Diane overcomes her dementia to rekindle lifelong love of dancing
An elderly woman who is living with dementia has movingly rediscovered her love for dancing during a music session at a Melton Mowbray care home.
Diane Williams has a lifelong passion for dance after learning tap at the age of eight and enjoying ballroom dancing with her beloved husband, Sid, for the next six decades.
She now lives at Wilton Manor Care Home, on Leicester Road, and her dancing days appeared behind her after the impact of the Covid pandemic and Sid suffering from illness.
But her love was rekindled at the special session at Wilton Manor when she delighted fellow residents and staff by tap dancing with the same enthusiasm and joy she had in younger years.
A spokeswoman for the care home said: “The moment has also been a poignant reminder for the team at Wilton Manor that dementia does not diminish the essence of who a person is.
“Beneath the illness remains the little girl who chose to learn tap dancing at eight-years-old and the woman who spent decades dancing with the love of her life.”
Diane first discovered dancing as a young girl, inspired by visits to her Aunt Betty in London and watching local performances.
In the early 1960s, she met future husband, Sid, and the pair quickly discovered a shared love of dancing.
As their family grew, the couple rediscovered their passion for dance in the 1980s, also learning from professional dancers and stars of TV show, Strictly Come Dancing.
For Diane’s family, seeing her dancing again at Wilton Manor has been deeply moving.
Reflecting on seeing his wife dancing again, Sid said simply: “She still enjoys her dancing.”