DanceStream Projects

“I didn’t want to become a neurosurgeon. So I asked myself: how can I use what I already do?”

For C. Nathaniel Brown, the answer was storytelling through the arts and media.

And that question became the beginning of a journey that led to the founding of Expose Dementia.

As Chuck and his team traveled through communities, they kept meeting families who had no idea that dementia resources already existed nearby.

That realization became a mission:
✨ Educate and raise awareness
✨ Reduce stigma
✨ Connect families with resources
✨ Uplift communities and strengthen hope through art and advocacy

Because dementia is still treated as a taboo in too many communities.

So Chuck and his team chose to expose it.

Not by shying away from the hard conversations—but by creating new ways to have them: through film, books, conferences, art, storytelling, and, most importantly, community.

This is one of the things I find so powerful about Chuck’s work: he didn’t have to become someone else to make a difference.

He asked how he could use the gifts, knowledge, and experience he already had—and built a movement from there.

And I think there’s something powerful in that question for all of us:
What do we already have that we can use to create change?

🎧 Hear the full conversation with Chuck Nathaniel Brown in Season 2, Episode 8: Exposing Dementia through the Arts.
🔗 Link in bio.

“Dementia hit my family hard—and for years, nobody said a word.”

In our latest episode of Dancing into Brain Health, we speak with C. Nathaniel Brown, whose journey into dementia advocacy and brain health began with a deeply personal realization: dementia was already close to home, yet his family had few resources—and little space to talk about it.

Rather than navigating dementia in silence, Chuck sought out resources, knowledge, and connection.

And he didn’t stop there.

What began as a personal search for answers grew into a documentary, a journey across the country, countless educational and community-building events, and a nonprofit—all dedicated to making sure that no one has to navigate a journey with dementia alone.

🎧 Listen to the full conversation on Dancing into Brain Health.
🔗 Link in bio.

“She kept saying, ‘You’re gonna be famous.’
Turns out, I’m the one making her story famous.” ❤️

We were honored to speak with C. Nathaniel Brown about the woman whose journey with dementia inspired his journey as a filmmaker, author, advocate, and founder of Expose Dementia - his aunt Shiela Brown.

When someone we love is living with dementia, the stigma around us can drown out the individual and make the diagnosis become the story. But dementia does not define an individual’s story.

For Chuck, his aunt’s story became a calling:
✨ to keep telling her story
✨ to honor the life she lived
✨ to make sure people see the person—not just the diagnosis

And perhaps most importantly, to keep her name in the room.

Sometimes love looks like advocacy.
Sometimes purpose is inherited.
Sometimes telling someone’s story is a way of continuing to honor them.

In this moving conversation on Dancing into Brain Health, Chuck shares how his aunt Shiela inspired Remember Me: Dementia in the African American Community—and ultimately, the movement he built through Expose Dementia.

💛 Tag someone who has been the voice for a loved one navigating a journey with dementia.

🎧 Listen to Season 2, Episode 8: Exposing Dementia through the Arts wherever you listen to podcasts. Full episode also available on YouTube. Link in Bio.

🧠💃 Today, on World Brain Day, we’re celebrating the incredible older adults of the Queens Center for Gay Seniors (Queens Center For Gay Seniors) in Jackson Heights, Queens.

Every week, our evidence-informed dance program, Rainbow Stories, brings this community together to move, create, connect, and challenge both their minds and bodies. Through dance, they’re strengthening brain health while building friendships, confidence, and joy.

Research continues to show that some of the most powerful ways to support brain health include:
✨ Physical activity
🤝 Social connection
🌱 Lifelong learning and cognitive challenge

These remarkable elders are showing us what it looks like to put brain health into action—and proving that it’s never too late to keep moving, creating, and growing.

This year’s World Brain Day theme from the World Federation of Neurology reminds us that “Brain Health Is for Everyone” and we need to “Bring Brain Care Closer to Home.” We couldn’t agree more.

At DanceStream Projects, we believe in the power of dance to spark brain health and build creative community at every age.

💙 Happy World Brain Day 2026!

Interested in dancing with us or bringing a program to your community? Learn more at dancestreamprojects.org.

👃✨ Did you know you can train your sense of smell?

In this clip from the latest episode of the Dancing into Brain Health Podcast, neuroscientist Dr. Rona Graham explains the simple practice known as olfactory training.

The routine is surprisingly simple:
🌹 Rose
🍋 Lemon
🌿 Eucalyptus
🌰 Clove

Spend about 20 seconds with each scent, taking time to notice what you smell—and even more importantly, what memories, emotions, or associations arise.

As Dr. Graham explains, the cognitive process of actively engaging with these scents is part of what makes this practice so fascinating to researchers studying the connection between smell and brain health.

While scientists continue to investigate olfactory training and its potential role in supporting brain health, this conversation offers a fascinating glimpse into an exciting area of neuroscience.

🎧 Watch the clip and listen to the full episode through the link in our bio.

💬 We’d love to hear from you:
Which scent instantly brings back a favorite memory?

👃 What if one of the most powerful ways to engage your brain begins with your nose?

In this clip, neuroscientist Dr. Rona Graham describes the research paper that made her think, “I have to study this.”

After just 12 weeks of olfactory training, researchers observed striking changes in brain activity—including regions beyond the olfactory system.

It’s a fascinating reminder that our senses do far more than help us experience the world—they may also offer important insights into brain health.

🎙️ Hear the full conversation on the newest episode of the Dancing into Brain Health Podcast.
🔗 Link in Bio.