YOUNG patients at an Edinburgh children’s hospital have been strutting their stuff thanks to the provision of therapeutic workshops from Scotland’s national centre for dance.

Funded by the Sick Kids Friends Foundation (SKFF), the Royal Hospital for Sick Children has teamed up with Dance Base to treat patients to weekly dance sessions as part of a physical and mental rehabilitation programme.

The dance instructors have been working with the hospital’s physiotherapists to create a unique and fun way to introduce gentle exercise into the children’s routines.

Though originally the workshops were only planned for long terms patients and to take place in communal areas of the hospital, thanks to SKFF’s funding, they have also been able to run bedside workshops and get even more young patients involved.

Dance Base Instructor, Christina Liddell, said: “It has been such an uplifting experience to dance with these kids. By working very closely with the physiotherapists we’ve been able to build a rapport with them and help meet their specific needs in really beneficial ways.

“To see their faces light up when they hear a certain song or do a specific dance is wonderful – it’s so encouraging to see the movements helping them in their physical and mental recovery.

“Dance is a wonderful way for the children to express themselves, plus it can help them to relax, both physically and mentally. Hospital can be a stressful place for many of the kids and these dance sessions are a great distraction tactic. Even the gentle exercise can release endorphins and this can be so beneficial to lifting mood and spirits.”

Fiona O’Sullivan, Arts Programme Manager of the Sick Kids Friends Foundation, said: “We are so grateful to Dance Base for helping us to make this happen as it has been such a worthwhile activity and has really helped the children.

“This is just one of the many activities we provide to ensure children and young people’s lives are less interrupted by illness; they are less scared of hospital and have a more positive experience.

“Not only does it help the children in their recovery but it’s also a learning experience and teaches them how to do some basic steps and to communicate through dance.”