Miller’s Merry Manor has a name that is fitting for the holiday season. But the 62-bed facility in New Carlisle, IN, seeks a merry atmosphere throughout the year. Its dance activities, and one special resident, help in that endeavor.
Born in England, Peggy Przybylinski gained fame as a dancer during World War II. She traveled extensively to entertain the troops and appeared in a movie — and met her future husband, an American soldier.
After the war, the newlyweds settled in the Midwest. Przybylinski eventually started her own dance school.
Staff and fellow residents learned the full extent of her accomplishments thanks to a documentary memoir made by Reel Stories Productions.
“It was awe-inspiring,” said Administrator Jake Revere. He said workers were energized to learn more about other residents as well. The residents themselves were excited that they had been dancing with a star at monthly events featuring a Polish singing group.
Dance, even in a simplified form, can be great therapy, Revere noted. And Przybylinski demonstrates this: At 94 and in a wheelchair, she tap-danced her way to victory in this year’s talent contest in June.
“Getting your feet going, that gets your whole body going,” Przybylinski said in the documentary. “To this day, I can feel it.”
From the December 01, 2013 Issue of McKnight's Long-Term Care News
