Intergenerational Program Director Liv Schaffer has created this wonderful program to serve our EngAGE Community residents! Weekly individual conversations plus online community-building opportunities will be delivered by students from the Performing Arts & Social Justice program at the University of San Francisco. Residents: contact your Program Director!
Sebastian Le, a Business and Dance student from the University of San Francisco, has joined EngAGE as an intern working with EngAGE Intergenerational Programs Director Liv Schaffer. Liv is also the Director of Dance Generators, the University of San Francisco’s intergenerational dance company, which we featured in our previous post. See Sebastian in action in these great photos by Hillary Goidell, courtesy of Dance Generators, and below them, read his thoughts about his experiences during his first month with our program.
My first day onsite at Crescent Park and Hayward Senior Apartments put me in a position where I knew no one and that made me feel uncomfortable. It was reminiscent of my first days at school, or the first time I attended a Dance Generators rehearsal. Not knowing anyone forces me to step outside of my comfort zone and socialize to get to know others. My three years spent with Dance Generators prepared me for this experience. I grew comfortable with everyone in the group through our shared love and passion for dance. It allowed me to share personal experiences verbally and through movements with others. Entering into EngAGE communities was a little different because the interests and passions of the residents are more varied. This provided a new challenge for me to push myself to find intersecting interests or life stories to connect with.
My nerves decreased as the weeks progressed. From dance classes to Bingo, my experiences onsite familiarized me with the environments and cultures of each property and continued to develop my social skills. The kindness and openness of the residents made it easier for me to find my fit in their environment. The confidence of the residents to move without a care in the world in Hayward, or the uplifting chatter during the Bingo games at Crescent Park, felt contagious to me. To see people with little to no background in dance be so willing to try out movements with us has infused me with confidence to strike up conversations and explore new choreographic ideas. In Hayward, during an activity in dance class where we passed our moments from one person to another around a circle, you could feel, with every passing, the creativity and willingness to attempt new ideas increase. Instant duets were created by initiating movements from obscure parts of our bodies. I found myself motivated to think outside the box and try out a move that I am not accustomed to, exploring the various possibilities inspired by older adults with no professional dance training or experience.
Joining the EngAGE team as an intern this summer, I did not know what to expect. However, throughout my time so far, I have been able to get to know a lot of great people. It makes my day to see the residents fully invest themselves in the activities and have a joyful time with each other. The infectious energy of everyone I have been able to meet has made my time so much fun. I look forward to the ideas that we will continue to generate within our movement classes and to further developing relationships with the residents in Hayward and at Crescent Park. Connecting across differences can sometimes be uncomfortable, but I believe it is a sign that I am learning more about myself and gaining some insight into where my discomfort comes from. All the residents have been very welcoming and kind to me, and I hope that can reciprocate that same energy for them. I am excited to learn more about everyone and see what the rest of this summer has to offer.
Have you ever thought about who in our society gets to dance? These photos capture dancers ranging in age from 20 to 89 years old coming together to shatter stereotypes about aging and encourage communities to move! Pictured here are Dance Generators company members during their recent performance at ODC Theater in San Francisco. This piece explored ideas of family paradigm, inheritance, and co-generational social healing.
Dance Generators is the University of San Francisco’s intergenerational dance company directed by EngAGE’s Intergenerational Programs Director, Liv Schaffer. Dance Generators company members have been offering creative movement workshops at several Northern California EngAGE sites this year and have been using inspiration from their time spent in our communities to inform the development of this performance piece.
Photos by Hillary Goidell
EngAGE CEO/Founder Tim Carpenter applauds the performance.
EngAGE is pleased to have received a grant of $50,000 from The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation in support of our arts, culture, and wellness programming for older adults in Los Angeles County.
For the past semester, EngAGE has enjoyed the enthusiasm and expertise of graduate student Shuqing (“Elaine”) Zhang, who is majoring in gerontology and participating in the USC Graduate School of Gerontology Internship program. She has been working virtually and in person with EngAGE Regional Program Director Sandra Vargas at several of our communities: Bella Vita, Metro@Chinatown Senior Lofts, Metro@Compton Senior Apartments, Metro@Hollywood Senior Apartments, and Vermont Family Apartments.
Elaine’s role has included participating in our existing programming as well as offering her own classes and presentations, which have covered topics such as the cultural differences between China and the United States; the Chinese Spring Festival; how to make special Chinese snacks; and how to play mahjong, the popular Chinese game of skill, strategy, and luck.
Our collaboration allows us to see how Elaine’s efforts impact the residents, and she benefits from direct contact with them. We appreciate our shared experience!
Elaine explains the internship program: ‘This course provides an opportunity for students to utilize the attitudes, knowledge, and skills that we have learned as part of our professional preparation as gerontologists. Time at our internship site allows us to temporarily assume the role of aging professionals; time participating in exercises and engaging in discussions will challenge us to feel more confident in our future role as a gerontologist and encourage us to share/reflect on our own and each other’s experiences.”
Dorsi Diaz, Program Director (Downtown Hayward/808 A Street) – An artist since she was a small child, Bay Area native Dorsi Diaz went on to become a well-known sign painter and muralist in the SF Bay Area and Northern California as an adult. She and her former partner owned Signs Now in Fremont for almost two decades. She has also taught art to adults and children, and currently serves as the Executive Director of the Sun Gallery in Hayward. An avid writer, she has over 300 published articles with HubPages, The Arctic News, Boomer Warrior, and the ANG Newspaper Group. Dorsi has also served as an Alameda County Arts Commissioner. She graduated from Chabot College and is currently attending Cal-State East Bay where she is focusing on how nonprofits operate and thrive. In her “free” time, she takes photos of her pup Zoey Van Goey, a pup influencer and working model dog on Instagram. Dorsi’s favorite motto is “Life is Service,” and she loves helping people of all ages find their talents and purpose. She feels she has found her creative home once again at EngAGE.
Join us for our annual Springtime Singing Concert featuring residents from Long Beach Senior Arts Colony, The Piedmont Senior Apartments in North Hollywood, and Crescent Park Apartments in Richmond, CA! Led by Instructor Lauren Wright, this is sure to be an entertaining event.
