Former ballerina with Alzheimer’s has an unbelievable response to music she had earlier performed to

There is power in music and a person can feel it within themselves. No matter the genre, lyrics or composer, some songs resonate with some people in a way that no one can imagine. While people have been able to vouch for the power of music emotionally, the same has been backed after legendary NYC ballet dancer Marta C. González surprised millions, per Alzheimer’s Research Association. The video was first shared by the Spanish organization “Música Para Despertar” in 2020, shortly after the dancer’s passing. However, the contents of the video have people baffled even to this day. 

The popular ballerina had her prime years during the 1960s when she mesmerizingly performed for several shows. However, when age caught up and González was plagued with Alzheimer’s, it got the better of her health. Alzheimer’s affects the cognitive system, especially the memory among people. In the video, the gracious dancer is seen in a wheelchair, completely aloof from her surroundings. However, as soon as the song by Tchaikovsky "Swan Lake” is played on a recorder, something clicks and her expression changes completely. González wasn’t aware of what was happening but her body was signaling towards something that felt nostalgic. 

Within seconds of intently listening to the music, she immediately, as if automatically rebooted, began to do her routine. In a jiffy, she recalled the performance she rendered decades ago and effortlessly began depicting it. She perfectly remembered all the steps and it was compared to her performance clips from back in the 90s. It was mind-boggling how she seemed so disconnected and blank but a mere song transformed all of it for a couple of magical seconds. No one would have been able to guess the ballerina had Alzheimer’s or anything short of a sharp memory of how she used to perform. So intact, elegant and poised was González’s performance that it left people teary-eyed. 

Music is widely used for recovery in neurodegenerative diseases like dementia and Alzheimer’s, per Your Brain on Art. Music is said to help with these conditions, especially after strokes. It is also used in Neurological Music Therapy for people with such conditions as a method to boost mood and energy. It helps to nostalgically bring back memories as it did for González. Moreover, it helps with cognitive rewiring and boosting. Seeing the ballerina revamp herself for those few minutes all because of a song had people emotionally overwhelmed and grateful for music.

@wanderingshadow8658 exclaimed, “You can just see her entire self begin to shift as she remembered. Thanks for letting this talented woman have one last dance.” @robstockton2463 shared, “That was a tearjerker. My Mom didn’t know who her kids were, where she was, how to eat…but if we wheeled her up to the piano, she played (beautifully) just like usual. There’s something about music.” @kermitsjuicyjuicy3673 added, “The way at first her hands and body were shaking and then after a few seconds, there's a change. She becomes steady and fluid just like she was years ago and it's so beautiful to see.”