Delia Silvester first trained as a ballet dancer and then as a PE instructor. She worked for the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) and the British Nursing Association, and over a period of twelve years, through outreach work in care homes, developed a series of movements-to-music and dances specifically designed to address the mobility and memory limitations of older people. Delia ran workshops for activities organisers on behalf of the National Association of Providers of Activities for Older People (NAPA) in south-west England. In 2004, she founded Dance Doctors, a dance company that performed in care settings, teaching both residents and staff.