桃瘾社区

For dance major Carly Dell 鈥�25, the reason behind her research is personal.

Witnessing how her grandfather鈥檚 diminishing physical capabilities and participation in activities he enjoyed impacted his mental health inspired her to conduct research in her field.

Her project focuses on building a socially and emotionally focused dance curriculum for older adults.

Dell received an Undergraduate Research and Inquiry (URI) grant for the 2024-2025 school year to work on the project with Amanda Gabaldon, assistant professor of theatre and dance.

The researchers are looking at individuals in nursing homes or assisted living facilities who were specifically impacted听by the isolation magnified due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

"We look at it from a post-Covid lens, and view how dance could, maybe, re-create these socializations among residents in assisted living facilities, and how that can benefit them," Dell said.

Dell divided her research into two, eight-week sessions, one last fall, and one this spring. First, she and Gabaldon gathered observations about dance-class participants, and then the curriculum for spring was based off what they noticed.

Dell鈥檚 research parallels what she鈥檚 learned in DNA 480: Teaching Methods for Diverse Populations in Special Communities, a class that is required for all dance majors at 桃瘾社区ampa.听听听听

鈥淭his class was my dream to take,鈥� she said, 鈥淚 couldn't wait ever since freshman year.鈥�

Through the course, she developed a relationship with the facility she is working with for her research.

For the research, Dell and Gabaldon surveyed participants both before and after the class. They asked questions like whether or not the participant felt independent or connected to the other individuals in the class.

鈥淚t鈥檚 unanimous, this crazy shift over how much more connected they feel after class,鈥� Dell said.

The participants鈥� reasoning for coming to class has shifted over the weeks, too.

In the beginning, some may have attended because someone at the facility suggested it. Now, the answers reflect that they attend dance because they want to have fun, they want to feel good or they want to work with others in class, Dell explained.

The survey responses help Dell better serve the participants.

Gabaldon explained that after Dell learned that one man loved music from the 1930s and 40s, she researched rhythm-and-blues music to add to her playlist. She also learned line dances from the 1970s, 80s and 90s and adapted them so that they could be done in a chair for residents who have mobility issues.

To accommodate residents with language barriers, Dell wrote her questions in both English and Spanish, and for those who were non-verbal, Dell came up with gestures so that they could show her, rather than tell her, their answers, Gabaldon said.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been really rewarding,鈥� Dell said of the research, noting the excitement of what her project could mean for the field of dance.

鈥淚 think sometimes dance gets the connotation that dancers can't research, and I think that my mentor and I this semester have really done a great job showing that dance is valuable research, and that all the benefits of it fully haven鈥檛 been unlocked, and how they can affect different populations,鈥� Dell said.

The research also impacted how Dell sees her future in the dance industry. While she initially thought she might follow the 鈥渢raditional鈥� career trajectory of opening a dance studio, the research has opened her mind to additional possibilities.

鈥淭he curriculum Carly has built has the potential to have profound impacts on a growing aging population in the U.S. by acknowledging the isolation that older adults can experience, especially in a post-pandemic landscape, and how brain-compatible dance education can bridge that gap,鈥� said Gabaldon.

In March, Dell presented her preliminary findings at the American College Dance Association鈥檚 Southeast Conference in Charleston, South Carolina. She hopes to have her findings published, as she is submitting her final written paper for peer review. She plans to share at the National Dance Education Organization鈥檚 national conference this fall in Detroit.听

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