Virginia Taylor (Re)mind Your Body

Virginia Taylor’s career in dance spans work in the community – she founded Cumbria Dance Project in 1985 and directed it till 1991 - and education (teaching GCSE, A Level, BTEC, BA, MA, PhD) as well as performing and choreographing professionally in the UK and US and training professional dancers (Cunningham and ballet) at LIPA and elsewhere.  She is a qualified teacher of Feldenkrais Method® Awareness Through Movement® classes. She choreographs for musicals, operas and theatre productions as well as making works with everyone, in the community and education.

Back home in Cumbria, Virginia is now focusing on new projects with the over-50s through the Arts and Health social enterprise (RE)Mind Your Body ©. She is looking for new partners to develop opportunities for older people. The over-50s Dance Company Wise Moves meets regularly in Penrith, and Feldenkrais Method® Awareness Through Movement® classes are held in Penrith and elsewhere.

Sessions for older adults enhance mobility, balance and wellbeing through movement, music, and reminiscence and are tailored for the needs of the participants. Sometimes all seated; some groups may wish to make a presentation for family and friends; others may need one-to-one communication. Sessions and projects will normally be arranged in consultation with activity providers and partners such as the NHS. 
Ballet for Adults is a great way to enjoy moving, done in soft shoes, socks, or bare feet – with no pressure to achieve. You can look on ballet as a physical Sudoku – remembering the patterns and performing them in time and space is good for your mind and memory. Did you know that dancing was found to be the only physical activity whose control group had statistically reduced onset of Alzheimer’s? (n engl j med 348;25 www.nejm.org june 19 2003).