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Dear DWP Community,
April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month—a fitting time to be celebrating 17 incredible years of offering free, evidence-based dance classes for people living with Parkinson’s disease.
Our recent fundraising event and community dance party, "Rhythm of...", perfectly embodied everything that makes DWP so special. We brought together dancers from over 12 Dancing with Parkinson's locations across the country, our young friends from Rosedale Day School, and more than 300 Zoom dancers from around the world—many of whom join us every day of the year. Each group choreographed their own section, which we wove together in under 30 minutes, co-creating a breathtaking, hybrid performance. This groundbreaking, nationwide collaboration showcased the power of movement, creativity, and togetherness, in spite of perceived boundaries and limitations.
A heartfelt thank you to Mark Gane and Martha Johnson, of the legendary rock band "Martha and the Muffins", for sharing more about their journey with Parkinson’s, music and creativity. We are so grateful to them for allowing us to use their iconic song "Rhythm of Life"—the perfect soundtrack, not only to this unforgettable experience, but to the work we are doing every day at DWP.
To our volunteers, instructors, board members, partners, dancers, and the entire DWP team—thank you. You are the heartbeat of this organization.
17 years of care, connection, creativity, community, love and family—this is what DWP is all about. We can’t wait to continue connecting with you, near and far, in-person and virtually, on the dance floor!
With gratitude,
Sarah Robichaud
Founder & CEO
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A Groundbreaking Celebration of 17 Years of Community and LOVE!
There's not much more we could possibly say to capture the magic that was our community celebration and annual fundraiser than has already been shared, so we'll let this video do the talking... 300+ dancers from all over Canada and the world, in-person and online, united by the shared human experience of moving through the rhythms of our lives...
Click here to watch Dancing with Parkinson's "Rhythm of..." fundraiser and community celebration. Enjoy!
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Click above to watch the Zoom recording of
DWP's "Rhythm of..." Fundraiser!
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Kanta Marwah Offers to Match All "Rhythm of..." Donations up to $12,000!
We are thrilled to share that we are so close to reaching our $100,000 fundraising goal! This ambitious effort will ensure that DWP’s dance programs continue to be offered for free, every single day of the year, to all who wish to participate—across Canada and around the world.
We greatly appreciate the incredible support we have received so far, and endless thanks goes to our dear friend, fellow dancer, and loving advocate for DWP, Kanta Marwah. In recognition of Parkinson's Awareness Month, Kanta, who joins the Daily Dance Connect every day from her home in Ottawa, has generously offered to match any donations up to $12,000 during the month of April to help us reach our goal! We are speechless. We are humbled. We are eternally grateful.
For those of you who haven't yet had a chance to donate, can we count on you to help us get there? Your donation, no matter the size, makes all the difference. Together, we can ensure that DWP's life-changing programs continue to thrive and bring joy, movement, and community to those who need it most.
Thank you for your ongoing support to get us to 17 years, to celebrate with us in the best way we know how, and for your commitment to dancing through life together, one step at a time. Please click below to make your donation now!
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We were thrilled to welcome our great friend, Audra Brown, from City News at Trinity St. Paul, DWP's flagship location where we hosted our "Rhythm of..." Fundraiser. Audra captured the pure magic that took place that day, both online and in-person, sharing Martha and Mark's meaningful impact, and including Peter's beautiful sentiments, referring to DWP as a "national treasure".
Thank you Audra for helping us spread the word, and Peter for being such an important part of our dance family!
To watch the clip, click here.
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We love nothing more than sharing the news of our expansion into new locations across Canada, so when we heard that Global Winnipeg was going to be onsite to capture the joy of the in-person event taking place at Churchill United Church, we were over the moon!
Thank you to the incredible team at Global Winnipeg for helping to get the word out about the power of the DWP program, and the opportunity for local dancers to come together in community, every single week, to dance and connect.
Click here to watch the clip!
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Celebrating Parkinson's Awareness Month
We are deeply honoured to collaborate with the remarkable thought leaders and visionaries in the Parkinson's Disease community. From empowering everyday individuals to launching groundbreaking campaigns and initiatives that foster connection and build community, the organizations leading the charge across Canada are making a profound impact on the lives of those navigating the challenges of living with Parkinson's disease.
In April, we celebrate the strength of partnership and our collective effort to reach further and connect more meaningfully to the Parkinson's community. To discover what our incredible partners are doing to recognize Parkinson's Awareness Month, and to learn how you can get involved, click on the links below.
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Parkinson Canada
Check out Parkinson Canada's powerful #ParkinsonsLooksLikeMe campaign aimed at raising awareness of the many faces of Parkinson's. Stay tuned for upcoming activities and events in recognition of Parkinson's Awareness Month and World Parkinson Day (April 11th, 2025). You may recognize some familiar friends from our very own dance family! Thank you for sharing your stories!
To learn more about Parkinson Canada's work and initiatives, visit www.parkinson.ca.
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PD Avengers
PD Avengers is a global alliance of people with Parkinson’s disease, their partners, and supporters who are committed to taking action to end Parkinson’s. Through Parkinson's Awareness Month, PD Avengers will raise awareness to the hidden struggles of Parkinson’s. Their powerful "Spark the Night" campaign takes place on April 11th when iconic landmarks around the world will be lit up in blue to shine as a symbol of a solidarity for those living with PD.
To learn more about PD Avengers, click www.pdavengers.com.
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Celebrating International Day of Happiness!
March 20th was International Day of Happiness, which felt like the most perfect opportunity to recognize that the DWP community has been dancing together, every single day, online for five straight years!
When COVID closed our doors in 2020, we started gathering on Zoom to dance, and we have been doing so ever since! Back then, we could never have imagined that we would not have taken even one day off, or that this incredible community that logs in from all over the world, would have become so close, so connected and such a source of joy, love and happiness...but here we are!
Our day is not complete without each of you. Thank you for being our reason and our “why”! For a little taste of how we celebrated International Day of Happiness, click here, because we can't think of a better way to embody joy than by dancing!
If you’re not already dancing with us, we would love to have you join our online family! Click here to learn more and register!
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Celebrating Milestones, DWP Style!
This month, we celebrated so many beautiful moments on the Daily Dance Connect and also with dancers at our in-person classes.
On March 3rd, one of DWP's newer dancers, Malcolm, joined us to celebrate his birthday. Malcolm who logs into the DDC from BC, curated a fantastic playlist of his favourite songs for us to dance to together! Our entire online dance family loved his selections, and felt deeply connected having the opportunity to get to know Malcolm better and also to celebrate him in this special way. Happy birthday, Malcolm!
During an in-person class at Schlegel Retirement Home this past month, a couple was celebrating their anniversary. They requested the waltz they danced to at their wedding and didn't hesitate before jumping up and dancing in each other’s arms. How beautiful to witness the love between this lovely pair!
In Louise's class in Meaford, one of the dancers shared that he always feels better after class, and has enough energy to take his wife out on a date the same evening!
These magical moments truly do light up our lives. We love being part of sharing these memorable experiences with all of you!
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DWP's Latest In-Person Class is Launching in Peterborough!
We are delighted to announce that a new in-person class will be opening in Peterborough on Tuesday, April 22nd in partnership with the Peterborough / Kawartha Lakes PD Support Group and funded by the PC Care Fund! It is through meaningful partnerships like these that DWP is able to reach more people living with PD to share the transformative benefits of dancing together as a community.
Details:
Date and Time: Every Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Location: Canterbury Gardens, 1414 Sherbrooke Street, Peterborough
To learn more and register for this class, click here.
We cannot wait to welcome you!
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Where We're Dancing!
Through the month of March, we were fortunate to connect with dancers at Smith Falls, Brockville, Wellings of Stittsville and Bearbrook long term care centre. It was such a privilege to get to know new friends in new communities, and to reconnect with those we haven't seen in awhile, like this fantastic group in Collingwood with Louise!
In April, we look forward to dancing at Gillis Lodge, Community Health Centres of Northumberland, Rotary Club, Smith Fall PD Support Group, North York General Hospital, the PSSO Parkinson Conference, and with the community at the Westworth United Church in Winnipeg.
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DWP is passionate about introducing our fun and beneficial program to new dancers by offering free demo classes, presentations and webinars! For more information about booking one for your group, please email us.
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Calling All Volunteers in the Peterborough Area!
DWP is looking for diverse and friendly individuals to support our participants as dance class assistants at our newest Peterborough class! If you are looking for an opportunity to give back in a meaningful and important way, and would like to be part of helping us reach and engage a very special population, we would love to hear from you!
Please click here to learn more about volunteering with DWP, and to submit your application! Feel free to reach out to us at info@dancingwithparkinsons.com if you would like to discuss this opportunity directly. No experience required.
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A "Slice of Life" with Jessie!
In our March Slice of Life, it was a delight to hear from Jessie MacRae who shared her journey to embodying a mindset of JOY in all that she does. A professional social service worker in victim services, Jessie recently came on board as DWP's lead contact at Kingston Road location of Toronto Seniors Housing building where she lives. She has made a conscious effort to find gratitude and appreciate the gifts of this life. Jessie is committed to paying it forward within the community she lives. Within her TSH building, Jessie established the "Farm Fresh Market" providing her neighbours with easy access to reasonably priced fresh fruit and vegetables. A true lover of community, Jessie puts her heart and soul into everything she does, whether the market to piano concerts, leading the DWP program and Saturday Night Game Night.
Thank you for sharing your beautiful perspective, Jessie! You are an inspiration!
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Listen to your favourite songs from DWP's classes anytime! Click here to follow DWP on Spotify so you can stay up to date on music as fresh tracks are added!
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Thanks for the fabulous class & opportunity to see so many people across the Canada and virtually crossing the borders to be united with many others who enjoy DWP's daily program at 11:00 am. Thanks for this unique experience of being together. All the best and many, many more years of success building a community in harmony to overcome our daily challenges.
~ DWP Dancer on DWP's "Rhythm of..." Fundraising Event
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Why Does DWP Matter?
Every day, people tell us how our research-backed programs bring joy, friendship and connection to their lives, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Click above to hear what DWP's free, accessible movement classes mean to our dancers.
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