Friends & Family Dance-Movement Therapy Day at St. Andrews

The St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Homes Foundation proudly funds a dance-movement therapy program for residents of the St. Andrews Residential Centre, a pioneer program in long-term care. The program has developed into a wonderful partnership with the National Centre for Dance Therapy of Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal. The past 2 years, we have also been fortunate to receive the additional funding support of the What Connects Us project.

Our dance-movement therapy (DMT) program was first geared to residents living with dementia. Interest grew and residents of various abilities are now able to benefit from the weekly therapy.

Our wonderful therapist Tania Lazuk visits St. Andrews multiple times a week and provides therapy in both group and individual sessions. Our regular weekday schedule means that many of our residents’ loved-ones may be unfamiliar with our program, with DMT and with its benefits.

As such, it was our pleasure to host the first ever DMT Family & Friends Day on Saturday, September 24th, 2022.

In attendance, we welcomed residents with their family & friends, Tania Lazuk (dance therapist), Joanabbey Sack (DMT supervisor), Stephanie Desgagné (interim program coordinator of St. Andrews), Anna Aglietta (manager, National Centre for Dance Therapy), as well as Melissa Park, Andrés Solis Barrios and Jenna Welik from the What Connects Us team.

Our thanks to all who participated and to our partners for their presence and support. A wonderful time spent together and an opportunity to witness firsthand the benefits of dance-movement therapy.