| Program theory 1. RIPE Dance benefits my body and mind |
| Trust that the RIPE Dance approach ‘is right for me’ |
She always stresses that you work within your own level. You do not tax yourself beyond what you feel capable of doing. And it’s perfectly okay if she has suggested a particular movement, if one cannot quite execute it to perfection, it does not matter. So it’s a no-stress activity from the point of view of the teacher trying to draw the best out of each individual but without anyone feeling pressured about it. (F79) … she’s always aware if anybody’s going to have trouble…. she’ll get an extra chair for them to hold onto or something like that. She knows the people in the group who would have difficulty, for instance, sitting and standing without holding onto a chair…. She’s very aware about our disabilities. (F83) … she’s very, very well aware of our limitations. She knows full well that my left leg is the weaker of my two legs and so she does not try to push me into doing something beyond what I personally feel comfortable about doing. There’s nothing that [the teacher] gives us to do that I cannot do at 84. (F84)
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| Belief in and/or experience of health benefits |
Physical health benefits
[the teacher] explains to us quite often what particular moves and routines help us physically. So we are understanding that this will help with falls prevention or make you more agile or whatever. So she’s tailored it for the things that are good for people our age. And …she’ll tell us in depth what different things are actually helping us with. (F69) we get to do a lot of things that I would not do if I wasn’t at class. For example, standing on one leg and balancing and standing on tippy toes on two feet and doing the balance that way. And there’s a lot of other things like pliés, which I actually hate doing, but I know it’s good for the thigh muscles and everything. It’s all about strengthening the body so you are less likely to become frail and doddery…. I really enjoy it, and I know it’s good for me. (F74) I’m more and more aware of what has become, well, after years of sedentary activity… my back is drooping so I’m trying to stand and sit straighter and listen to my [body]. The knee, it’s not a painful protest, but it says, “Hey, slow down!” So that awareness of what’s happening has been enhanced in lots of ways. (F80)
Psychological health benefits
When you are dancing, you feel more invigorated and ready to go back to whatever it was. (F80) I am a much more open person and I am a much more happy person. (F69) if you have been a bit concerned about something, it can help free you of that because you are concentrating on something else, so you forget all about it. (F78) Grief is like your constant companion…. But when you are in your dance class, it’s …. not on your shoulders anymore because you are concentrating on learning a new dance routine and enjoying being with other women, and giggling, and laughing, and moving to music.. It’s hard to describe, but it’s the most wonderful thing…. More dance in your life helps with grief and all sorts of things. Mental health, physical health. I just love it… You come out on a high after dancing. And the moment you get to class, you feel great. You see all the other girls, you chat what you have been up to, and then dance classes, the music starts, you start doing your warmups, and it’s just the music and the movements. You start to feel good. And you are all there feeling the same thing, and it’s washing away the stresses of your life in the movement and the music, and just being part of a group of like-minded women. (F66)
Cognitive health benefits
… it’s also keeping the brain working because you have got to remember the steps…. We have to think what we are doing and we have to listen to the music so that we are putting our movements in with the music. So we are using lots of elements of our body, our mind, and our hearing. It’s fantastic. (F84) I’m trying to stop [Parkinson’s] progression and that’s what exercise does. And I’m trying to maintain my cognition, and that’s what dance helps with because I have to remember the moves…. Every now and again [the teacher] will say, “Who can remember what comes next?” And that’s like a challenge. So it’s about maintaining the best life that I can. (F67)
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| Program theory 2. RIPE Dance helps me feel good about myself |
| Self-efficacy |
the fact that you can cope with whatever we are learning to do and you are doing it well and you are doing it well in the company of other people who are also achieving, it must lift your spirits, must lift your confidence…. If you can cope with … those intricate steps … then you can cope with a lot of things that you did not expect that you could cope with. (F84) The ability to exercise, even if you are doing it at your own level, it does give you quite a lot of confidence. (F75) it’s given me a lot more confidence into how long I can keep going [despite Parkinson’s]. (M81)
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| Pride in achievement |
it makes you feel proud of the fact that your body can move like it’s moving. (F84) When you nail a routine and you nail it without having to watch [the teacher], and you know you have learned it: wow! You feel like you have just mastered something huge and major. It’s only a little dance routine, but it puts you on a high. (F66)
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| Defying expectations |
I think they are impressed that we ancient folk can still do things. (F83) I was … falling into line with what people expected me to do at this age. [Now] I just say to them, “I do not care what you think. It makes me feel happy, so I’m going to do it”. (F71)
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| Feeling valued |
the fact that everybody is respected and valued makes you feel good…. You’re not ever made to feel like an idiot or not worthy or anything like that. And nobody puts anybody down…. And people are saying nice things…, “Oh, it’s great to see everybody here today. It’s good that you could come”. That sort of thing. So that makes you feel good about yourself as well as actually moving. (F67) … when I go in, I feel very welcome. I feel valued as a member of the class and everybody’s very friendly…. it’s just a lovely atmosphere…. And sometimes if I walk in late … [the teacher] will go, “Oh, Robyn’s here.” And everyone will go, “Yay!”. (F67)
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Psychological safety
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… there’s no judgement, there’s never any feeling that you have failed. You do what you can do, and that’s really good. While she’ll correct you up to a point, she never singles you out.…You come away with a feeling that, “I did that, I’m capable”. And that’s really important to one’s sense of wellbeing and self-esteem. (F74) I’m not the sort of person that can put myself in front of somebody and just start conversation. I cannot do that. But actually going to these dance classes, I can actually go in there and have a conversation with people that come in without having to wait for them to start it. (F71)
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| Program theory 3. RIPE Dance creates camaraderie |
| Social connection |
It’s meeting up with my fellow dancers once a week, and we have chat and that social connection, a sense of belonging to something. I think as human beings we all deep down crave connection with other human beings and the world we live in with all the screens and everything, connection becomes less and less …. But what you miss out on is the incidental exchanges…. That’s what I find really good about going there and meeting up with people. (F74) They make me feel welcome and at home, and that is a really big improvement for me. (F71)
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| Mutual support |
We’re all there to help each other and enjoy what we can and cannot do, if you know what I mean. We’re all at different levels and we all enjoy what we can do, and have fun. It’s great…. We’re all sharing and helping each other, and following each other, and supporting each other. And no one’s singled out or targeted out. It’s very inclusive and sharing. (F66) There’s no competitiveness at all in the classes … and that’s something that [the teacher] fosters, the way that she interacts with everybody. There’s nobody that’s trying to be the best or anything like that, and everyone’s supportive of everybody. (F69) “…if we get it right, we congratulate each other…. So every now and again we pat each other on the back and go, “We did it! We did it!” (F67)
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| Rapport with the teacher |
She radiates caring, she’s encouraging, she praises, she makes you feel good and she welcomes you. She’s so happy to see you each time you turn up. (F84) … if people do not turn up for a couple of weeks, [the teacher] will phone them and just check they are okay. Or if someone’s going away, she goes, “Now I know that this person’s not going to be here because they have gone on a cruise or something like that. (F67) She does a lot of things to encourage social interaction between the dancers by putting on regular morning teas when we get together, or a Christmas party …and she’ll have news of people in the class that are doing something else. She keeps in touch with everybody and she definitely puts a lot of effort into us getting on as a group of women…. Everyone’s birthday is always remembered. Anything that’s happening in someone’s life that needs to be talked about, that’s happy or sad…. And then afterwards a lot of people go and have coffee together…. And she actually does communicate that she is actively doing things to ensure social cohesion. She’ll give a little prize for people that are doing something unexpected. (F69) I think that’s pushed me to keep going because she puts in so much. I feel she puts in so much effort that I would not just drop out. (F75)
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| Program theory 4. RIPE Dance is uplifting |
| Raised spirits |
I suddenly realise I’ve got a big smile on my face. I think to myself, “God, I must look stupid.” I look around at some of the others and they have also got a big smile on their face…. Obviously, it makes us feel good. (F79) I feel really good when I come out, and then I come home and I’m actually more positive in what I’m doing around the house, and I sleep very well those days. (F71) It’s not an easy life at 84 that I’ve got. But knowing that I’ve got those joyful periods of dance to go to sort of uplifts you and things do not seem half as bad… I’m just a brighter person, I think. Lighter and brighter because I’ve got that [dance class]. I have an interesting break rather than seven days a week being a career. It’s lifted my spirits a lot…. It’s keeping me alive. (F84)
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| Fun |
All the time we giggle and laugh. And we laugh at ourselves and each other. And no one’s made to feel inferior or above anybody. We’re equals. (F80) It’s just everybody there dancing together and laughing if you make a mistake, smiling, enjoying the music…. There’s a lot of laughter…. You sometimes think, “Ooh, dear. Fancy me doing this at my age! I’m supposed to be old and steadfast and whatever, but here I am acting like a teenager….” No, it’s all light-hearted and it’s fun and it’s doing me a lot of good. (F84)
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| Synchrony |
There’s great pleasure to be had in being in sync with the others. (F80) [When] I’m at the back line watching all the other girls in front of me and we are doing a routine … and we are all in sync, it is absolutely wonderful. And I’ve often said when we finish, “Wow, girls. You all look fantastic!” … It is a wonderful feeling. (F66)
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| Musical reactivity |
The music she plays is our era, [it is] the old music of our days. It brings back memories. We … relate to it because we know the songs…. And sometimes, quite often, we sing along with it as well because we know the words. (F89) You are almost not thinking what you are doing, you are just doing it because the music is telling you virtually that this is where you put your feet in. You’ve developed a lot of confidence in your own body and your mind…. enjoyment of music with others is a big part of it (F80)
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