Today was the last day of the PALETTE in Motion program. We had our showcase event where we choreographed a dance incorporating the difference dance elements that we have learned together throughout the movement art classes. It was amazing to see how much my group has learned together through these dance sessions. I remembered in the first movement art class, we were unfamiliar with how our bodies moved. Each movement required thought and the motions were uncertain and less defined. Today, however, as we slowly pieced together our dance, I can see that our movements were more spontaneous but yet more certain and confident. Not only were we more familiar with our own body movements, but we were also more familiar with each other and how our bodies moved together. Because of this understanding and comfort with each other, we were able to communicate with each other using nonverbal cues throughout the dance as we transitioned almost seamlessly from one dance segment to the next. In the end, when we showcased our dance to everyone, I felt like we were not only performing our dance to everyone but we were also showcasing our relationship with each other through these different dance movements.
It has been such an incredible journey this semester getting to know the PALs, especially my PAL Beverly. Beverly told me today that she retired a few years ago, but she is still so actively involved in our community that her grandson jokes that she has not retired yet. Beverly taught me that aging is not something to be feared but something to embrace in the future. Age is only a number; it does not confine us nor does it define who we are as a person. Instead, it’s our actions and attitudes that determine who we are and who want to be in the future as we age. I will take my newfound understanding of ageism with me and apply it to myself as well as my professional practice.
Yvonne Zhang, graduate student in Pharmacy
I am not going to lie, I was an ageist before this class. Even walking into the first class, I was skeptical about how it was going to go. I was pleasantly surprised. Working with the senior volunteers these past few weeks has definitely opened up my eyes to a lot of things. It has been so interesting to see the differences between the student and the senior volunteers. During the first class, it was apparent that the professional students were extremely self conscious but most of the senior volunteers were not shy or afraid to experiment with the different dance motions. It has been so fun watching everyone grow more and more comfortable week by week. Sharon, my PAL, has so much spunk. Most of the senior volunteers have so much more movement in them than I thought possible. A lot of people underestimate the abilities of seniors, especially when they see a walker. But, this past weekend, a PAL with a walker performed a beautiful duet with one of the pharmacy students. It was amazing to see how someone who I thought was going to have so little movement create something so beautiful.
Today, we had a cultural outing at the VMFA. We were split up into two groups, those who have been there before and those who have not been. My PAL, Shirley and I have both been to VMFA, so we went with the group that would get a more in-depth view of artistic style over the centuries. It was fascinating because the concept of art is organic, it continues to change over time; however, the concept of ageism is still present in art. Even the tour guide said that those who are older do not appreciate modern day or 20th century art because it isn’t “real.” It is interesting how ageist stereotypes even exist in art.