Husna and Emad attend our Dancing Together sessions for people living with dementia. Emad, who has been diagnosed with dementia jokes:

“I’m not good at these things! But we like coming here together.”

Husna explains “I’d never danced before. Sometimes, actually, when you’re dancing, you feel shy and prohibited. And this group, we can let our personality be seen and not feel embarrassed about it. The girls show us with smiles on their faces, it’s infectious! It makes us want to smile too.”

Emad, a hockey player in his younger years, adds “Hockey is very fast. You have to move fast when dancing as well.”

Husna tells us:

“Being doctors, with experience of over 50 years in this country, we know that movement has such an impact on physical health,” Emad’s “having lots of problems with his back and knees. Sometimes he seizes up. So these exercises are very good. Dancing is very good. When we’re here we are happy.

Emad agrees “You look at the things which are positive, you feel happier and you might make others happy.”

Image: Dancing Together © Paula Solloway