As part of my Churchill Fellowship I have visited residential care homes in Prague and have seen some wonderful creative and artistic work with people with dementia and people who are elderly and frail. The 'Dancing Man', Petr Valeta is extraordinary with the energy he transmits to older people, many of them in wheel chairs or with frames. Petr dances both for the residents as well as with them. His sessions comprise group work that gets feet tapping, hands clapping and an anticipation for what is to come next. He dances with each individual, enthusing them to go beyond their body limits and really dance, treating them all with the utmost respect. Then he performs for the group and they are enthralled. As a former professional ballet dancer, Petr is able to combine his own talents with his therapeutic care-home experience and provide something truly magical!
PETR VELETA MA.,
Ph.D
Dr. Petr Veleta was born in 1952 in
Prague, Czech Republic.
He graduated from the Dance Conservatory in Prague, one-year internship at the London School of Contemporary Dance, Academy of Music in Prague - majoring in choreography, Charles University in Prague - Ph.D – "Dance and exercise program for seniors”.
He graduated from the Dance Conservatory in Prague, one-year internship at the London School of Contemporary Dance, Academy of Music in Prague - majoring in choreography, Charles University in Prague - Ph.D – "Dance and exercise program for seniors”.
He
worked as a ballet soloist in Slovak National Theatre in Bratislava, Music Theatre in Prague and as a chief choreographer in Theatre
in Olomouc. As a dance teacher and choreographer,
he worked at Slovak and Czech Republic
and in several projects in England
and Germany. Until 2011 he worked as an assistant director of the National
Theatre in Prague. He is a director of Peter´s Dance Centre Prague.
Other activities include dance a movement therapy for seniors with mental and physical disabilities, which is carried out within Czech Alzheimer Society programs and the Center of Gerontology in Prague 8.
Other activities include dance a movement therapy for seniors with mental and physical disabilities, which is carried out within Czech Alzheimer Society programs and the Center of Gerontology in Prague 8.
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