Villa Charities 2018 Annual Report VC19_AnnualReport_Interiors_Apr29_FNL2 | Page 32

“
It was a great change
from our regular
exercise program.
I really enjoyed
the music.”
danzarts toronto
profi le
– Maria Di Marco,
VCT resident
A new program begun in 2018 by
DanzArts Toronto, the Columbus
Centre’s school of dance, is bringing
the joy of dance to seniors at Villa
Colombo Toronto. Pillon adds, “Dance is more than exercise.
It releases endorphins and is a way to
bring people together. Everyone sings
and dances, and leaves the class with
so much joy.”
Led by DanzArts Toronto’s Artistic
Director, Tara Pillon, the program entered
its first year with 12 seniors participating
in regular classes at the long-term care
facility’s Sala Caboto. The objective is to
provide an opportunity for participants to
exercise while enjoying traditional Italian
music and the motion of dance. The program is also a way for DanzArts
Toronto, Pillon and a student volunteer
who assisted her to give back to the
community. “Seeing the joy that it brings
the seniors brings a whole new light to
the beautiful art form that we study so
rigorously at DanzArts,” Pillon says.
More specifically, the classes are designed
to increase mobility, strength, musicality
and coordination. Some of the exercises
engage participants in listening to the
music and finding the different rhythms.
Other exercises focus on individual
muscle groups and joints, and having the
participants move three-dimensionally.
Based on the program’s success in its first
year, DanzArts plans to further develop
and expand it in 2019. This would include
not only engaging with more Villa
Colombo residents, but also extending it
to other seniors in the community.
Because the participants range in
mobility, different versions of the dance
exercises are taught to match the ability
of every senior in the class. But there is
one thing everyone in the room shares in
common, says Pillon, and that is the
universally understood language of
dance and music.
“Although everyone comes from different
backgrounds and speaks different
languages, we can all communicate
through the art of dance and connect
through the traditional Italian music,”
Pillon remarks. “It’s a form of
communication that does not require
words.”
32
VILLA CHARITIES
ANNUAL REPORT
33