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Explore the essence of The Dance of Resilience with this insightful guide. Consider it your opportunity to identify the heartfelt stories, proven brain science and call to action to improve our healthcare system.
15 chapters or stories have placed or earned Honorable Mention in Writer’s Digest Writing Competitions 2023-2025
Part I: Transforming Life Through the Power of Dance
Chapter 1: Waltz into Life-Changing Self-Discovery
Chapter 2: My Story: From First Lesson to First Performance to First Love
I started dance to find a husband; he doesn’t dance. Dance changed me.
Chapter 3: The Greatest Therapy of All
We danced through my partner’s cancer recovery
Chapter 4: I’m Not Going to Live in God’s Waiting Room
Terminally ill spouses danced until the end
Chapter 5: You’ll Never Walk Again
Gored in the thigh by a buffalo, dance helped reconnect his brain to his body
Chapter 6: The Climb
The orthopedic surgeon revealed his leg prosthesis to Ohio Star Ball audience ovation
Chapter 7: I Don’t Know What “Like This” Is
Blind at 18, she leads, follows and competes
Chapter 8: I Can Stand Straight, Both Inside and Outside!
Wife regains confidence through dance after abusive marriage
Ember with early Arthur Murray instructor Jesse Smith in Minnesota Capitol rotunda celebrating National Ballroom Dance Week, early 1990s
The healing power of dance in Dennis Yelkin’s cancer recovery
Dr. Paul Cederberg, The Climb
Part II: What’s Holding You Back?
Chapter 9: I Can’t Dance Because . . .
Chapter 10: Greta’s Crucible
Young woman finds new life and community through dance
Chapter 11: Life Happens
Returning to dance after kids, illness, divorce, life
Chapter 12: No Partner? No Problem!
These four people don’t need to dance with their spouses
Chapter 13: Dancing through Grief
Chapter 14: Channeling Grief through Dance and Action
World class dancer killed by light rail; brothers take issue to capitol
Chapter 15: This Is What Keeps Me Alive!
93-year-old showcases Argentine Tango at Mall of America
Chapter 16: Life Lessons from Fifth Graders
Dancing Classrooms: from “Eew, a boy!” to Respect, Elegance and Teamwork
Chapter 17: Keeping Children Safe
How Dance Community can lead in keeping children safe from abuse
When a light rail crash took Nic Westlake’s life and injured fiancée Neli Petkova, brothers Pete and Seth Westlake took action to change a law to prevent future tragedies
Angela Calabria (right): Never too old to dance; with daughter Alissa Quinn and granddaughter Rachel Quinn
Respect, Teamwork, Elegance: Heart of Dance fifth graders rule!
Part III: Relationships: Breaking Down and Breaking Through—Together
Chapter 18: Dance Coach . . . or Life Coach?
How teacher Nathan Daniels helped me find my authentic self
Chapter 19: Testing Resilience: Dance Competitions
Chapter 20: Enriching Marriage through Dance
Two couples revitalize their marriages by starting dance mid-life
Chapter 21: Can a Couple’s Dance Passion Survive When Marriage Love Ends?
They are long-time friends and dance partners. In the middle there was a marriage
Chapter 22: Family Resilience through Generations
The Bersten family from Belarus and Russia: Gene, Alan and Elena
Ember with instructor Nathan Daniels at competition around 1991
Mid-life Tango! Art and Cheri Rolnick
Gene Bersten and daughters Isabella, Nika and Gabriella
Part IV: Breaking through Gender, Racial, and Cultural Barriers
Chapter 23: Same-Sex Dance Breaks through Ballroom Dance World
Alex and Kato (formerly Katja); Heather and Sarah; Arun and Joseph
Chapter 24: Suni Lee: Shining Gold on the Hmong Community
Clan grandmother Choua Lee and Suni Lee bring ballroom to their culture
Chapter 25: Dancers Lead in Creating New Cultural Norms
Latino is college therapist by day, street salsa teacher at night
Chapter 26: A Powerful Presence in the Ballroom World
Nathan Daniels Hawes—one of four male black judges in ballroom world
“The Girls in Blue”—instructor Heather Wudstrack (right) and Sarah Merz
Professional partners Alex and Kato
Two Hmong women break barriers: Olympic Gold Medalist Suni Lee and clan grandparents Cheu and Choua Lee (Choua is first Hmong elected official in nation)
Ballroom Dance Judge Nathan Daniels
Part V: Dance Science: Medicine for the Aging Body, Mind, and Soul
Chapter 27: The Science Behind the Healthier, Happier Dancer
Chapter 28: Dementia: Meet Them Where They Are
A mission for Dance Vision’s Wayne Eng and Maria Hansen
Chapter 29: Taking On Parkinson’s Disease Together
Dancer wife helps husband with Parkinson’s Disease reverse symptoms
Chapter 30: There Are No Patients. There Are Only Dancers
Global Dance for PD® is in 450 cities in 28 countries
Chapter 31: Scaling Up Dance for PD®
Breakthrough: Medicare Advantage Plan pays for retiree dance curriculum
Chapter 32: Dance Movement Meets Psychotherapy
Creative movement and mind-body awareness create effective therapy
Chapter 33: Dance Medicine: Dancing Healthy at All Ages
A medical specialty grows: dance medicine
Dance Vision Foundation instructor Maria Hansen brings dance to those living with dementia
Dr. Brad Moser: the “Go-To” for Dance Medicine in Minnesota
Globally, Dance for PD® classes are in 450 sites and growing
Part VI: Call to Action
Chapter 34: Call to Action for Research and Support for Neuroarts
National NeuroArts Blueprint highlights arts/dance impact on brain health
Chapter 35: Call to Action for Social Prescribing: From Policymakers to Health Insurers
Social Prescribing USA CEO advocates for including arts in prescriptions
Chapter 36: Call to Action: Community Health and Well-Being
Community as Medicine with ‘self-prescriptions’ prove reduction in ER visits
A “Community as Medicine” session in full action!