One day this summer, shoppers paused while exploring the wares of the farmer’s market in Overland Park, Kansas, to enjoy a surprise flash mob dance performance by residents of nearby Morningside Place, an Anthem Memory Care community.
More than a dozen 80-plus-year-olds from the community performed a choreographed dance to the music of the Bee Gees’ “Staying Alive,” charming bystanders in the process.
“Shoppers stopped in their tracks and gathered to watch, applaud and cheer us on,” said Jessica Johnson, life engagement director at Morningside Place. “We heard comments like ‘That was amazing!’ and ‘Great job!’ One of the sweetest moments was seeing a toddler join in and dance along — it was adorable.”
Johnson said the performance, which lasted more than four minutes, was a chance for residents to connect with the community in a compelling and eye-catchingly energetic way.
“Alzheimer’s is a devastating disease, but that doesn’t mean life with Alzheimer’s has to be,” Johnson said. “Living with Alzheimer’s means finding new ways to connect and thrive. We’re here to show that even in the face of memory loss, there’s still room for fun, laughter and meaningful moments for our residents.”
The Morningside Place facility is just a block and a half from the farmer’s market. Johnson said she wanted to help residents tap into the vibrant energy of the market and felt that music would be a powerful way to do it because it is “such a powerful connector.” When she shared the idea with Frank Trimboli, executive director of Morningside Place, Johnson said his eyes lit up, and she got immediate approval.
“At the time of the flash mob, I was still very new to the role,” Johnson said. “The idea came to me during my first week, I proposed it in my second, and we pulled it off in my third. It was a whirlwind — but a joyful one! I’ve barely worked here a month and it’s been so much fun.”
Johnson said Legacy Health Services, which provides physical therapy to Morningside Place’s residents, was “incredibly enthusiastic” about the project. In fact, Legacy team members not only supported the idea, but they also choreographed the dance for the residents.
“We’re so fortunate to have partners who are as passionate about resident engagement as we are,” Johnson said.
Meanwhile, Johnson focused on logistics, including walking the route multiple times to ensure accessibility, gathering essentials such as water and finding a speaker loud enough to carry the music through the market crowd.
“The residents loved it,” Johnson said. “Even those who were initially hesitant ended up joining in once they saw how much fun we were having during rehearsals. After the event, back at the community, they were all smiles — thanking us, smiling and talking about how fun the flash mob was.”
Johnson believes Anthem takes a holistic approach to care that goes “beyond meeting needs,” and the flash mob performance fits naturally into that philosophy.
“It’s about enriching lives and giving our residents purpose in their day,” Johnson said.
Johnson said Anthem embraces the creativity and passion of its team members and encourages them to create “meaningful, joyful experiences.”
“It’s a culture that celebrates connection, and this flash mob was a perfect reflection of that,” Johnson said. “Our residents have so much joy to share — it’s only right that the broader community gets to see that.”