A Gwynedd care home was filled with song and dance as residents enjoyed a lively performance that could soon be heading for Norway.
Residents at Pendine Park’s Bryn Seiont Newydd in Caernarfon were treated to a high energy show by Dawns i Bawb (Dance for All).
The performers, Siri Widgel and Ellie Davies, had toes tapping and the audience singing along with a mix of Welsh and English songs, music and movement.
Their appearance was part of the troupe’s 30th anniversary tour and also doubled as a test run for taking the show overseas.
Welsh-speaker Siri, who is originally from Stavanger in Norway, said: “There’s a nice big area here to perform in and plenty of room for the residents and we have worked closely here for a number of years with their musician in residence, Nia Davies Williams.
“The show is called Four Seasons and the music has been written for it by Ellie who also did the choreography and since we started the tour in Pwllheli and Porthmadog we have seen such a positive response.
“Songs and dance can often unlock the memories of people with dementia and we always get such a big response here with so much positivity, love and energy and that is incredibly rewarding.
“I used to run a festival in Norway and here at Bryn Seiont Newydd we were testing this performance with a view to taking it to Norway where we were working with people to make it happen and to possibly go to Finland as well.
“We have done a lot of research into the music that people in care homes respond to and we get a lot of great feedback from residents like those here at Pendine because we really like to engage with our audiences.
“The tour has been funded by Gwynedd and we have extended it into Anglesey where we will be playing to audiences that are a mix of older and younger people after being approached by Ynys Mon Council.”
The response from the residents at Bryn Seiont Newydd was enthusiastic and John Carson, from Porthmadog, who moved to Gwynedd from Derbyshire to work on the Trawsfynydd and Dinorwig power stations, said: “The show is really good fun and the performers are excellent.
“I do remember a lot of the old songs but I’m not so good on the newer ones but the home put on some very good events for us.”
Meryl Williams, originally from Penrhyndeudraeth, said: “I’ve really enjoyed it and so have all the others here, while Eve Flint, who moved to Gwynedd from the Wirral, added: “It’s been lovely. I’ve enjoyed it very much. They do put on some good things here.
“There seems to be something on every week and the staff here are very helpful. It’s a great community here.”
Nia Davies Williams said: “Dawns i Bawb have been coming here for 10 years, ever since we opened, and we have a really good connection with them.
“It’s wonderful to have something like this available for our residents. We believe they should be able to access these kind of performances and they really enjoy them.
“Many of our residents have dementia but they can still recall the words of classics like Singing in the Rain and they really enjoy joining in.”
Bryn Seiont Newydd, which last year celebrated its 10th anniversary, has 77 beds and 16 two-person apartments, and is part of the Pendine Park Care organisation.
Manager Sandra Evans said: “We were delighted to welcome Siri and Ellie and the residents had a wonderful time.
“The arts in general and music in particular provide the golden thread running through everything we do to enrich the lives of our residents and staff alike.”