there is to be learned about dance and dance therapy being used to help people with mental health issues.

Another example of dance and dance therapy helping mental health issues can be found in a study about DMT (Dance Movement Therapy). Koch C. Sabine and her team did some research and wrote an article called “Effects of Dance Movement Therapy and Dance on Health-Related Psychological Outcomes. A Meta-Analysis Update.” This research shows that there have been studies done previously on how dance benefits health and that there is also an increase of studies with this topic. However, the increase isn’t a large amount.

This lack of information supports the idea that there isn’t enough research being done about dance and dance therapy and that more should be done. Sabine’s article states that DMT has been shown to improve depression and anxiety as well as improve quality of life and interpersonal and cognitive skills. Additionally, the study also states that the initial findings on long-term effects are promising. There is a lack of research about dance and dance therapy with mental health, but more research has been done on the physical benefits of dance on elderly people.

Azucena Guzmán-García and her team of researchers found a form of dance called Danzón and they explain their research in an article called “Introducing a Latin Ballroom Dance Class to People with Dementia Living in Care Homes, Benefits and Concerns: A Pilot Study.” This article was done at Newcastle University in the United Kingdom and conducted to see what effects Latin dance had on dementia patients, specifically their psychomotor abilities. Specifically, the study focused on Danzón, which is a Latin ballroom style of dance. Guzmán-García describes the dance style as:

“of moderate intensity and consist[ing] of small steps, defined and stopped at each music bar, ensuring that the dancer is at a low risk of physical injury. Danzón steps involve a technique with gentle hip and body movements which can be divided into short sections to be facilitated by teachers with or without dance teaching experience.” (Guzmán-García)

This quote shows that Danzón is easily accessible and you don’t have to be a dance teacher to know it or teach it.

The staff saw that there was a benefit to this even though other studies suggest that dance can be more difficult for people with dementia. The study found that DPI (Danzón Psychomotor Intervention) was not difficult and staff and residents said that the music made them feel happy. In the study’s conclusion, it says that it was very clear that the residents benefited when they participated in the dance classes. “Introducing dancing was a different way to enhance interactions between residents and care staff and other positives across a number of diverse dimensions. Staff also reported a positive impact in terms of the residents’ and their own levels of well-being and satisfaction.” The fact that there has been a study with more definitive results says that more research is possible.

There has been a lot of research done about what can help and what cannot help those who have mental and physical disabilities. Yet, not enough has been done about dance and dance therapy, which is beneficial in many ways for people with mental and physical disabilities and conditions and which should be taken more seriously. So, this means that those of us who now know about dance and dance therapy need to share this information with everyone that we come in contact with on a daily basis. There are so many people now and probably in the future that would really benefit from further research, but unless we can get this research truly going and the information truly out there, we can only go so far.

Works Cited

Devereaux, Christina. “Neuroception and Attunement in Dance/Movement Therapy with

Autism.” American Journal of Dance Therapy, vol. 39, no. 1, June 2017, pp. 36–38. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1007/s10465-017-9249-1.

Gilbert, Rebecca. “Music Therapy and Other Complementary Therapies for Parkinson’s.”

APDA: American Parkinson Disease Association. 5 Feb. 2019. https://www.apdaparkinson.org/ article/music-therapy-parkinsons-disease/.

Guerra, Anthony. Personal Interview. 7 Oct. 2019.

Gunlock, Anicea. “Gait training for Parkinsons's patient using music.” Youtube, 12 Jan. 2017.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDjQ7lKmH3s.

Guzmán-García, Azucena, et al. “Introducing a Latin Ballroom Dance Class to People with

Dementia Living in Care Homes, Benefits and Concerns: A Pilot Study.” Dementia: The International Journal of Social Research and Practice, vol. 12, no. 5, Sept. 2013, pp. 523–535. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1177/1471301211429753.

Miller, MeChelle. Personal Interview. 30 Sept. 2019.

Sabine C. Koch, et al. “Effects of Dance Movement Therapy and Dance on Health-Related

Psychological Outcomes. A Meta-Analysis Update.” Frontiers in Psychology, 2019. EBSCOhost, doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01806.

Top, Nick. Personal Interview. 2 Oct. 2019.

Upworthy. “Dance Therapy.” Facebook, 11 Jul. 2018. https://www.facebook.com/Upworthy/

videos/401872930335826/.

Wadsworth, Julie, and Simon Hackett. “Dance Movement Psychotherapy with an Adult with

Autistic Spectrum Disorder: An Observational Single-Case Study.” Body, Movement & Dance in Psychotherapy, vol. 9, no. 2, Apr. 2014, pp. 59–73. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1080/17432979.2014.893259.

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corenaks-blog · 5 years

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Opinion Series Final Draft

Corena Kelly

Professor Burton

ENGL 2010-074

14 October 2019

Opinion Series Final Draft

Audience 1: People who like scholarly sources (doctors)

There is never going to be a “no” to anything because there’s always a way to prove something. Even if there are 10,000 ways not to do something, you can still prove that there are 10,000 ways not to do something. Thomas Edison said, “I didn’t fail 10,000 times, I just figured out 10,000 ways not to make a lightbulb.” So you can’t prove that dance is not beneficial to people with mental and physical difficulties because there may be one person out of three million that it could help. So far, there has been only a little research but they are continuing to do the research and will continue to do the research until they have exhausted all of the possible outcomes.

Dance is beneficial to people with mental and physical disabilities and difficulties. Dr. Rebecca Gilbert, American Parkinson Disease Association Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer, said that some benefits of dance and dance therapy for people with Parkinson’s Disease are: “Imposing rhythmicity on movement, providing exercise: dance can be a source of aerobic exercise and provides a fun way to increase a person’s fitness level, [and] working on balance and coordination.”

In an article called “Dance Movement Psychotherapy with an Adult with Autistic Spectrum Disorder: An Observational Single-Case Study.,” NHS professional Julie Wadsworth talks about the steps within a 45 minute period that were taken to help an Autistic person choreograph movement. The main subject of this article was a 23-year old man called “Mike.” “Mike had been admitted to hospital several times throughout his life. He was considered to be socially aloof interacting minimally with others and had some noise intolerance. He presented a risk of self-injury and physical aggression to others who had precipitated his admission to the specialist assessment and treatment unit.” This article gives statistics and an experiment on a particular patient. They did do similar experiments on other patients but focused on “Mike” for this particular article. This allows you to see statistically what changes or outcomes can happen for someone who is Autistic and uses dance.

I will use this source to share a particular story and experiment that was done in a very specific way that shows how much we have learned and how much more there is to be learned about dance and dance therapy being used to help people with mental health issues.

Doctor Sabine C. Koch gathered the results from various studies about dance therapy experiments and created an article with statistics about these results. In this article called “Effects of Dance Movement Therapy and Dance on Health-Related Psychological Outcomes: A Meta-Analysis Update,” she said, “ Results suggest that DMT [Dance Movement Therapy] decreases depression and anxiety and increases quality of life and interpersonal and cognitive skills, whereas dance interventions increase (psycho-)motor skills.” Honestly, I could go on and on about these articles, but ultimately this is a great article to look at because it gives such in-depth statistics that I cannot even begin to summarize to you.

Audience 2: The average person on social media

Do you want to help your community? Do you know or love someone who has mental or physical health issues? If so, I would like to take a minute to talk to you about and show you a possible solution or treatment method that you can easily get involved in. Dance! Most people see dance as an interactive social activity. It can also be very entertaining to watch if you’ve ever gone to a performance or seen a competition. But little do most people know that dance can also benefit mental and physical health. Dancing is moving, and there are many physical and mental benefits to moving and staying active. Most people picture running when they are asked about physical exercise, but dancing is also a workout! Not only is it also a workout, but it is also very involved with the self. Dancing gives people a chance to express themselves through their bodies and body language, and to use their bodies and movement to share how they are feeling. So dance has multiple physical and mental benefits.

You don’t have to know anything about dance to get started in dance and dance therapy! One example of this is two young kids with Autism who take a dance class. Upworthy made a video about these kids. The video shows two autistic kids that cannot socialize properly in today’s society use dance to improve their communication skills with other people that are part of this society. People with autism have a hard time communicating their thoughts and feelings in a way that makes sense to most people. They also have a hard time understanding others in a social environment. Dance helps them learn how to communicate the way they feel in a way that doesn’t hurt them and doesn’t bother others. One of the students in the video is a boy named Chris who is eight years old. His mom talks about how Chris tends to have a lot of movements and make a lot of high-pitched noises. Chris’ mom then talks about how there are very few places in society where she can take Chris and he will be accepted for who he is. Then the video shows Chris in dance class, and he is accepted there.

https://www.facebook.com/Upworthy/videos/401872930335826/

Not only can dance and dance therapy help kids— especially Autistic kids— but it can also help older people such as our grandparents and great-grandparents. Do you have a loved one— a grandma, grandpa, great-grandma, or great-grandpa— who has Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, Dementia, or a similar health issue? If you do, here is a way you can help them while also bringing you closer to them and giving you an opportunity to learn about where you came from.

Here is an example that shows what a powerful influence dance and dance therapy can have on people. It starts with a healthcare professional named Anicea. She made a video showing her doing her own experiment with a patient. This patient cannot walk well because he has Parkinson’s Disease, which is a disease that causes nerve cell damage in the brain. When he does try to walk, it looks more like a sad shuffle and his walker drags on the ground obnoxiously. The experiment that she does utilizes music to help the patient walk (without his walker) twice the distance in the same amount of time as it takes to walk down the hallway with his walker. The video ends with the patient even dancing with Anicea.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDjQ7lKmH3s

Audience 3: People who have an interest in the topic because they know a little bit about it (dance teachers, people with health problems)

Are you someone who is looking for research about treatment methods for Autism, Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, or Dementia? Do you like getting your information straight from the source? If so, I encourage you to continue to read! Dance can help treat both mental and physical health problems. I had an opportunity to talk with three different people in different fields: a dance teacher, a homecare medical assistant, and a general practitioner. They all had different views, but all communicated to me that dance is beneficial to physical and mental health. This is some of the information that they shared with me.

The first interview was with a dance teacher by the name of Anthony Guerra. He, as a dance teacher, strongly believes that dance is one of the most popular performing arts but also one of the most underrated and underutilized forms of help for a variety of issues. Mr. Guerra gave a long list of physical health benefits, but also said that dance can help with “increased confidence and self-esteem, improved mental functioning, improved general and psychological well-being, and better social skills.” Even if you’re skeptical at first, I strongly suggest trying dance and evaluating how you (or your loved one) is feeling both physically and mentally. It is not difficult as a dance teacher to help those with mental or physical health problems, it just takes a little more patience (which is something that everyone in this world could use a little more of).

The second interview was with Dr. Nick Top at U.V.U. Student Health Services. He was unaware of anything helpful but said that it is important to do the research about the medical benefits of dance and that we should continue to do research about this topic. This proves to me that a normal, everyday doctor that you would go to and seek for treatment has no idea about this real solution that could benefit you even more than any medication. So council with your doctor about what your physical limitations are but do not be afraid to seek treatment outside of traditional medical consultations. Similarly, dance teachers and people in the dance community should be open to experimenting with dance as a treatment method.

The final interview was with Mrs. Miller, who is a healthcare professional that works with elderly people in hospice. She didn’t know anything in particular about autism and Parkinson’s Disease, but she said that she did have experience with people with Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease. She said that people who have these conditions that she’s worked with could be someone who “can’t talk and is just making noises and blubbering and [you can] have them listen to music for 30 minutes to an hour and then try to have a conversation with them and they can communicate and have a conversation with you.” There are always different ways and resources to receive what you need and medications aren’t always the answer. Sometimes, things like dance can open up doorways and be helpful but we won’t know about those doorways until we try them. Additionally, dance has medical benefits for a wide range of issues.

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10,000 Hours

Oh. My. Gosh. I am in LOVE. I know everyone has their issues about country music or about Justin Bieber or about whatever because people just love to be haters, but this has got to be one of the cutest love songs I have ever heard.

This song was written by Dan + Shay and Justin Bieber and in the music video they have their real life partners, which makes it extra cute. The lyrics talk about how they want to know everything that could possibly go through their partners’ minds and hearts and how they’re willing to spend 10,000 hours of their lifetime (or more) to figure it out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2E71oe0aSM

Chorus:

“I'd spend ten thousand hours and ten thousand more,

Oh, if that's what it takes to learn that sweet heart of yours,

And I might never get there, but I'm gonna try,

If it's ten thousand hours or the rest of my life,

I'm gonna love you (Ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh, ooh).”

I am just so in love with this song that I can’t even deal right now. The chorus is my favorite part of the lyrics because I feel like it says it all about love, friendships, relationships, and what we want out of life. When it comes to the music video itself, my favorite part is Justin and Hailey Bieber because their relationship is so “out there” and criticized by the media so to see this song being used to connect their relationship is amazing. I think it shows that they’ve been through a lot together and that their marriage isn’t a fluke. It makes the love song seem more real. The lyrics to this song give you a sense of what everybody in this world wants from their significant other. Just because famous people are famous doesn’t mean that they can’t have real love. ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

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corenaks-blog · 5 years

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Final Annotated Bibliography

Corena Kelly

Professor Burton

ENGL 2010

23 September 2019

Annotated Bibliography

Devereaux, Christina. “Neuroception and Attunement in Dance/Movement Therapy with Autism.” American Journal of Dance Therapy, vol. 39, no. 1, June 2017, pp. 36–38. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1007/s10465-017-9249-1.

This article talks about the fact that autism is a neurological impairment, and that’s what causes an un-interactive experience. However, having a way to express yourself through your body causes a different connection between your brain that then can allow for a social interaction that is essential for all mammals. Specifically, interpersonal and cognitive skills are essential for mammals, especially people. Dance and movement open up that pathway of social connection and can strengthen cognitive, interpersonal, and social skills. I liked this quote from the article: “The communication of ‘rejection’ or the movement away from social engagement is the nervous system saying, ‘Get away,’ ‘I’m afraid,’ ‘This is too much,’ ‘I can’t handle all of it,’ ‘Slow down,’ ‘Back up,’ ‘Help me,’ or ‘I don’t feel safe.’ Dance/movement therapists can translate this language and work with it through the movement process” (37).

I will use this source because it is talking about how dance and movement is a possible treatment that can change the way people act towards autistic people as well as the way autistic people act towards the rest of society. It could even be a way to introduce them to society in a safer environment. This is important because we are finding that more and more people are autistic. So the more we understand this challenge, the more we can help them to be more fully participating and functioning members of society. This process of dance treatment can help us better understand how to be with them, and it can also help them to better understand how to be with us.

Gilbert, Rebecca. “Music Therapy and Other Complementary Therapies for Parkinson’s.” APDA: American Parkinson Disease Association. 5 Feb. 2019. https://www.apdaparkinson.org/ article/music-therapy-parkinsons-disease/.

There are a couple dance styles in particular that help with Parkinson’s Disease which are tango and ballroom. The article states that some benefits of dance and dance therapy for people with Parkinson’s Disease are: “Imposing rhythmicity on movement, providing exercise: dance can be a source of aerobic exercise and provides a fun way to increase a person’s fitness level, [and] working on balance and coordination.” The article also states that dance therapy is a good “complementary” therapy, which means that it should be used in conjunction with other therapies and treatment methods.

This source seems like a good source because it is specifically an association for Parkinson’s Disease and the website is a “.org” website. This article is also written by Dr. Rebecca Gilbert, an ADPA Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer. She has a PhD in Cell Biology, and has trained in Neurology Residency and Movement Disorders Fellowship.

I will use this source to support my thesis that dance can help with mental illness and diseases like Parkinson’s. I can also tie this into another one of my sources: the interview with MeChelle Miller. Even though she doesn’t know a lot about Parkinson’s Disease in particular, she is familiar with Dementia and Alzheimers and knows that music can turn a confused person into a human being who is able to have and hold a conversation. She said, “ I don’t know a lot about Parkinson’s; I know more about dementia and Alz and I know that for those, music is something that is a real connector. You can take someone who can’t talk and is just making noises and blubbering and have them listen to music for 30 minutes to an hour and then try to have a conversation with them and they can communicate and have a conversation with you.”

Guerra, Anthony. Personal Interview. 7 Oct. 2019.

Mr. Guerra was a dance teacher for a few years and was also on the UVU ballroom dance team. He is currently my dance partner. I asked him the same questions that I asked the medical professionals to see what he would say about dance and its medical benefits. He first gave me a long list of benefits for dancing in general. He also stated that dance and health aren’t usually seen in conjunction, at least in his experience. He also stated that it should be talked more about because of the several benefits. Specifically, he listed a couple of benefits that dancing could bring for seniors, including social benefits and physical ones: “Improved condition of heart and lungs, increased muscular strength, endurance and motor fitness, increased aerobic fitness, improved muscle tone and strength, weight management, stronger bones, reduced risk of osteoporosis, better coordination, agility, and flexibility, improved balance and spatial awareness, increased confidence and self-esteem, improved mental functioning, improved general and psychological well-being, and better social skills.” He then concluded that he thinks that dance is beneficial for people of all ages and can help with so many different aspects of life.

I will use this source to show that most dancers or those who teach dance are already aware of these health benefits. However, because they are dancers, medical professionals tend to give them less credibility or not listen to them. Because dance teachers already have this knowledge, it is important for medical professionals to be more aware of dance and its benefits in terms of a possible treatment for both physical and mental conditions.

Gunlock, Anicea. “Gait training for Parkinsons's patient using music.” Youtube, 12 Jan. 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDjQ7lKmH3s.

This video shows a healthcare professional helping an elderly patient with Parkinson’s Disease walk. First, the healthcare professional explains the video and her experiment using music. She mentions that music is easily accessible in today’s day and age and therefore this treatment method is easy to use. Then, the video shows the patient trying to walk without music. His walker drags on the floor and he shuffles along. It takes him about 45 seconds to walk from one end of the room to the other. Then the healthcare professional plays music and the patient walks again. This time, they don’t drag their walker as much and they take much bigger steps. They are able to walk the same distance as before in about 20 seconds and then keep going. He ends up not using his walker at all, and even starts dancing with the healthcare professional.

This video is a great example of how music and dance can help a person with Parkinson’s Disease. In conjunction with the other article talking about Parkinson’s disease, this source shows that dance can be a valuable treatment method. The article said that ballroom and tango are the most helpful, and this makes sense because the music used for those dances (especially ballroom) often connects patients with their memories and younger selves. It creates connections in the brain that help the patient walk and move.

I will use this video to give visual proof of the effects that music and/or dance can have on a patient. This video proves that dance and music can have many medical benefits that we haven’t been able to fully tap into yet. The video shows an elderly patient working to improve his gait, or his ability to walk more normally and efficiently.

Guzmán-García, Azucena, et al. “Introducing a Latin Ballroom Dance Class to People with Dementia Living in Care Homes, Benefits and Concerns: A Pilot Study.” Dementia: The International Journal of Social Research and Practice, vol. 12, no. 5, Sept. 2013, pp. 523–535. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1177/1471301211429753.

This article is about a study that researchers from Newcastle University in the United Kingdom conducted to see what effects Latin dance had on dementia patients, specifically their psychomotor abilities. Specifically, the study focused on Danzón, which is a Latin ballroom style of dance “of moderate intensity and consist[ing] of small steps, defined and stopped at each music bar, ensuring that the dancer is at a low risk of physical injury. Danzón steps involve a technique with gentle hip and body movements which can be divided into short sections to be facilitated by teachers with or without dance teaching experience.” The staff saw that there was a benefit to this even though other studies suggest that dance can be more difficult for people with dementia. The study found that DPI (Danzón Psychomotor Intervention) was not difficult and staff and residents said that the music made them feel happy. In the study’s conclusion, it says that it was very clear that the residents benefited when they participated in the dance classes. “Introducing dancing was a different way to enhance interactions between residents and care staff and other positives across a number of diverse dimensions. Staff also reported a positive impact in terms of the residents’ and their own levels of well-being and satisfaction.”

I will use this source for its details surrounding the experiment. The fact that there has been a study with more definitive results says that more research is possible. This study also gives several specific statistics that will help prove my thesis.

Miller, MeChelle. Personal Interview. 30 Sept. 2019.

Mrs. Miller is a medical assistant working for Aspen Homecare, which is a service that provides a variety of in-home care and assistance to elderly people who have a hard time caring for themselves. She is also going to school at Utah Valley University and getting a bachelor’s degree in medical administration. She has worked in hospice and homecare for about two years but has worked in the medical field overall for about seven years.

I asked Mrs. Miller questions about my paper topic and she responded well. She gave a lot of details in her answers and I felt like this topic was something that she thinks is important. I think this is because my topic more directly relates to her current specific field. She talked about how music has several health benefits and that dance also has benefits if the patient has the physical capability. She has seen the benefits of music on elderly patients. She said, “I know that for our aging population… music and dance was something that was very much a part of their lives when they were younger. So at least at this point with those patients, music and dance is something that is being more utilized to engage with them and to access their minds. I know that it does have amazing effects on geriatrics when they involve music and dance, if they’re capable.”

I will use this source because it gives specific answers and information from someone who is currently working in that field. It provides a living proof and perspective into a world that many of us don’t see.

Sabine C. Koch, et al. “Effects of Dance Movement Therapy and Dance on Health-Related Psychological Outcomes. A Meta-Analysis Update.” Frontiers in Psychology, 2019. EBSCOhost, doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01806.

This article shows that there have been studies on how dance benefits health before and that there is also an increase of studies with this topic. However, the increase isn’t a large amount. So this supports my thesis that there isn’t enough research being done and that more should be done. This article also states some of the results that have been found through these studies. This article states that DMT (Dance Movement Therapy) has been shown to improve depression and anxiety as well as improve quality of life and interpersonal and cognitive skills. Additionally, the study also states that the initial findings on long-term effects are promising. I will use this article mostly for the specific statistics that it provides.

Top, Nick. Personal Interview. 2 Oct. 2019.

Mr. Top was enthusiastic but didn’t really pinpoint anything specific. I think he’s heard a couple of things but because he’s not in the fields I’m focusing on he hasn’t heard about a lot of research. However, he did say that he thinks that my research is important and that dance is a good cardio exercise. When I asked if he had heard about or read any reports or studies about the medical benefits of dance, he said, “Not specifically from dance— I’ve heard of the benefits of cardio overall but not anything particular to dance, no.” I then asked if he thought that it was important to spread awareness about the medical benefits of dance and he said, “Yeah, I think that anytime we’re able to get people to move more is a win. So whether it’s dance or bike-riding or basketball then I don’t care. As long as people are moving, that’s all we’re asking for. So it’s very important.”

I will use this source to argue that using dance as a treatment is not well-known in the healthcare community unless you’re in a specific field. Not only is dance not seen as a treatment method in society, but it’s not even seen as a treatment method in the medical community. It was only recently that dance was accepted as a real sport rather than just a performing art, so this isn’t surprising. All of this encourages me in my research and goal to bring awareness to both the dance and medical communities about dance being a good treatment method for both physical and mental health issues.

Upworthy. “Dance Therapy.” Facebook, 11 Jul. 2018. https://www.facebook.com/Upworthy/videos/401872930335826/.

This video is about a dance instructor named Elizabeth Chacon who has two dance students that are autistic. This instructor talks about how these students benefit from taking dance classes. The students are able to move around and practice specific movements in a safe space. They get the opportunity to express their feelings in a way that allows people to understand how they’re feeling and basically provides another way to communicate. One of the students is a boy named Chris who is eight years old. His mom talks about how Chris tends to have a lot of movements and make a lot of high-pitched noises. Chris’ mom then talks about how there are very few places in society where she can take Chris and he will be accepted for who he is. The parents of these students and the dance instructor all talk about how there aren’t a lot of classes like this one offered. This means that people need to be more open to possible trainings and to creating more opportunities that allow things like this class to occur more often. This is both a business opportunity and an opportunity to help communities.

I will use this video to show that dance can help those who are autistic communicate in a way that they normally wouldn’t be able to do. This could also help them understand society a little more, especially if this kind of therapy is started at a young age. Autism is just like any physical disability and should be treated as such.

Wadsworth, Julie, and Simon Hackett. “Dance Movement Psychotherapy with an Adult with Autistic Spectrum Disorder: An Observational Single-Case Study.” Body, Movement & Dance in Psychotherapy, vol. 9, no. 2, Apr. 2014, pp. 59–73. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1080/17432979.2014.893259.

In this article, it talks about the steps within a 45 minute period that were taken to help an autistic person choreograph movement. The main subject of this article was a 23-year old man called “Mike.” “Mike had been admitted to hospital several times throughout his life. He was considered to be socially aloof interacting minimally with others and had some noise intolerance. He presented a risk of self-injury and physical aggression to others who had precipitated his admission to the specialist assessment and treatment unit.”

This article gives statistics and an experiment on a particular patient. They did do similar experiments on other patients but focused on “Mike” for this particular article. This allows you to see statistically what changes or outcomes can happen for someone who is autistic and uses dance.

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corenaks-blog · 5 years

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Frustration.

Guys Are The Worst….

I use this app called “Bumble” to meet people and waste time. On the app, I met a dude who is an MMA fighter and who goes here to UVU. When I actually met him face to face, I found out that he is in a bunch of classes with my ex-best friend. It’s not a big deal because they’re just friends or whatever. But I told him that if he wants to pursue any kind of friendship or relationship with me, then he couldn’t talk about me or mention my name to her. Then, today, I received a random video message on Snapchat from my ex-best friend and the video is of him in class. So I freaked out! Things were already a little tense, so at this point I’m just going to be mad and frustrated at the whole situation. I am just done wasting energy on the whole situation.

Audience and Audience and Audience and Audience….

I spent most of class today with one earbud in and just sort of pretended to pay attention because we spent the whole class talking about Audience… again. It’s not that hard of a concept. But it was nice because I talked to the professor afterwards and he said that he is taking time to think about the issue. I really appreciate that and I don’t feel like any of this is his fault at all. I just feel like I’ve learned all of this before in my previous English classes. Everything feels so repetitive. I feel like I’ve worked hard to gain this knowledge already in my previous classes so this class just frustrates me. I don’t mean to bash on the professor at all. I think there might be an issue with the curriculum or for the placement system. Because there are students in this class who just seem super lost and there are also students like me who are super bored.

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A Warning About “Lucifer”

I want to first apologize in advance for all of these movie reviews. But this is what is entertaining me in life right now and I want to share it.

First off, Lucifer is a crime drama that deals with a homicide detective in the L.A.P.D. But it also deals with Lucifer (the devil). I grew up in an L.D.S. home and believe a lot of teachings about Lucifer and Heavenly Father/God. I also believe in angels and demons and Heavenly Mother (which you could consider to be the goddess of creation). All of these elements are in Lucifer but there are definitely conflicting concepts. One of those is in Lucifer, God cast out Heavenly Mother and sent her to Hell and I know that would never happen. The show basically states that they got divorced, God got mad at her and sent her away for eternity. This would never be found in any Christian religion or culture. It’s not even found in the Catholic religion or culture.

Another thing is that Heavenly Mother had particular children that were angels and the scriptures only talk about Lucifer and Christ as the only sons that she had. So the show is coming up with these random sons and daughters who have random powers. In Christian doctrine and culture, we are all sons and daughters of Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother, or God and Goddess of the universe.

Now this is not to say that Lucifer is a bad show. I like the storytelling of it and it definitely throws a different spin on the other crime shows that I have watched. But I warn you not to get caught up in the religious aspects of the show, especially if you are a religious person because a lot of the concepts in the show contradict the majority of religious doctrine. And that is where I feel like I need to draw a line because it doesn’t match up with my religion. So if you are ever wavering with your religion, I suggest that you don’t watch this show because it will probably convince you that these wrong doctrines are right.

This is my opinion. I’m not trying to convince anyone to be religious or not religious. I just want to let people who are religious know that they should be careful when watching this show.

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I saw The Hustlers movie a couple weeks ago with one of my guy friends. I didn’t know exactly how he’d feel about it because he’s one of those more innocent and reserved people, so I gave him a full disclosure that there would be a lot of nudity, drugs, and even a little violence in the movie. But half way through the movie, when they started showing that they were drugging the men, I could feel my friend get tense next to me. So I leaned over and asked him what was wrong and he said that nothing was wrong. I said that he was obviously uncomfortable and so something was wrong. He said that the movie was making him feel scared. I was shocked and asked him why. He responded that the whole drugging the men, taking them to a strip club, and then robbing them made him feel uncomfortable because he realized how real the situation could be. He explained that this made him feel vulnerable and that made him feel uncomfortable because men can’t feel vulnerable; they need to feel strong and muscular.

I realized that while this was a reality that he was facing, I also needed to point out to him that as much as he felt uncomfortable watching this movie, he needed to imagine how many women in this world are drugged, raped, and assaulted every day. I pointed out that this might be an uncommon situation for him, but that it is sadly a super common situation for women.

I would really like to hear people’s thoughts about this.

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corenaks-blog · 5 years

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All American: In Review

All American is based on a true story and it is about a football player from Crenshaw, California. This neighborhood is the stereotypical sketchy and bad neighborhood. In the show, the football player is named Spencer James, but he is based on a man named Spencer Paysinger. An actor named Daniel Ezra plays Spencer in this tv show. Spencer James basically got recruited from South Crenshaw High to Beverly Hills High to play football for the coach named Billy Baker. There is a lot of drama and yet there is still violence and sports. It’s a show that encompasses many genres as it shows Spencer going through many trials and difficulties with this transfer and situation. In order for him to be transferred to the new school and follow the rules and regulations for recruiting in sports, Spencer has to move in to the coach’s house in Beverly Hills. Spencer constantly has to deal with the problems that come from living in two different worlds, including rocky family relationships, romantic relationships, friendships, and violence.

I loved this show, and I can’t wait for season 2 to come out. I’m super excited for it because the show definitely left a lot of cliffhangers. I think that this show in some ways is super inspiring (kind of like The Blindside), but it also feels more real because it has a little more drama and violence. From reading articles online, I know that the real Spencer was very specific and involved in making this tv show and allowing his story to be shared. He wanted it to be shared so that other people can see what some people’s reality is. He also wanted to show that there are plenty of football players and other athletes who have come from nothing and are humble (even though they seem rich and high and mighty now).

GO WATCH ALL AMERICAN!!!

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corenaks-blog · 5 years

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Forcing Controversies

The biggest controversies right now that are really pissing me off are the LGBTQ+ and pro-choice. Let me first start of by saying, if you have had an abortion— go for it! That was your choice and you did that at the time because you did what was best for you. If you are LGBTQ+, good for you! Do you buddy! I am not going to judge you on your choices because I am going to make choices that not everybody is going to agree with either! But do I force everybody to accept and believe that what I do is true and right? N O. So then why are you forcing me to believe that LGBTQ+ and abortion (pro-choice) is okay for everyone? Why do I have to believe that those things are okay things to do—particularly in my life.?

This does not make me a bigot or whatever else you want to call me. This just makes me a person who can have their own beliefs and who is not going to judge you on yours. But don’t force me to believe what you believe. We are all different and I am not going to treat you any different than an everyday human being. I will celebrate you and your happiness and your reliefs and whatever else, but don’t force me to accept those things as a correct choice. Because what may be right for you may not be right for me.

Take a look at philosophy. Philosophy has many many theories. But each theory is going to be for each person and they are going to take it the way they want to, just like anything else in this world. The choice is the theory. Why do you have to force me to believe your theory when I have my own theory? My theory is not going to judge you for who you are or make me love you any less. But in my mind, I just don’t see the choices you make as choices that would be good for me and my theory. And that’s okay!

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13 Reasons Why: Season 3 and possible others (PART 2)

SPOILER ALERT CONTINUES

We’re going to rewind a little bit and talk about some of the things they did. Most rapists have something wrong with them emotionally and mentally that cause them to do these things and I really feel for Jessica, Hannah, and Tyler because I have been raped. Mine was more similar to Jessica and Hannah’s experience, but I felt more emotionally hurt when I watched Tyler’s experience. What Bryce and Monty did was inexcusable and horrible things but after all of it, they’re both the ones that died when they could have been the people that were saved knowing that their monstrous acts that they committed were because they didn’t know better.

Monty was beaten at home and his father was so against homosexuality but Monty was secretly very gay and didn’t know how to accept that part of himself along with the fact that he was beaten by his father for no reason. Bryce was born in this rich family with this selfish, cruel father who taught him to be this cruel way by his actions that Bryce saw. Because of these things, both characters obviously had these mental issues that they didn’t know how to come to terms with on their own and this led to them exploding in these really bad ways. They could have been helped if we had looked close enough in to their home lives and chosen to do something about it.

I ultimately feel for Bryce and for Monty and wish that the ends of their stories turned out differently than they did. On a quick note, the actors that play these characters are not the characters and should not receive any hate. We need to stop hating the real people for their performances in this show. I know that this show is supposed to bring forth a reality that exists in many high schools, but the actors are separate from the characters.

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Project Proposal Final

Dance is important to me because it’s something I’ve done my whole life and I’ve seen so many people brought together with dance. I am able to dance a lot of styles. Some of those styles are Ballroom, Latin, and Country. I have been dancing and taking dance classes since I could walk, so I would say that I am very well-rounded and skilled in this particular area. Dance for me reflects life because in dance you can face difficulties but you can also work through them. There have been times when I’ve been stuck on or struggled with certain steps or choreography but I can work through them and move forward. Dance has also helped me when I am in a depressed state because it helps me be social and helps me move around and be active. Dance also helps me process my feelings when I just listen to the music.

I’ve seen so many stories like mine where dance has benefited somebody’s life. For example, I saw a video and article talking about a nurse who used dance to help a elderly patient with a physical health issue that made it hard for him to walk. She would play music from when he was young and do exercises with him to help condition him into moving and walking to the music. This physical activity was vital for the man’s overall health. I also saw a video on Facebook that described some aspects of my project. Some common problems that a lot of people face in their everyday life are depression and other mental health issues, low self-confidence, having a hard time making friends and being social, and not having a safe place to go during times of difficulty.

Currently, dance is not seen as a valid treatment method for any of these issues. This might be because many people have not taken dance seriously as a sport and physical activity up until recently. This then causes people not to consider dance as a good method of healing. The worlds of dance and mental health treatment options are not connected. However, they should be connected because it can be an effective method that doesn’t require medications, constant doctor visits, or thousands of dollars of medical bills. Additionally, an increasing amount of people don’t have access to healthcare and other treatment methods.

There are some clear physical benefits from dancing because it is a form of exercise and good physical activity. Some possible research I can look into is the benefits of general exercise on physical and mental health. Logically, dance can have multiple benefits for a person’s physical health as long as they don’t over due themselves and make sure they don’t try anything that would need another person for. Like stunts, they can be extremely dangerous if you are not prepared. A few key words I can look for in my research are dance benefits, has dance been shown to help someone's health?

My main argument and thesis is that dancing benefits people with mental and physical health issues and should be considered a valid treatment method. I plan on specifically focusing my research on people with dementia and autism. Some things I am planning on researching are what kind of endorphins dance produces and other effects dancing has on the brain. I’ll also research the social and community impact of taking dance classes, and how dance can boost or otherwise affect self confidence. I’d also like to investigate how going to a dance class, studio, or other dance event can provide a person with a safe place to exercise, breathe, and otherwise help them cope with mental health issues. Additionally, I want to see how connecting the mind and body can benefit a person in general and how by doing different kinds and styles of dancing can help individuals with their health problems.

To gather research for this paper and argument, I will be using the library’s physical and digital resources and databases to find articles and research. I’d also like to speak to different members of the dance community to see how dance has helped them and how they’ve seen dance help others. I can talk to both fellow dance peers (people I dance with) and teachers like the people I teach with or who has taught me. I could also talk to different healthcare professionals to see what their professional opinion is about dance and how it can benefit people. It could be professionals like physical therapists, psychologists or mental health therapists. I want to specifically talk to a healthcare professional here at the school and my mom, because she a medical assistant. I plan on emailing the psychology department to see if there is a professor who specializes in disabilities like autism and dementia.

For this project, I might be interested in doing a survey. I would want to research the topic and talk to the professors first, but I would make an anonymous survey to hand out to both dancers and medical professionals. I might change a few words for each group of surveys so that they can be tailored to each community, but they would mostly be the same. I would use the survey to find out what people’s opinions are about combining the dance and medical communities. I could go and see Student Health Services to ask if they can give the survey to different medical professionals that work on campus. I would ask: “Do you think dance is helpful for mental health? If so, why? If no, why?” I could then categorize the answers and put the yes and no answers on a bar graph. I could then point out common themes in each group’s answers. This would help me in getting a feel for the current opinion for each group, and that information could change my persuasive points that I focus on in my paper and how I present the information that I find.

My goal for this research paper is to start a conversation about the specific ways dance and dancing can help people. Many people have been focusing on medical advancements but haven’t taken the time to step back and look at the possible benefits of dance in terms of a treatment method. By doing this, I will connect two very separate worlds and create a new discourse and community in which dance can be taken seriously as a treatment method for a variety of health issues—both physical and mental. In the end, I hope to inspire action in both the medical community and the dance community. This action could take the form of more research being done, or both communities recognizing each other and working together to reach a greater purpose.

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