Dancers from The New York City Ballet Perform for 305 West End Assisted Living Residents

December 2022

The holiday season is the source of fond memories for many senior New Yorkers. Better than a memory of sugar plums dancing in your head is a live presentation of The Nutcracker Ballet by New York City Ballet soloist, Harrison Coll and principal dancer, Indiana Woodward. Residents (in the Reflections Memory Care Program) at 305 West End Assisted Living were privileged to that presentation on December 19th. In addition to dancing a pas de deux, Harrison and Indiana were happy to answer the residents’ questions about how dancers train and what it’s like to perform in the ballet company. Both dancers began their training and performing as children and had stories to tell about the many roles that they had danced in The Nutcracker as they advanced in their careers.

Throughout December 2022, 305 West End Assisted Living dance/movement specialist, Susan Hartley, DMT-BC, has been using themes from The Nutcracker with the residents. Residents had read the story of the ballet, watched it on YouTube, reminisced on performances they had seen with their families, and incorporated some of the motions and gestures in dance/movement classes. After Harrison and Indiana had shared their dancing and stories, the residents said that they felt like they were part of the company, too.