The documentary ‘They’re not Scary: An Intergenerational Dance Project’ will be screened at the CEP campus on Thurs, Feb. 20 at 6 pm in the black box theatre (A2106). The film looks at a research project conducted by faculty members Dr. Michael Gaetz of Kinesiology and Shelley Canning of Nursing where a group of Mission elementary students participated each week in a dance class at Pleasant View Care Home in Mission.
The research was investigating any physiological or cognitive benefits that this program may have had for the elders participating in the dance class. A group of Media and Communication Studies students under the direction of MACS assistant professor Darren Blakeborough filmed several hundred hours of footage and interviews to document this process. What emerged was an engaging look at how this program affected the lives of the ballerinas and the elders in very profound ways.
The relationships that grew throughout this 6 month program helped to break down preconceived stereotypes and images of what it means to age, or to reside in a care facility, and this documentary highlights this important journey.
For more information, contact Darren Blakeborough at darren.blakeborough@ufv.ca
02/21/2014