By Lisa Carolin
5 Healthy Town’s Board of Directors recently approved a budget of $75,000 for the Chelsea Wellness Coalition‘s Year 5 Plan. Chelsea Update is profiling each of the interventions that is receiving funding.
The Adaptive Dance Program was developed in 2014 thanks to the vision of Ballet Chelsea Artistic Director Wendi DuBois and the financial support of 5 Healthy Towns. The mission of ADP is to offer people with limited physical ability the health benefits of exercise that most other people take for granted.
The program now has nine classes in seven different centers around Chelsea including three different senior centers, two special education classes, a young adult program and a program at the St. Louis Center. Participants range in age from 3 to 90.
“Each class is tailor made to the age range and physical ability of the participants,” said Jane Thompson, president of Ballet Chelsea’s board of directors. “Research positively shows that people with disabilities and limited mobility have more health issues, higher blood pressure and are more likely to be overweight than their counterparts without such limitations.”
There are more than 100 people taking ADP classes this year and Thompson says that number is expected to increase to 130 next year.
“Objectives range from the development of major motor skills for children, to the improvement of coordination for teenagers and the enhancement of upper body strength for older people,” said Thompson. “As far as we know, there is no other city the size of Chelsea developing such a range of programs to such a wide age range of people.”
Most of the grant from 5 Healthy Towns will pay for teachers to lead the classes. The teachers have received training in working with people with physical limitations. There will also be new classes offered to both students and to Alzheimer’s patients who live at home and attend workshops in Chelsea.
