Music has proven to be a healer for patients with Alzheimer’s disease, and this was demonstrated once again when a former ballerina heard Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky and began showing off her moves.
Marta C. González, a prima ballerina in the 1960s, performed Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake hundreds of times during her career. But sadly, Alzheimer’s robbed her of those memories, and she passed away in 2019.
Viral camera footage taken before her death captures the incredible moment when the ballerina remembers her long-forgotten ballet moves upon hearing a familiar tune once again.
The footage, shared by a music therapy group called Música para Despertar (Music to Wake Up To), shows Marta listening to Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake with headphones. As the music begins, her hands slowly and gracefully start moving, performing animated and elegant gestures.
The former prima ballerina instantly recognizes the song, and it is heartwarming to see her enjoying the moment. Although wheelchair-bound and unable to stand, Marta “danced” with her upper body, mimicking the moves she had performed so many years ago.
As soon as she completed her performance, the entire room erupted in applause. Marta, visibly emotional, reportedly told her caretaker that she felt overwhelmed with feelings.
This touching video has circulated around the globe after being shared online by Música para Despertar. Felipe Tristan, associate conductor of the Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra, called it “the most beautiful video you’ll see today.”
Award-winning actor Antonio Banderas commented on the clip, describing it as an example of “the emotional power of music.” Hollywood actress Jennifer Garner also expressed her admiration for the ballerina’s reaction, saying, “Our innate connection to music, to movement, to the arts, is beautiful.”
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