Dancing Hands and Creative Souls » Drama

Creative storytelling

admin — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 03:19:44 +0000

“Look at that happy face.” Louise, an Alzheimer’s patient was looking at the sports page at a cheerleader. I had my watercolors there and so I casually started painting the face as she watched.
“What do you think she might be saying?” I asked.
” I think she is saying ‘I can’t believe it.’”
I asked her to help me to write a story about her. What is her name? What did she do? When? Where? What?, etc. Here is what she dictated to me:
Once there was a girl named Mary. She taught school at Milan. One day, she taught something very important – how to treat other people. The children laughed because they thought she said “how to cheat other people.” Then she laughed.

A Sock full of Rocks

admin — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 06:03:28 +0000

The quickest route to drama is a bean bag. I can throw it to one person and then it could end up here, there and everywhere, with crazy antics, laughter, and spontaneous games. I had filled squares of fabric with beans, but it was not working because of laundering problems. I opened a package of river rocks (little smooth pebbles from the aquarium aisle at the store)., and dumped a handful of them inside of a sock. I tied the sock and then folded back the cuff over it. It works so well and can be washed so easily, by emptying the rocks and washing the sock and then put back together so quickly.
In addition to this, I often open the sock and we sort the rocks for an activity, or make temporary pictures with them on the tabletop. When finished, back in the sock they go, knot tied, folded back and ready for a throw.

Creative Storytelling

admin — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 03:55:11 +0000

Creativity is seen in many ways. Robert, age 86, lives alone and has 11 cats. When I visit him, he tells me stories about them. He has created a “cat haven” using blankets, feeding boxes, cubby holes, and what he calls their “play ground”…the garden. I make up stories and illustrate them and share them with him. They are about his cats.
Eunice is the only male cat. There is Dove who is white. Another is Castin, which is short for castinets. There is Florence and next, Bonnie. The rest of his cats have unique names too and he talks sincerely to each one calling them by name… Lenora, Lillian, Lucina, Faith, Waters, Flowers, and Callie.

“Bully Bird” Drama

admin — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 03:16:17 +0000

I enjoy taking odd hats and jewelry and scarves and things into the Advanced Alzheimer’s Unit. All it takes is one statement and a story or drama starts bubbling. One day, I picked up some feather boas that were left hanging in the corner. I started dancing with them and swinging them around. I placed them around my shoulders, grabbed the ends and started flying with them. “Let’s be birds,” I said, as I placed boas on each patient. Let’s give ourselves name. “I’ll be Birdie Bird,” said one. And then there was Cassie Bird and Ralph. Emma, evidently angered by her situation, said “I’ll be #!&%**# Bird.”
“OK,” said. “We have Birdie Bird, Cassie Bird, Ralph and #!&%**# Bird.
Emma looked at me and said. “I don’t think we should call it that. That doesn’t sound right.” We finally decided on “Bully Bird.”
We were off on an adventure as I told the story of the birds sitting on a fence and one falling off and the response of each bird. Each one was waving their arms, draped with feathers, and listening closely to what would happen next. FYI, Bully Bird was not a nice bird. Bully Bird added depth to the story.

She Looks into my Eyes

admin — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 22:30:05 +0000

I’ve heard that eyes are the “window of the soul”. Even when someone cannot communicate verbally, I see hunger for eye contact. Dorothy has Alzheimer’s. I show her many things using my hands, art, music, movement…and yet, she will not look at my hands. She looks straight into my eyes. It is then that I put aside my “doing and showing” and allow her to look into my soul and I into hers. I believe that eye contact is a missing ingredient for communication, no matter what the age.

Stirring the Senses Stirs Memory

admin — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 03:12:22 +0000

I was searching for something with texture. I found a woodblock I had carved years ago. It was the image of a fish. As we passed the block around, we felt the textures and talked about fishing expeditions. “What was the biggest fish you ever caught?” We laughed as we animatedly shared stories and waved our hands around. Very soon afterwards, those who wanted to, made rubbings with the side of a crayon. Paint was added later.

Something New for Pat

admin — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 18:41:10 +0000

Pat did not come out of her room often, until she discovered art and drama. She seemed to enjoy the social part and also the laughter and expression.
During a drama session, we were gathered in a circle with various roles for a song we were singing. Each person acted out his or her part of the song. Pat enjoyed dramatizing the part of the bird.

Time for Drama

admin — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 23:12:21 +0000

Bring out the old clothes and Halloween costumes from the boxes in storage and become someone different. Each person uses props and dreams up a new name with new interests, dreams, and idiosyncracies. As each person internalizes his or her new role, we dialog back and forth, as we come up with different settings and circumstances. The best part is the laughter. It is a time to forget troubles.