b'Medicine & ResearchAArrttssiinnMMeeddiicciinneeUUnniivveerrssiittyyooeerrssddaanncceeaannddmmuussiiccwwiitthhhheeaalltthhccaarreeBy Whitney Wilson and Cathy DeWitt My name is Whitney Wilson and I am a myself studying dance at the University ofDancer in Residence employed by a major Florida, and this is where I had the greatestresearchhospitalUFHealthShandsin transformation in my body and mind. The artGainesville, Fla. You might be asking yourself, of dance allowed me to express myself inwhatisadancerdoing working witha waysthatmademefeel whole,authentic,hospital? The short answer is, I have the great andempowered.AsImovedthroughmyhonor and privilege of providing creative dancing career, I aimed to help others feel thedance experiences that make the disease and wonderful things that I had discovered throughhealing process more joyful, more human, and dancingwhole,authentic,empowered,more meaningful. Specically, I teach dance and a sense of belonging.classesforpeopleliving withneurological While at the University of Florida, I was alsomovement diculties such as MS and PD, introduced to the eld of Arts in Medicine,and the classes are open to their families, which opened up many doors for me to beloved ones, and caregivers as well. I hope this abletosharethebenetsofdancing witharticle helps shed light on the important role people from all walks of life. As a student, Ithat the arts playspecically dance and taught dance and creative movement to peoplemusicin the pursuit of optimal healthcare.living with Alzheimers disease, as well asI have been dancing since I was a teenager, young girls in the local juvenile detention center.and I fell deeply in love with the art form. I These early days in the practice showed meremembertaggingalongwithafriendof just how transformative and supportive themine to her dance rehearsal and I was struck arts can be within the context of healthcare. by the way in which the dancers interacted. After traveling around the country, dancing,There was a contagious and overpowering choreographing,andteachinginvarioussense of joy that lled the room, along with situations, I eventually found myself back incamaraderie, support, and a deep sense of Gainesville, working as a Dancer in Residencebelonging. I didnt know the rst thing about with UF Health Shands Arts in Medicine. Thedancing, but I knew I wanted to be a part of Arts in Medicine program, which has playedwhat I felt in the room that day. So I learned a critical role in shaping the eld of Arts inall the styles that I couldballet, jazz, hip-hop,tap, lyrical. I attended a public arts high school Healthcare for more than 30 years, employswhere I was introduced to dance composition, roughly 16artistsinresidenceincludingwhich opened up a whole new world of dancers, musicians, visual artists, writers, andexpression and creativity for me. I found integrative therapists who oer their skills tomsfocusmagazine.org 12'