The highlight of Judy Brannon's day is getting to dance in the morning with her neighbors at Azura Memory Care in Fox Point.
Brannon is a resident at Azura and suffers from dementia. "Move and Groove" is a daily morning exercise for her and coordinators say Brannon picks up on the choreography quickly and even helps other residents learn how to dance.
As a part of Azura's MOSAIC dreams program, officials were able to help Brannon's dream of dancing with the Milwaukee Bucks come true.
The Bucks Grand Dancers came to the Azura Memory Care in Fox Point on Tuesday, March 29. Not only did they put on a show for Brannon, but they also let her dance with them in a few of their routines.
After being impressed by Brannon's dance moves, they invited her to join them at Fiserv Forum for a real show.
"I did notice the beautiful change in Judy from this experience," Brannon's family said. "She was back to her happy and relaxed self. I also noticed her memory seemed improved."
Multiple studies found that dancing can reduce the onset of dementia.
One study done by the New England Journal of Medicine found that regular dancing reduced the risk of dementia by 76%, twice as much as reading. Doing crossword puzzles at least four days a week reduced the risk by 47%, while cycling and swimming offered no benefit at all.
