Be patient. During my initial class at a facility in Woodbridge, NJ, I got blank stares for the first 20 minutes. Clearly, no volunteer had come in before and asked them to kick their feet and roll their wrists! The whole time, I felt like I was doing something wrong. Slowly, however, I saw one patient begin to sway back and forth. Then another. It was during the last song that I saw the patients truly bust a move! In other words, give them time to get comfortable. A little bit of patience goes a long way, and the results showed when I came back the next week.
As part of my series about young people who are making an important social impact”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Aryan Garg.
Aryan is a 16-year-old junior at the Woodbridge Academy Magnet School in Woodbridge, NJ. Dance has always been a strong element of Aryan’s life, from hip-hop competitions to cultural dance festivals in India. With the hopes of pursuing a career in medicine, he is a certified EMT in his state and an avid volunteer at local nursing homes. He has also conducted research at Yale University, New York University, and Brown University. Last June, he founded his nonprofit organization, Dance for Dementia, as a means of improving the health of patients with dementia through the transformative spirit of dance.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit. Can you tell us a bit about how you grew up?
Of course! My family introduced me to the world of dance at a young age. Deeply rooted in our culture, we took a visit to our neighborhood festival in India every Saturday. Here, I was constantly exposed to new and vibrant forms of Indian music and dance. Thus, when I moved to America 10 years ago, I didn’t just bring a childhood experience with me; I brought a family heirloom.
Since then, dance has become a form of stability in my life. One week, I’d be performing a jazz number with my team at American Dance Studios, and the next I’d be moonwalking with my uncle at a family wedding! Dance has always been a way for me to unite my cultural roots with my day to day life, weaving itself into my most defining moments.
You are currently leading an organization that aims to make a social impact. Can you tell us a bit about what you and your organization are trying to change in our world today?
My first time volunteering at a nursing home, I came to realize how incredibly lonely the life of a patient with dementia can be. We already know how detrimental a disorder like Alzheimer’s can be, with symptoms like memory loss, disorientation, and mood swings. However, it becomes much more difficult when these patients — our most vulnerable — are placed in nursing homes, where they must be confined by bolted doors on every end. With a lack of engaging activities and motivated volunteers to keep them stimulated, a patient’s environment becomes more isolating than their disorder. Therefore, I recognized this need for change in my community, and used my passion for dance to act on it.
Our organization, Dance for Dementia, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of senior citizens with dementia through dance. Recent evidence has supported the immense benefits that dance can provide to patients with Alzheimer’s disease, from reduced anxiety to increased neuroplasticity. Thus, our goal is to bring carefully curated dance classes to dementia patients across the country, and provide these benefits firsthand. Moreover, beyond the scientific benefits, we hope to bring simple joy to their lives and combat the modern disparity in elder engagement.
Can you tell us the backstory about what inspired you to originally feel passionate about this cause?
Sure! I still remember stepping into a memory care unit for the first time last April. A staff member was giving me a tour and somehow, entering this area — their home — felt confidential. Even to open the large bolted doors, the staff member had to enter a passcode code and their fingerprint. It felt odd from the start.
We entered, and she had gone off to clean a patient’s bed. Meanwhile, I entered the common area and looked around. Each dementia patient sat in their own corner of solitude, despite staff members trying to entertain them. Suddenly, a patient came up to me in vivid tears. She cried, “I can’t find my kids. I left them at the bus stop”. I knew I wasn’t equipped to deal with this situation, and frankly, I was a little shaken. I had only heard about sundowning, which is a form of hallucination in dementia, but I had never encountered it. Looking around, I noticed how severely lonely everyone seemed, and this moment was one of my inspirations to start Dance for Dementia. I knew there was a way I could help these patients on my own, and dance was the answer to my calling.
Many of us have ideas, dreams, and passions, but never manifest it. They don’t get up and just do it. But you did. Was there an “Aha Moment” that made you decide that you were actually going to step up and do it? What was that final trigger?
Honestly, I think I had my “Aha” moment after my first dance class last summer. It was early June, and I had reached out to a local nursing home in Edison, New Jersey to ask if I could try a new form of activity with their memory care patients. Although I hadn’t created the organization yet or had experience dancing with dementia patients, I felt like I needed to test the waters before taking it further.
I only had 2 patients in my first class: Jane and Angel. However, I’m convinced that these 2 kind souls were the main reason why Dance for Dementia had begun. Even though no other resident felt like joining that class on the Saturday morning, Jane and Angel showed up. They sang along, they followed my steps, and they both finished the class with a smile. I vividly remember them becoming more enthusiastic as each song progressed, gradually remembering the lyrics and even improvising their own moves. They were proof that you don’t have to be young or 20 to dance your heart out, and that, if Dance for Dementia could have an impact on them, it could have an impact on dementia patients across the world.
Many young people don’t know the steps to take to start a new organization. But you did. What are some of the things or steps you took to get your project started?
My first step in the process was determining if the project was feasible. Something like this had rarely been done before, especially not by a 15 year old student! Thus, I started small. For the first few weeks, I held my ‘dancersize sessions’ at the same nursing home every Saturday morning. Once I realized that these simple dance classes had a tangible impact, I finally brought my program to a different nursing home. Expanding the reach of the program also required a larger team. I requested the help of passionate volunteers who were willing to come in and spend their time with the seniors, because it honestly isn’t an easy task. Over the next few months, I continued this pattern of testing the waters and expanding the horizons, until we soon reached over 120 patients across 5 nursing homes.
Another important step in the process was registering my organization as a 501(c)(3) certified nonprofit. I knew that our organization could develop into a true, wide-scale charity once I found a measurable impact. Reaching the 501(c)(3) status allowed us to establish credibility and authenticity in our community, and simultaneously access grants to donate to Alzheimer’s-based charities.
Finally, a key step was collaboration. Through patients that we interacted with, as well as their family members who watched our classes, we used word of mouth to form essential partnerships. For example, one particular family member, who was the son of a patient I had danced with, referred me to a physical therapist in my town. Dance for Dementia was able to form a relationship with that therapist, discussing ways to implement dance as an official form of therapy, as well as ways that she could share our message with her patients!
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company or organization?
This one’s easy! A few months after the organization began gaining traction, I brought the program to another city in my state: Monroe, NJ. Here, the class took a completely different spin. I started out with the normal routine, but one enthusiastic patient had a new idea; she wanted to dance to Latin music. Slightly nervous, I cued up something on YouTube, and something unbelievable happened. She stood up from her wheelchair for the first time, walked over to me, and taught me how to Salsa dance! All the other patients and staff watched and cheered along as Isabel and I grooved along to Salsa music, which she said her father had taught her at a young age. More staff volunteers gathered along, lifting up patients and dancing with them individually. Thinking back, I wish I could’ve captured a moment like that on film. A room full of people of diverse ages and life stories, all united over Latin music and rhythmic footwork.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Most memory care units, especially the newer ones, are secured by a digital lock on the doors. Although I received the password to open the doors for a class once, I forgot to write it down! The next class I entered the wrong password a few times and the system started beeping. It was pretty amusing for the staff, since the code was only 4 digits long, and no one had gotten locked out before. I guess my biggest lesson is to log important information in the future! Photographic memory may not be my thing.
None of us can be successful without some help along the way. Did you have mentors or cheerleaders who helped you to succeed? Can you tell us a story about their influence?
Definitely. I still remember my first time pitching my idea to the director of recreational activities, Dorothy, at my local nursing home. She knew how difficult it was to interact with patients in the memory unit, especially with something unexplored like dance, but she gave me a chance. I’m convinced that I wouldn’t be where I am without her! The first class was a hit, and soon after, she helped me turn my singular class into a weekly program dubbed “dancersize”. Prior to each class, she would make sure that patients around the home were informed about the class and would gather around to attend. During the class, she helped me record videos and photos to capture each patient’s experiences throughout the program. From day 1 to where we are now, she played a pivotal role in the impact that Dance for Dementia had and the lives that it’s touched this past year.
Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your cause?
Dance has been scientifically proven to improve neuronal connectivity and neuroplasticity in patients with Alzheimer’s disease, but this impact can never be measured by the human eye. What can be measured is a growing change in mood, comfort, and mobility. One specific patient, Rosemary, has been an avid participant in my class every week for the past 8 months! Whether I show up early or late, whether there’s a full class or no other patients at all, I have always seen Rosemary show up to my classes. My first time in a class with her, I remember seeing her all the way in the back. She followed along with a few steps here and there, but she seemed reserved. Last Sunday, the first thing I heard when I walked into the home was “Aryan’s here!” Even if I cannot measure the extent to which her memory has improved, I do know this: she’s now always in the front of the class, singing and dancing to every song, and sharing her stories with me after. This is growth! She once told me, “Thank you for dancing with me Aryan. We miss you every time you’re gone”. No matter what the future holds for this organization, I’m glad we’ve started by changing one life.
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
For sure! First, my main message is that anyone can get involved. By participating in our mission, students across the world can use a simple passion for dance to impact their local community. Trust me, the joy in holding the hand of a patient and shaking it out to Happy by Pharrell Williams is unmatched! Second, you can help voice your opinion on our cause through social media and word of mouth. By sharing our work with friends, family, and those who may find an interest, you can fight our cause at home. Finally, my ultimate goal over the next few years is to establish dance as a solution, not a step. We may not be able to change the laws that govern the treatment of dementia patients, but we can recognize the impact that dance has. With growing evidence of its scientific benefits, I believe that dance can ultimately be implemented as a form of physical therapy for patients with neurological conditions in nursing homes, physical therapy offices, and hospitals. To strive for this is to make dance an effective addition to modern medicine, and it can only be accomplished through partnership and trust.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why?
- Be patient. During my initial class at a facility in Woodbridge, NJ, I got blank stares for the first 20 minutes. Clearly, no volunteer had come in before and asked them to kick their feet and roll their wrists! The whole time, I felt like I was doing something wrong. Slowly, however, I saw one patient begin to sway back and forth. Then another. It was during the last song that I saw the patients truly bust a move! In other words, give them time to get comfortable. A little bit of patience goes a long way, and the results showed when I came back the next week.
- Communicate. Even if your cause is pure, the only way to expand your mission is to share it with everyone you can. This meant talking to patients, to family members, to students, and to those who would generally enjoy hearing about the program. Communication, which took a little bit of courage, helped me develop partnerships with physical therapists in my state. Communication, which meant endless phone calls, helped me begin the process of expanding Dance for Dementia to Texas, New Zealand, and Australia!
- Get guidance early. Finding a mentor, a professional in your field, or even someone to give you moral support can be extremely helpful in keeping you motivated. In my case, finding a mentor allowed me to develop a game plan for my goals. They gave me the idea of creating an official curriculum that could be implemented both virtually and in-person, in order to reach patients that I didn’t have direct access to.
- Be flexible. Since I was new to the program at first, my ‘routine’ was a little complicated for my patients. It wasn’t surprising that they were a little disengaged; what came simple to me felt like a HIIT training to them! Therefore, I was forced to adjust. When I began to meticulously craft moves that were easy to them but also engaged all of their body parts, I was able to maximize the benefits.
- Know what’s possible. I came across the idea of Dance for Dementia in my room one evening, and a few weeks after my first class, I was pretty tempted to begin the process of filing for nonprofit certification. In fact, I was close to hitting the submit button. What held me back was the fear of making something unsustainable. I decided to wait until I had at least 10 volunteers in my organization, I had opened up at multiple homes, and I knew that I could carry the program on throughout high school and college… which took over a year. So all in all, don’t jump to the end goal. Make sure you embrace the process along the way, and then make the big decisions!
If you could tell other young people one thing about why they should consider making a positive impact on our environment or society, like you, what would you tell them?
Humanitarian change isn’t measured by numbers or statistics. It’s measured by the smiles you bring, the memories you forge, and the hope you instill. No matter how you help them, or the cause you’re championing, the smallest actions will have the largest ripples. I vividly remember a patient telling me how dancing to the Beer Barrel Polka in a class reminded him of dancing with his fellow soldiers on a cold night in the Vietnam war. Even if this was the sole impact I had in the entirety of my organization, I’d be satisfied. In other words, you can have an impact. You have the power to use your talents and gifts to spark change, and through that, you do have the power to change the world.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
If possible, I would love to have lunch with Dr. Joanne Pike, the president of the Alzheimer’s Association. I believe her mission of advancing dementia care across the world is truly inspirational, and I’d look forward to learning about her prominent initiatives. Through leadership, empowerment, and passion, she’s spent years fighting to improve the lives of our most vulnerable, and I’d like to learn how Dance for Dementia could play into the sphere of advanced Alzheimer’s care. Ultimately, I hope to enter neurology and focus my care in geriatrics, and I believe she could help pave my path in medicine.
How can our readers follow you online?
Our website is dancefordementia.info, where you can find more information about our mission and ways to get involved in your community. Also, you can follow us on Instagram at dancefordementia_us, and in case you’d like to follow me personally, you can find me on Instagram at aryang22 or on LinkedIn!
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success in your great work!
Young Social Impact Heroes: Why and How Aryan Garg Is Helping To Change Our World was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.