Former Pro Ballerina with Alzheimer’s Performs Emotional ‘Swan Lake’ Dance

For some, music is an escape. For others, it’s a powerful tool in their fight against Alzheimer’s.

Studies show that for patients with dementia, music memories often remain in the brain, even as language and other memories disappear. There’s no greater proof of this than Marta C. González.

Little is known about González’s past. Some claim that she was a prima ballerina with “the New York Ballet” in the 1960s. However, there’s no record of a company, and the New York City Ballet doesn’t list González’s name among its alumni. While dance critic Alastair Macaulay uncovered a mysterious 1966 from a non-existent organization called “The Higher School for Professional Studies, Nueva York”, no one has ever found definitive records of her ballet experience.

But that doesn’t matter. Whether González toured with the American Ballet Theatre or didn’t graduate from any professional ballet program, her love for ballet is on full display in this video. Although frail and confined to a wheelchair, it’s not difficult to imagine González dancing in her prime. A tremor in her hands doesn’t take away from the grace and fluidity of her movements. Her eyes sparkle as she sweeps her arms in graceful arcs. The music builds to a crescendo, and for a breathless few moments, Marta C. González is Odette.

González probably didn’t remember much before she passed away in 2020. But buried deep within her memory was the plight of a heartbroken swan princess named Odette and a love for ballet that transcended even Alzheimer’s.

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