Sheridan Elder Research Centre for Creative Aging Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning, Oakville, Brampton, Mississauga

Sheridan Elder Research Centre for Creative Aging

"Of all of the self-fulfilling prophecies in our culture, the assumption that aging
means decline and poor health is probably the deadliest."
- Marilyn Ferguson

Research conducted at the Sheridan Elder Research Centre for Creative Aging (SERCCA), the newest branch of the Sheridan Elder Research Centre (SERC), challenges the above commonly-held assumption. The primary objective of SERCCA research is to better understand how participation in skill-based arts activities enhances quality of life and promotes healthy, active aging.

SERCCA researchers and affiliated professional creative and performing arts teachers explore innovative ways for older adults of all ages and abilities to actively participate in the arts. SERCCA team members are also members of the National Center for Creative Aging and the Society for Arts in Healthcare.

Movement Matters: Dance as an Innovative Health Promotion Strategy

Funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), SERCCA has been conducting a research project designed to establish the benefits of participation in a twice-weekly dance program for adults over the age of 55. This program has been tested at three different types of sites: retirement homes in Guelph and Kitchener, on campus in Sheridan's professional dance studios, and at a supportive housing site in Burlington. The goal of these programs is to improve physical fitness and quality of life for older adults.

Below are two videos, filmed during the on campus sessions at Sheridan by two Media Arts students, that feature the instructors' and participants' experiences with the dance program.