It has been a busy little while at Dancing with Parkinson's as we continue to reach farther and deeper into new communities to share the joy and benefits of dance with seniors and people living with Parkinson's disease from all walks of life, coast to coast, and around the world. Every day it becomes even more apparent that the daily dance classes not only get us moving, but provide a place to forge friendships and lean into a true sense of community. 

DWP's free, online Daily Dance Connect truly is a remarkable offering and unlike any other anywhere in the world. It is an honour to play this role, and we take our responsibility to show up each and every day very seriously. We are more committed than ever to ensure that all vulnerable individuals, regardless of age and circumstance, have the opportunity to experience the joy and benefits of movement and self-expression, at no cost, from exactly where they are.

This past month, Parkinson's Awareness Month, reminded us of the power of community and partnership. We are grateful to be working with important organizations who feel the same passion as we do to ensure that we are reaching marginalized, isolated populations through easy access to regular, high quality, daily programming.

And so with our sights set on changing the world one dance class at a time, we remain passionate about the limitless potential of dance to offer joy and strength, defy limitations imposed by illness and adversity, and to create connection against all odds.

Thank you for your ongoing support.

Let's dance,

98-year old Sophia has a special connection to music and artistry. She is an incredible singer, however, as we shared during our “Look of…” series, her life experience instilled a fear of speaking, and of most forms of self-expression including singing. (To read Sophia’s story, click here.) 

Over time, Sophia reconnected with her passion, and her journey to express herself has continued through discovering Dancing with Parkinson’s. Sophia joins us at the in-person class at Trinity St. Paul where she benefits greatly from listening to the music and connecting with the community. Her daughter, Mary, is her primary caregiver and is committed to bringing Sophia to Trinity as often as she can. When asked what motivates her to build the DWP class into Sophia’s day, Mary says “being with others and enjoying the music lights mum up and calms her down. I can tell when Mum is happy, and she is most happy when she is listening to music. There is a sparkle in her eye.” And for Mary, there is nothing more important. “When Mum is happy, the world is good.”

This Mother’s Day, share the joy and benefits of dance and connection with mothers living with PD by making a donation to Dancing with Parkinson’s. In doing so, you are helping to keep DWP classes free of charge for all who wish to join us online or in-person to move together to music.

Click here to contribute today. Thank you for your generosity!

It was such an honour celebrate Parkinson's Awareness Month in such a wide variety of ways with so many of you. The opportunity to connect with partners and participants through diverse art forms reminds us that we do so much more than dance! Read on for a look back on how we engaged our community through the written word, movement and song.

DWP, U-Turn Parkinson's and PD Avengers Come Together to Recognize World Parkinson's Day

On Thursday, April 11th, World Parkinson’s Day, DWP and two of our very important partners, U-Turn Parkinson’s and PD Avengers, joined forces with five other like-minded organizations to share the benefits of movement and connection. This special online event featured presentations and demonstrations from organizations with a focus on services for people living with PD. We were thrilled to connect and share a wide variety of online movement and exercise programs that are available from the comfort of home. 

Slideshow: To download the slideshow from the presentation, please click here. 

Presentation: To watch the recording of this important virtual event, please click here.

Through the month of April, DWP loved visiting several seniors residences and community centres to share the joy and benefits of moving together to music. We had the great opportunity to connect with dancers at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, The Neighbourhood Organization, North York General Hospital, Annex Retirement Residence and many Toronto Seniors Housing locations. 

In May we look forward to visiting Wildpine Residence in Ottawa, Flemingdon Park, Parkinson Society Ottawa, Chartwell Jackson Creek, Thorncliffe Park and Peterborough/Kawartha’s PD Support Group. 

DWP Offers Active Living Programs with Communities in Need

In partnership with the Neighbours Project, an initiative of the Health Commons Solutions Lab, DWP has been offering in-person classes for older adults to experience social connection and community through dance and movement. We have been working with the Neighbours Project to deliver active living programming in two ethnically diverse regions in Toronto that have been adversely impacted by COVID-19: North York and Downtown East.

DWP is actively involved in sharing our experience working with people living with Parkinson’s and seniors in order to help inform program design for the Neighbours Project initiatives. Learnings from North York are being implemented in Downtown East where DWP is offering in-person classes at two Toronto Public Library locations, as well as for Toronto Seniors Housing communities.

To read about DWP's involvement in the North York project, click here. For the full report, visit the Health Commons Seniors Health and Wellbeing page and scroll all the way down to the tools and resources section.