Minneapolis, MN, March 19, 2018– In the wake of last week’s news about elder care abuse in Minnesota, astronomical long-term health care costs, and staggering statistics about the negative effects of living in isolation, Minnesotans may be looking for some way to alleviate some of the problems that arise when we don’t prioritize placing elders at the center of our intergenerational communities.
Kairos Alive!, a pioneer in the creative arts and aging movement, is hosting a series of free Intergenerational Dance Halls™ at various community sites across the Twin Cities. These community events serve as a way to regain a sense of community, especially for elders, who are not often catered to when it comes to arts programming and community involvement. These lively events, which include dance, storytelling, and live music, give neighbors an opportunity to meet one another, families to reconnect with one another, and elders to not only have a place to feel included, but an opportunity to have their gifts celebrated.
Kairos Alive, founded by dancer/choreographer Maria Genné, has been working on ending elder isolation and reinvigorating community well-being through the performing arts for 20 years. WIth partners and sites as diverse as: East Side Neighborhood Services, American Swedish Institute (ASI), Centro Tyrone Guzman, Hawthorne Neighborhood Council, Highland Friendship Club, and the VA Health Care System, participants can be guaranteed a free, ADA accessible, and welcoming event that allows participants to move and enjoy live music from professional Twin Cities musicians. And while elders are certainly held at the center of these events, the emphasis is on engaging multi-generational communities. With Kairos Alive!’s Choreography of Care™ model, a design that is based in the latest medical research, the impact on individuals is nothing short of inspiring.
At Kairos Alive!’s most recent Intergenerational Dance Hall™ at Orchestra Hall on March 1st, they had participants from all over the Twin Cities — including Hmong elders from Park Elder, Volunteers of America, elders from Centro Tyrone Guzman and Minneapolis American Indian Center and many patrons of the Minnesota Orchestra — dancing together to Hot Club Swing played by the Carluster Crumplebee Orchestra.
Michael Mossaad, the Learning and Engagement Coordinator at the Minnesota Orchestra said: “When you make music together, you create real strong social bonds together. It’s the same thing with dance – people who dance together tend to be really close. It’s a very cool thing that you [Kairos Alive!] are doing. There’s always been this, at least for me, idea of the arts as an influence on society, as well as being influenced by [society]. So with everything that happens in today’s society and with the increased tensions in some areas, having the arts be a source either as an outlet, or as a source for these dialogues is important and it’s necessary if we’re going to continue to be a relevant art form.”
Kairos Alive! Intergenerational Dance Hall™ Schedule:
Saturday, March 24th, 12:00 – 1:00 PM at Centro Tyrone Guzman
1915 Chicago Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55404
Tuesday, April 17, 7:00 – 8:00 PM at the Landmark Center with Highland Friendship Club
75 W 5th St, St Paul, MN 55102
Funding for these Kairos Alive! events comes from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund, Allianz, and the Thorpe Family Foundation. Kairos is also funded through the Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant , thanks also to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
