HIGHLIGHTS OF 2025 and LOOKING FORWARD

Demonstrating the Octaband® at last year’s Expose Dementia conference. Notice people photographing, videotaping! The Octaband invigorates caregivers.

2025 highlights include first and foremost exhibiting and contributing to the Expose Dementia conference whose mission is to raise awareness for dementia, especially in the African American community, and to reduce stigma and improve lives through art and advocacy. Their mission fits together seamlessly with mine. But what made this conference so hugely unforgettable was the love, generosity, and spirituality of C. Nathaniel Brown (Chuck) and the team that surrounded him. I am so looking forward to returning this year, March 19-21, 2026 at the Maritime Conference Center in Linthicum, Maryland. When we bring our love and create the opportunity for people with dementia to express themselves through art, we are changing lives and making the world a better place. I highly recommend this conference for the information imparted about dementia and how the arts, sensitively provided, meet the needs of people living with dementia. Learn more.

Many thanks to Respite for All (RFA) for the opportunity to facilitate a dance program with your community.

The many groups I facilitate always bring me great joy, and this year was no different. The more I consider what I can do to make the dance sessions more effective at increasing engagement and connection, the better they seem to get. I offer my deep gratitude to two wonderful women, Ines Costa Dias and Kathleen Anderson who have taken my Bring Dance training, and volunteered to help me at some of the groups. Also, to my dance/movement therapy friend and colleague, Dr. Heather Hill, for our bi-weekly zoom meetings where we work together on a book that we are in the process of writing. If you are considering taking a training with me, I have one scheduled this year, April 17 - 19, in person in Westwood, MA. The 15 hour training will include 2 groups with people with dementia. Learn more and register here.

Image from a prior training held in Westwood.

This past year I was invited by Minh Bui Tuyet to teach a couple of virtual classes designed for Vietnamese students for BODY COMPASS Online Dance/Movement Therapy Introduction courses. It was a delight to communicate through movement (with Minh's translation) online with these students. I am hoping to collaborate again in 2026.

I was also invited to present a half day intensive, Embodied Connection in Dementia Care: Dance/ Movement Therapy at the Edge of Human Dignity, Advocacy, and Neuroscience, at the 2025 American Dance Therapy Association with my colleague, Dr. Cecilia Fontanesi. I am thrilled to announce that we have been invited once again to present on this topic, this time in greater depth in a full day intensive at next year's conference in Long Beach, November 5-8. Let this serve as a Save the Date.

A couple of new things I will be doing in 2026. The Alzheimer's Association is offering a new series: New Year, New Mindset: Resolutions for Brain Health in 2026. On Feb. 5, 12 - 1 EST I'll be facilitating a 1 hour virtual program for which you can register for here.

On Feb. 27 I will be leading an in-person dance/expressive movement program at a Lunch & Learn for caregivers at the Sherborn COA. Learn more here.