Julia Esquejo’s Reflection

Fall 2022 - Spring 2023 Dance Generators Assistant & Website Manager

I am grateful for the opportunity to have been working with Dance Generators Company for the last year. If I had not been a gerontology minor, I would never have known that this company existed. My experience in working with older adults has always been limited to nursing homes and the family around me. I still remember my first day meeting Dance Generators, and being scared about how things would turn out. Would I enjoy myself or feel different and not be able to connect with anyone. However, the members were so welcoming and I felt the youth in the room from everyone. I remember one of the exercises on our first day was to dance with a partner in freestyle and I ended up dancing with Valerie, one of the older adults. I could feel her kindness and story through our dance as we followed each other's movement and went with the flow. When looking at members of all ages dancing, each one brings their own unique style and personality. The older adults' ability to connect with younger members and enjoy the common passion of dance has shown me how beauty can take many forms. This experience has shown me how to connect with older adults in a different way, not with words but through movement. Moreover, it has allowed me to take on roles I never thought I would be doing such as managing the website, designing posters, and handling business tasks. I will never forget this experience and feel it has made my time at USF unique because not many people can say they had the opportunity to help be part of a movement to connect bridges between generations.