Elisabeth Zeindlinger
Belfast Health and Social Care Trust
Elisabeth is based as Dancer in Residence at the Arts Care Studio in Knockbracken Health Care Park. She works on a weekly basis with a diverse range of service users and staff from different healthcare services such as learning and physical disability, older people and neuro-rehabilitation services. One of the aims of her residency is to offer service users and staff and opportunity for self-expression and to bring diversity into existing healthcare activities.
Some of the many benefits of service users participating in dance activities include increase in self esteem, enhanced levels of social interaction and increase in functional mobility.
A primary focus of Elisabeth’s residency is to continue to develop Arts Care’s existing dance companies, Orbit Dance Company, Kompany Maine and the Black Widows Dance Company. These dance companies comprise of service users with a diverse age range and ability, including learning and physical ability and enduring brain injury. The Black Widows Dance Company consists of a group of older women between the ages of 85 – 102 years old who meet of a regular basis to develop their technical skills in Rudolph Laban dance method. All three dance companies perform regularly across different healthcare and community environments, including international conferences.
Elisabeth’s background combines dance and cultural anthropology, which has involved her in a series of site-specific performances, exhibitions and community based relations work. She uses dance as a tool to work on trust, respect, responsibility, body awareness and creativity. These topics, which Elisabeth teaches, can be transferred into everyday life and often demonstrate that small changes can make a big difference to enhancing positive well-being. Other benefits which participation in dance can bring are increased self confidence and the provision of a “voice” which articulates experience. The main influence on Elisabeth’s work is the Alito Alessis method called DanceAbility. This dance methodology has its roots in contact improvisation for integrated groups. The method challenges prejudice and questions pre-conceptions about capability and mobility.
Elisabeth strongly believes in creating opportunities for people to access creativity, dance and art in a care environment to assist in enhancing service users’ lives.
