{"id":170773,"date":"2025-09-30T16:35:08","date_gmt":"2025-09-30T16:35:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/170773\/"},"modified":"2025-09-30T16:35:08","modified_gmt":"2025-09-30T16:35:08","slug":"community-dance-programme-helps-spore-seniors-improve-health-cognition-emotional-well-being","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/170773\/","title":{"rendered":"Community dance programme helps S\u2019pore seniors improve health, cognition, emotional well-being"},"content":{"rendered":"

SINGAPORE \u2013 Retired precision machinist Rubiah Rahim joined a new inter-generational community dance programme at Lions Befrienders six weeks ago. <\/p>\n

Since then, the pain in her left leg that she suffers as a result of sciatica has reduced, said the 69-year-old who enjoys dancing.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe best part is we get to add in our own dance steps,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

The inter-generational community dance programme is a structured 12-week initiative for pre-frail and mildly frail older adults. It combines movement, rhythm and storytelling to improve physical health, stimulate cognition and foster emotional well-being.<\/p>\n

It is jointly run by the Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies at the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and Lions Befrienders, and co-designed with geriatric and exercise experts, dance professionals, student instructors, seniors and active ageing centre (AAC) staff.<\/p>\n

Currently running at four centres, the programme will be rolled out at 10 Lions Befrienders AACs from 2025 to 2027. It is expected to benefit more than 280 seniors, in line with <\/p>\n

Healthier SG<\/p>\n

<\/a> and <\/p>\n

Age Well SG,<\/p>\n

<\/a> which prioritises preventive, community-based care. <\/p>\n

The NUS Nursing and Medicine team plans to extend the programme islandwide to the more than 200 AACs, as well as develop digital training modules to complement in-person sessions and enable wider adoption by community partners.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe long-term vision is to integrate community dance into Singapore\u2019s fall-prevention and ageing strategies, making dance-based interventions accessible to seniors nationwide,\u201d said NUS Nursing Assistant Professor Vivien Wu, who is the programme\u2019s principal investigator.<\/p>\n

Dr Wu said mild cognitive impairment (MCI) affects up to 20 per cent of older adults worldwide. If left untreated, nearly 40 per cent of those with MCI may progress to dementia. <\/p>\n

Dance improves cognition, neuroplasticity, mobility and quality of life in older adults with MCI, she added. <\/p>\n

While normal exercise can seem dry and repetitive, dance comes with music and rhythm, and brings joy to the seniors, she told The Straits Times on Sept 29, ahead of International Day of Older Persons on Oct 1.<\/p>\n

Ms Rubiah also connected with the young dance instructors and other seniors in the programme, including Mr Leonard Lee, her long-lost classmate from Jurong Vocational Institute more than 40 years ago. <\/p>\n

Mr Lee, who was an assistant manager with Nanyang Technological University before he retired in 2018, said he suffered from knee pain and calcaneal spur on his left ankle. The pain in both areas has eased since he started dancing twice a week, with each session lasting about an hour. <\/p>\n

The 68-year-old said: \u201cThe stretching helps, and my young trainers are so enthusiastic in motivating me.\u201d<\/p>\n

He and Ms Rubiah get to choose their favourite piece of music too. For both of them, their go-to dance track is Apt by Blackpink\u2019s Rose and Bruno Mars. <\/p>\n

Each weekly session lasts about 60 to 75 minutes and typically includes warm-up exercises to improve mobility and balance. The choreographed dance routines are based on simple, repetitive steps with themes such as nature, travel or daily life, to make the sessions engaging and relatable. <\/p>\n

Participants end the session with cool-down stretches to aid recovery and relaxation.<\/p>\n

The programme is led by National University of Singapore (NUS) students who trained as dance instructors through a \u201cdancing communities\u201d course. These students are supported by research and AAC staff and guided by professional dance instructors. <\/p>\n

The benefits of dancing are backed by more than four years of research by NUS Nursing and its partners. This included a pilot trial conducted in 2022 at four neighbourhood senior activity centres operated by Lions Befrienders, where an eight-week programme improved seniors\u2019 physical health, sharpened their memory and lifted their mood.<\/p>\n

The research found that the seniors showed improved flexibility, reduced back pain and better stamina, with some seeing weight loss and lower blood pressure and glucose levels. They also had improved memory, attention and alertness from learning the dance choreography.<\/p>\n

Dancing in a group also reduced isolation and built friendships. Through inter-generational exchange, the student trainers developed empathy and communication skills, while the seniors valued their energy and encouragement.<\/p>\n

Ms Lauren Leow, a first-year business administration undergraduate, is one of 20 NUS student dance trainers. <\/p>\n

\u201cAt first, language seemed a challenge as we don\u2019t speak dialects,\u201d said the 20-year-old. \u201cBut we came to realise that our movements can bridge the gap.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Mr Leonard Lee (in green) and Ms Rubiah Rahim (in red), at the launch of a large-scale intergenerational community dance programme by NUS Nursing and Lions Befrienders.<\/p>\n

ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO<\/p>\n

Dr Chew Suyin, senior lecturer from NUS College and Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, said movement is a universal language that transcends boundaries and breaks down the barriers in communication. <\/p>\n

\u201cDance has a positive impact on the moods of everyone involved \u2013 whether they are facilitators, instructors, participants or the audience,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Ms Alina Tay, 22, a Year 4 psychology undergraduate, said the student trainers learnt how to progress from performing for an audience to facilitating and co-creating dance with the community.<\/p>\n

To keep seniors engaged, the students introduced ball games as ice-breakers and simple gestures like high-fives to show encouragement, said Mr Kevin Tan, 24, a Year 4 business administration undergraduate.<\/p>\n

Lions Befrienders executive director Karen Wee said social connection and engagement are just as vital as physical activity for the well-being of seniors, and the inter-generational community dance programme embodies this belief.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis programme is more than just dance. It\u2019s also about reducing isolation, building friendships, and creating a sense of joy and community,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

\u201cTogether, we are not only delivering a beneficial service but also building a stronger, more inclusive community that supports our seniors in their journey of healthy ageing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The dance programme benefits the student trainers as well, helping them communicate and connect better with the older generation.<\/p>\n

ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO<\/p>\n

She added that to attract more male participants, who make up about 15 per cent of the dance participants so far, the seniors can be encouraged to co-create and incorporate more masculine dance moves. <\/p>\n

\u201cDance is like a gift everyone is born with,\u201d Mr Tan said. \u201cI like this idea of bringing dance to the seniors, who may think that they can\u2019t do it any more.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"SINGAPORE \u2013 Retired precision machinist Rubiah Rahim joined a new inter-generational community dance programme at Lions Befrienders six…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":170774,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[6647,102,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-170773","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fitness","8":"tag-fitness","9":"tag-health","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom","12":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/170773","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=170773"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/170773\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/170774"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=170773"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=170773"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=170773"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}