I Dance.
Dance is my life and,
I am so lucky,
it is also my job.
The main part of my work
is Dancing with people
who arrived in the last stage
of their lives.
Most of my Dancers live in a care home.
Most of them are diagnosed with dementia.
Through Dance and Music
contact between us arises.
we Sing
we Move
we give space
to the Life within
to Joy
to Sadness
we Touch
we Kiss
we Hug
And then
I arrive at the care home
one week later
two weeks later
and I am told a Dancer died.
Or two of them.
Sometimes three.
And sure
I am writing about
vulnerable people.
Old people.
Very old people.
But
you know
We are all going to die
some day.
What I sense now
in these Bizar Times
is the feeling we can control that.
We can control life
and we can control death.
And Please!
Do not get me wrong.
I do agree we need to act responsible
be on our own when feeling sick
act in a caring way
for the well being of others
and protect the ones
who are vulnerable.
And Please!
Do not get me wrong.
My heart is with the people
facing hurt and loss
due to the corona virus.
So yes
I Dance (til recently)
with vulnerable people
every day.
But
when I had a cold
or was feeling ill
I did not go on the Dance Date
to protect my Dancers
from getting sick also.
I also knew
I could not protect them
from Dying.
And now
I am not allowed
to Dance anymore.
Apart from a personal loss
the loss
is much bigger.
My Dancers are isolated.
Luckily there are people
taking care of them.
And hopefully
touching them.
Singing with them
and helping them
to contact their families
by screen.
And I know
some of them are Dancing
to the music I sent.
But shouldn’t we all
be doing that?
Embrace the vulnerable ones?
Hug them?
Touch them?
Sing their song with them?
The world as they knew it
is already falling apart
by their disease.
The way they used to communicate
with their loved ones
does not work anymore.
In this stage of their lives
they need
closeness
eye contact
a touch
a song
filled with sweet memories.
In our quest to control
and to battle our fear
we lose sight
of connection,
of the soul.
I always feel
as heart breaking
as the process
of aging and dementia can be
my Dancers are also my teachers.
They bring me back
to what is important.
To the touch
to the laughter
to sadness
to the Song
and the Dance
of Life.
This story
of a very vulnerable group
is to share with you my concerns
of trying to control
Life and Death
which basically
can not be controlled.
We give away our freedom.
More
and
more.
We lock ourselves up
and follow the rules
of people
who til now
we could not trust
in having our best interest.
Why are the hospitals full?
Because resources were spent elsewhere.
Why are the basic caretakers of my Dancers
underpaid and overworked?
Because resources were spent elsewhere
and because they have to be busy
with digital papers and administrative acts.
And surely
it was not thanks to the managers of this world
my DanceWork was growing.
And now
we are put in isolation
by people ruling the world
and we let them control us.
Again
I do think we should act responsible
especially regarding
the most vulnerable among us.
But I also feel
death is part of life
and no government
can protect us from that.
We cannot control death.
We do have some control and influence
on what we do
with our Precious Life.
So
I hope You Keep Dancing!
No Matter What~
Art ~ B. Fatholahi
