The Prometheus Dance Elders Ensemble The Elders Ensemble of Prometheus Dance is a group of eight post-professional dancers ages 60-88. Formed by co-Artistic Directors Diane Arvanites & Tommy Neblett, they perform original dance/theatre pieces that tell the bittersweet stories of their lives as dancers, daughters, mothers and friends through movement, theatre and text. Several of the dancers studied with the greats of modern dance (Martha Graham, Hanya Holm, Anna Sokolow, Jose Limon, Alwin Nikolais) and are a living link to the origins of modern dance.

The Elders Ensemble provides low-cost outreach performances and movement workshops at senior citizen community centers, healthcare, rehabilitation and assisted living centers throughout the metro-Boston area. Some of these venues include the Boston Alzheimer’s Center, Cambridge Citywide Senior Center, the Brookline Senior Center, the Hebrew Rehab Center, the Sudbury Senior Center, and the Standish Village Senior Center among others. The company has also performed at the Massachusetts State House, Brandeis University, Spoke the Hub in Brooklyn, NY, and annually at The Dance Complex in Cambridge.

Following each Elders Ensemble performance we hold a post performance discussion with the aim of reflecting on the work and gaining insight through audience perspective. The audience has the opportunity to express their opinions, talk about their individual experiences, and voice any questions or issues that may arise. Often the discussions address questions regarding dancer history, age, choreographic interpretation, performance experience, and relationship to one another. Most audience members are delighted and surprised at the power and beauty of these spirited women. Occasionally the content of the work brings about discussions about social and political issues.

The value of age and experience is vital to our understanding of life as a whole. Creating a platform from which our elders can express themselves fully and with wisdom is a gift for us all. They are so full in their existence that they are role models of life and can teach us to cherish that which leads us to old age. From elder to elder the message is to live life fully and express it honestly.

Dance has always been considered a young persons profession, but we limit ourselves when that viewpoint is taken. The Elders Ensemble moves us beyond those limitations by creating and performing movement that is physically challenging, emotionally provocative, and motivated by human history. It was formed to provide audiences and artists alike with a venue to express and experience the grace and depth of artistry that only elder dancers possess. Not only is this physically and spiritually beneficial for the performers, but audiences realize that youthful prowess is only one aspect of dance, and that the emotional weight and wisdom of the soul can only be obtained and expressed through the experience of living. The Elders Ensemble of Prometheus Dance is just that sort of opportunity.