Claire Panke

Documentary Filmmaker, New York City

“The Healing Power of Dance”

My name is Claire Panke and I am both a nurse and a documentary filmmaker, based in New York City. I met Vanessa Issac when I attended one of her dance classes.

I don’t regularly take dance classes, but in Vanessa’s class I felt comfortable and encouraged to join in with everyone else. From the moment I first walked into the class, I could feel the positive energy radiating throughout the room. That positive energy can be felt among her students, and in the wonderful music & drums, but the enthusiasm originates from Vanessa herself.

Vanessa is a gifted teacher who infuses each class with a deep love of her native Brazilian culture. It’s no wonder she has such loyal students - dancers of all ages and abilities that together form a special community of belonging, inclusivity and cross-generational connections.

It was through Vanessa’s class that I met Dee, a woman who had been a dancer in the Hollywood musicals of the 40’s and 50’s, and was keeping up her love of dance well into her 80’s. Dee looked forward to Vanessa’s class each week, and I could see how the other students were drawn into the joy Dee clearly felt while dancing. Dee would eventually become one of three people featured in my documentary film about creative, engaged later life (lightyearsfilm.com).

One of the things Dee would say is that we all learn from Vanessa the healing power of dance.

* Claire Panke is the producer and film director of the documentary Light Years. The film offers an antidote to our outdated notions about aging as its stories unfold with wisdom, humor, and a few surprises. For more information on Panke’s work and the Light Years film please go to lightyearsfilm.com