Watch Constance and Dennis dance again

When Dennis joked he'd pay £1M to dance with his wife, rehab assistant Rali took that as a challenge.

Seven years ago, a fit and active Constance Bartholomew had started to feel tired and dizzy. She was eventually diagnosed with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) – a rare neurological condition that can cause problems with balance, movement, vision, speech and swallowing.

Since then Constance and her husband Dennis have accessed a number of services across the hospice, but were recently referred to our gym for a series of sessions. When Ralitsa (Rali) began working with Constance, she began to explore what mattered to her.

“She is unable to walk, to articulate, her eyesight has failed,” says Dennis. “But she is fully aware. There is absolutely nothing wrong with her memory or comprehension. If she says that 20 years ago she saw you in Streatham High Street wearing a red top, then do not argue.”

During the gym sessions, Constance was able to dance to her favourite music while holding onto the wall bars, almost spontaneously recalls Rali. This sparked an offhand remark by Dennis who joked that he would pay Rali £1M if it would be possible for them to dance together for the first time in more than seven years. “My answer was, this isn’t far from being possible,” says Rali, meaning them both dancing again not getting £1M.

“They both loved the idea and wanted to give it a go, so we started to build up to it,” she adds.

So that’s exactly what happened in the gym recently as the two danced to Ed Sheeran and Usher, captured on video by the hospice’s Communications team.

“The movements were small but significant. It was about Constance trusting Dennis and leaning onto him to support herself in standing,” says Rali.

This is rehabilitative hospice care in action. One of the fundamentals of palliative care and the St Christopher’s approach – which is about helping people live well until we die. Because who we are matters right up until the end of our lives.

“Dennis and Constance’s dancing was beautiful because it was about the closeness and trust and love and care between them that remained true through the thick and thin moments that the illness imposed on them,” says Rali.

“Constance is always determined every time she comes to the gym, it is hard for her to use her body as she wants or to voice what she thinks but she is always open to trying new challenges and to make the effort,” she adds.

The couple met 51 years ago. A 21-year-old Dennis was walking past the Department of Health and Social Security on Blackfriars Road on his way to a further education class when he caught sight of Constance.

“It’s been a fantastic time,” he says of their half a century together. The couple have two children, a son and a daughter and grandchildren. Of the dance he added: “We support each other and this happens because of the support given to us by St Christopher’s.”

You can read more about Dennis and Constance’s experience of St Christopher’s here: Smiles and massages change one couple’s view of hospices

Constance passed on 27 February 2025 at home, surrounded by friends and family.

The family have set up a MuchLoved page in memory of Constance which you can visit here: https://constancebartholomew.muchloved.com/Fundraising