Still Dancing: Finding Joy, Connection, and Meaning Through Music

By Nick Shaw of Dementia Disco

Inspired by a Real-Life Need

“Tramps like us, baby we were born to run.” Bruce Springsteen wrote that in 1974. My dad was 14. And that’s what he did. For the next 50 years, he didn’t stop. I’m pretty sure that, throughout my entire childhood, not counting time spent driving his car, the guy probably sat down for about 15 minutes. My memories of him are always moving: mowing the lawn, building a barbecue, fixing anything that went wrong in the house, playing tennis, table tennis (and things that weren’t tennis at all) with me and my sister. And dancing. Not dancing like [on] Strictly. Proper dancing. Glass of wine in one hand; wooden spoon to stir whatever he was cooking in the other; music playing in the kitchen. No one would say dad was a great dancer. But that didn’t stop him.

That was the biggest change for me once dad’s Alzheimer's developed: he slowed down. He sat down. But one thing that always got him up was music. Till the end, a familiar song still clearly connected with him. Even very late on, after he had essentially become non-verbal, there were certain songs, usually Fleetwood Mac, or the Eagles, or Bruce, that would make his eyes light up and get him moving. Sometimes it was just a tap of a finger. Sometimes he would still get up and have a dance. The memory of the music was powerful.

And that was the inspiration for the Dementia Disco. After dad’s diagnosis, at the age of 66, my mum, my sister and I would go to our local dementia groups with him. They were great, but they were all designed for old people. And my dad didn’t think he was old. So, after looking around unsuccessfully for something which catered for someone like my dad, my sister, a friend of mine (whose grandma was living with dementia) and I started a group which we thought dad would like: a night out with music, food and friends. 

When we started in 2019, we honestly thought it might just be the three of us, my mum and my dad: in fact, 40 people came to that first disco. We played songs people requested. People sang along. People talked about the songs they had chosen. And people danced. Man, did they dance. And we’re still dancing now.

Why Music and Movement Matter

We didn’t know it at the time, but we’d tapped into something that is only really starting to get much attention: the power of music, and the creative arts generally, as a driver of health and wellbeing. We just wanted people to have a good time. But the great news is that getting together with other people and having a good time has real benefits for your mental health. Systematic reviews have shown that music therapy can reduce distress and improve mood and social engagement in people living with dementia, while large-scale studies have found that strong social relationships increase survival likelihood by 50% (a greater effect size than many medical interventions).

On top of this, staying active and moving regularly is also a major factor in staying well, which is why our mission at Dementia Disco is that every person living with a dementia in the UK will dance every day by 2030. We want people strutting their stuff in their living rooms, at work, in the garden at their care home and, yes, their kitchens. Coming along to a monthly disco in a pub, a music venue or a social club is great, and the social interaction also has a powerful benefit, but between discos it is still important to keep dancing. Which is why we’re looking forward to working with Simon to make it easy to plan these moments into the day, ensuring that a daily dance becomes part of the routine for people living with dementia, bringing moments of joy and wellbeing everyone deserves.

In short, there is now a substantial body of scientific research showing that music, movement and social connection support wellbeing and health for people living with dementia and their families (see references below). So, you don’t just have to take my word for it. 

And the Beat Goes On

10 years ago I certainly didn’t see myself spending much of my future dancing with 70 year olds to Abba and Neil Diamond, but it is so joyous and uplifting it’s impossible to resist once the music starts. And we’re going to keep going. We now have four discos (three in the North West; one in London), with plans to open more around the country. We’ve even had discussions with Danny (Simon CEO) about running a jungle revival Dementia Disco in a North London warehouse, which is not a sentence I ever expected to write. We believe that there should be a Dementia Disco in every town in the country, and we are always excited to hear from people who share our passion for music, joy and social interaction and who want to get involved in running or helping out at a disco in their area. 

I know I shouldn’t, but I do sometimes find myself thinking about the future, and how likely it is that I will end up following the same path as my dad. I’m pretty sure that, if someone gets me listening to The Stone Roses, or Pearl Jam, or The Black Crowes, those songs will still be important to me, and will still connect me to a kid with hair and a plaid shirt, who really wants to be in a band. I’ve still not totally given up that dream, and I hope I never will. That music will always be with me. 

If you’d like to know more about the power of music and some easy ways to incorporate it into your daily routine, please get in touch. And if you are interested in attending a Dementia Disco, or in the idea of running one yourself, we’d be delighted to hear from you. For the time being, Dementia Discos are only happening in the UK. But don't let that stop you from dancing! And if you are interested in setting up your own dementia disco in the US, send us an email to learn more!

Further reading

Selected research and reviews supporting the role of music, movement, and social connection in dementia.

• van der Steen, J. T., et al. (2017). Music‐based therapeutic interventions for people with dementia. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Issue 5.

• Livingston, G., et al. (2020). Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2020 report of the Lancet Commission. The Lancet, 396(10248), 413–446.

• Holt-Lunstad, J., Smith, T. B., & Layton, J. B. (2010). Social relationships and mortality risk: A meta-analytic review. PLoS Medicine, 7(7), e1000316.

• Särkämö, T. (2020). Musical leisure activities to support cognitive and emotional functioning in aging and dementia: A review of current evidence. In A. Baird, S. Garrido, & J. Tamplin (Eds.), Music and dementia: From cognition to therapy (pp. 103–121). Oxford University Press.

• Keogh, J. W., Kilding, A., Pidgeon, P., Ashley, L., & Gillis, D. (2009). Physical benefits of dancing for healthy older adults: a review. Journal of aging and physical activity, 17(4), 479–500.

Use Simon to Add Dancing (and Other Meaningful Movement) Into Your Routine

At Simon, we’ve learned that one of the biggest sources of stress for people living with dementia and their care partners is not knowing what comes next or how to keep the basics on track. That uncertainty can make even simple care feel overwhelming.

So we've built decades of research into our app, to help guide and coach people living with dementia, and their care partners, on staying healthy, happy, and living the lives that they want to live. Through reminders, notifications, and nudges, we keep you on track, feeling confident that you're doing what you can.

Underlying this science-backed coaching, we combine three tools for families to coordinate, reduce mental load, and support autonomy:

• A shared task list, so everyone involved can stay aligned on essentials like groceries, medications, and household needs.

• An interactive map with location tracking and geo-specific notifications, alerting everyone to emergencies, and keeping the family up to date on where they are and where they’re meant to be, without constant check-ins.

• A shared calendar connected to the map, providing reminders for upcoming appointments and alerts for missed ones, helping daily structure stay intact.

  
  

By bringing these tools into one central, easy-to-use space, Simon helps ensure no one is navigating daily life alone, whether that’s getting from point A to point B, staying socially connected, or keeping the home running smoothly.

Simon is here to support the basics of daily living, so families can spend less time managing logistics and worrying about emergencies, and more time focused on connection, confidence, and quality of life.

Whether you’re just beginning this journey or already deep in it, you don’t have to figure it out alone. Download the Simon App or Join our community of Simon App Testers.