Dancing Well: The Soldier Project
Categories: Living with Brain Injury
By Diane Schirmer, Brain Injury Association of Kentucky
How many times have you found yourself lost in a song or melody, completely forgetting what you’re doing, why your head hurts, and how you were feeling to begin with?
Edwin O. Walker, M.D., psychiatrist at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Fort Knox, Kentucky, always searched for new ways to help his soldiers and their families with their physical and emotional pain. He knew music could dispel his own aches and pains, and he had seen improvements in a patient’s mood and memory after learning to play the guitar. He began to wonder if music could help other soldiers and their families, too.
To test his theory, Dr. Walker invited Deborah Denenfeld, a seasoned dancer and dance instructor, to the VA. They asked a specific group of veterans and their loved ones to participate in a dance series. The goal was to identify some veterans whose lives had been impacted by the devastating effects of PTSD and brain injury and to integrate them with volunteer dancers in community dance, a type of group dancing with a caller who announces each dance move. It is always accompanied by live, joyful music.
At the end of the series, the soldiers reported that, not only did they enjoy the dance, but they saw improvements in memory, mood, and overall outlook. They also reported reduced anxiety and physical pain. Additionally, the experience had a profound impact on couples. Everyone reported improved relationships with their loved ones.
Denenfeld then founded Dancing Well: The Soldier Project in Louisville, Kentucky, to bring the healing power of music, dance, and community to veterans and families coping with PTSD and TBI. Deborah had experienced the healing power of community dance herself and wanted to give every person access to the physical, mental, and emotional benefits of dance, regardless of background and ability. Veterans, veteran organizations, and individuals from the wider community provide venues and volunteer as dance partners and photographers. Participating veterans and family members also serve as active members of the program, providing ongoing feedback, outreach, recruitment, fundraising, and vision.
As a provider of brain injury rehabilitation services, I have been rewarded many times in my career; however, becoming involved with this project is special beyond words. My contribution is simply providing a training template to teach others about brain injury. My rewards are endless as this program captures national attention, and I have the pleasure of meeting countless veterans, family members, and dance instructors who can’t wait to extend these services in their state. You see, for veterans, isolation is often significant. Yet, Dancing Well, in a very simple, beautiful way, helps them form partnerships through dance and regain their lives.
This article originally appeared in Volume 12, Issue 2 of THE Challenge! published in 2018.