Dancers move to a healthier beat

At the height of the COVID-19 lockdown, people in Italy were learning ballet in their homes thanks to a Nedlands dance studio. With the help of a professional film-maker, Ballet 4 You founder Lisa Purchas has been able to spread the benefits of her craft around the world.

Ms Purchas has described the program as a legacy of her late mother, who died in 2016 from Alzheimer's. She runs ballet classes for women with early stage Alzheimer's and mild cognitive impairment, harnessing the established benefits of dance to ward off the effects of the condition.

"It focuses on balance, strength, postural re-alignment and the use of the brain and body in simple cross-lateral sequences," Ms Purchas, who lives in Crawley said. "The passage of Alzheimer's can take a very long time - I want people to know that there can still be many beautiful years of life after a diagnosis," she said.

Years of scientific research has strongly suggested that dance, more than other forms of physical exercise, can activate the brain and preserve cognitive health. "Muscular strength, particularly in the legs is associated with cognitive health," Ms Purchas, who also owns Dancescene in Nedlands, said. "In addition to strengthening their bodies, my students become more alert during and after a class, exhibit greater balance, stand taller and feel more at ease."

The exercises help in sure-footedness and could also reduce the risk of falls. The forwards, backwards and sideways movements of the legs, in orchestrated movements, "lightens up the neural pathways," she said. Ms Purchas' oldest student is aged 84. "In our private classes we create a special playlist for each student comprising their favourite music, which is known to evoke good memories and associations," she said.

Aware that not everyone can afford a private class and that it is difficult for many elderly people to get to a studio, last year Ms Purchas engaged Perth film-maker Hugh Buttsworth to create small videos, free, for people to view at home. "Any Alzheimer's sufferers and their carers can participate anywhere in the world, at any time, in the comfort of their own home free of charge," she said.

Ms Purchas, originally from New Zealand, is trained in all forms of dance including classical ballet. She has taught all forms for more than 30 years.