In this video of Spanish dancer Marta C. González, a former prima ballerina, she listens to the music from Swan Lake and instantly remembers and performs the choreography while sitting in her wheelchair. The clip was actually filmed in 2019 by Música para Despertar (Music to Wake Up To), an advocacy group for music therapy for patients who have memory loss, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease, but was recently shared on their social media accounts.
The music has transported González back to the stage as she gracefully moves her arms and head. And while the video includes clips of a young ballerina dancing, it is actually not González but rather former prima ballerina from Russia’s Mariinsky Ballet, Ulyana Lopatkina, according to prominent dance critic Alastair Macaulay, who has been trying to track down González’s history.
Música para Despertar said González has since died, according to NPR. In this video, we get to witness the emotional effect music and dance can have on the body and mind, despite the effects Alzheimer’s disease can have on memory. We can feel the immense joy and emotion in her heart.
