Dancing with Poetry
This fun, high-energy workshop is packed-full of simple techniques and skills to help you create high-quality arts programs. The skills highlighted in the workshop are transferable to other activities and helpful in increasing your ability to communicate with people living with memory loss. Participants will learn how to perform and create new poetry with people living with Alzheimer's disease and related dementia.
Workshop attendees will learn how to structure an arts program for people living with memory loss. They will understand how to engage people with group discussions that lead to the creation of new poetry, stories or songs. The workshop participants will leave the workshop with increased knowledge of projection, articulation, pacing of the recitation, dynamics, and how to bring out the emotional content of the poem. You will learn how to use poetry to help people laugh, sigh over a remembered love or dance. Yes! Dance to poetry.
Glazner the founder and Executive Director of the Alzheimer’s Poetry Project is an internationally recognized speaker and expert on using poetry with people living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia. Glazner has given talks at over 30 conferences teaching over 5,000 healthcare workers and family members on how to use poetry with people living with dementia. Conferences include:
• Art of Good Health and Wellbeing International Arts and Health Conference, Australia
• Alzheimer’s Association
• Easter Seals
• Institut für Bildung und Kultur, Germany,
• Koran Arts and Culture Education Service, South Korea
• Museum of Modern Art, Practice & Progress
• Tennessee Arts Commission
• University of San Diego, Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center
• U.S. Embassy in Berlin, Germany
• Veteran’s Administration
Praise for Glazner and the APP
"Thank you very much for your terrific workshop and for your leadership in providing stimulating activities for our friends and clients, individuals who may have dementia, but who also have amazing strengths. They need help to find those strengths and to enjoy moments of satisfaction and accomplishment. We all gained new insights from your workshop and appreciate your willingness to share your ideas with us." -Ruth Ahearn, Associate Director, Hudson Valley/Rockland/Westcherster, NY Chapter, Alzheimer's Association.
"Regarding the feedback we received on your presentation, the overall evaluation was "Excellent" both for the presentation and the content. A few comments received were: excellent presentation, full of passion; very relevant and useful information to caregivers, great energy and very entertaining." -Mary P. Sundsmo, MBA, Program Director, Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer's Disease Research Center
"The use of poetry to connect with persons who have Alzheimer's disease or memory loss is effective and there was strong response from the 15 residents of Meadow View that participated in the poetry session. The residents livened up, smiled, laughed, finished lines of poetry, and responded to the facilitator's questions; even residents who have trouble finding the words to make a sentence in normal conversation. Afterwards, I heard residents share their delight with the program during lunch." -Carol Olson, Outreach Specialist, Alzheimer's and Dementia Alliance of Wisconsin
Contact Gary Glazner at:
garyglaznerpoet@gmail.com