Former Prima Ballerina With Alzheimer’s Beautifully Remembers Choreography While Listening to Swan Lake
It can be difficult to watch a loved one lose his or her memory. In late stages, the person may not be able to have a conversation or interact with the world around them.
Marta C. González is a Spanish ballerina who used to be a prima ballerina in New York City. That was a long time ago, but even though she has Alzheimer’s, she hasn’t forgotten the choreography to Swan Lake.
In a video shared on social media, González sits in a wheel chair, headphones on her ears. She is listening to Tchaikovsky, and almost immediately, her arms start moving to the music.
The video intercuts González’s arm movements with footage of her dancing in Swan Lake back in 1967. It is obvious that González is doing the choreography from the famous ballet. All she needed was to hear the iconic music, and she suddenly remembered exactly what to do.
González’s arm movement are fluid and graceful. Her facial expressions mirror those of her younger self. We can tell that this choreography was embedded deep into her memory. Several studies have shown that music is very helpful for dementia patients and can reduce their need for medication.
Watch González recreate the Swan Lake choreography in the video below.
Marta González, former Prima Ballerina with Alzheimers listens to Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky and remembers and feels the choreography again – simply beautiful. 🎥 Música Para Despertar pic.twitter.com/TPFPyzvYIn
— GoodNewsCorrespondent (@GoodNewsCorres1) November 8, 2020
González has since passed away, but this video of her is truly moving. Arlene Phillips is a choreographer and theatre director. When Phillips saw this video of González, she tweeted, “This has absolutely broken my heart this morning.”
Do you know anyone suffering from Alzheimer’s? Did it surprise you how well González remembered the choreography to Swan Lake?