Dear <<First Name>>,
I hope this message finds you well and enjoying a wonderful summer — embracing the sunshine and long, bright days!
I am still riding the high from my time in Barcelona at the World Parkinson Congress which I attended with our Director of Outreach and Engagement, Jessica Dargo Caplan at the beginning of July.
We were thrilled to join over 2,600 attendees including clinicians, researchers, allied healthcare professionals, people living with Parkinson's and their care partners for this very significant opportunity to learn about new and innovative ways to provide support for those living with PD.
In addition to participating in a wide variety of relevant and fascinating workshops and lectures, DWP had the opportunity to share our latest evaluation results during a poster session which reported on the impact of our Daily Dance Connect program for people living with PD (see more below!). It was also very exciting to see our video contribution to the “I AM DANCE” PD Dance Project which played throughout the conference (also linked below!).
Attending the World Parkinson Congress provided Jessica and I with meaningful opportunities to connect with existing and prospective partners including Parkinson Canada, Dance for PD, U-Turn Parkinson’s and PD Avengers, among others. Together we will continue to collaborate to develop, promote and increase access to effective and research-backed approaches to support people living with Parkinson’s and their care partners.
We have important work to do, and together with this incredibly committed and inspiring network of individuals and organizations, we are more ready than ever to get to it!
Thank you for your ongoing support and enthusiasm as we continue to grow and stretch into new opportunities that will enable DWP to reach more people living with Parkinson's and seniors across the country.
My best,
Sarah Robichaud
Founder and Executive Director
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Hola Barcelona! Let's Dance!
Prior to the start of the World Parkinson Congress, Sarah and Jessica were invited to participate in Dance for PD®’s workshop and networking event. Sarah was one of five Dance for PD® certified teachers asked to prepare and share a dance phrase as an example of DWP's movement repertoire with a global network of instructors and allied health professionals.
It was so inspiring to engage with and learn other approaches and styles offered by these incredible teaching artists from around the world.
Warmest thanks to our colleagues and friends, Dance for PD® Program Director and Founding Teacher, David Leventhal, and Programs and Engagement Manager, Maria Portman Kelly, for continuing to connect a global network of teaching artists — bringing us together so that we can collectively increase access to dance and movement for those who need it the most.
Click here to for a taste of what the workshop entailed.
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"I AM DANCE" PD Dance Project
DWP was thrilled to contribute to the “I AM DANCE” PD Dance Project at the World Parkinson Congress with a video submission of our work with people living with Parkinson's. This powerful compilation was created by our friend and fellow dancer, Clara Kluge.
In association with the Dance for PD® Program, Clara's project, inspired by tulips and movement, invited the global PD dance community to show their own creative and unique choreography and dance pieces as a worldwide collaborative celebration of the vital benefits and joy of dance, for those living with Parkinson’s. More than 850 members of the Global Parkinson Dance Community from 15 countries contributed to this dance project.
To watch DWP's moving video submission, click here!
Got some time? Enjoy the full "I AM DANCE" video consisting of 93 dances celebrating the beauty and spirit of the dance artists living with or touched by Parkinson’s Disease. Click here to watch!
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Dr. Lorraine Kalia at the WPC!
DWP’s esteemed Board Member, Dr. Lorraine Kalia, was a featured panelist at the conference, participating in numerous presentations and round tables. In the plenary session entitled “Emerging Therapies for Parkinson’s Disease” Dr Kalia explained and provided insight on the principles and latest research on drug repurposing used in Parkinson's therapies.
Dr. Kalia is an associate professor in the Division of Neurology University of Toronto, and a senior scientist at the Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network. We are so honoured and grateful to work with Dr. Kalia, an important champion for DWP in the medical field.
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"Evaluating the Impact of Daily Dance" Poster Presentation
Many of you will remember that our Daily Dance Connect (DDC) participants were asked to complete a survey in late 2023, designed to measure and better understand the impact of the DDC program, and provide valuable feedback which informs how we can continue to build on and improve the program.
DWP had the opportunity to share these latest evaluation results during one of the official poster sessions at WPC. During our designated time slot Sarah and Jess were stationed by the poster, which highlighted the ways in which the Daily Dance Connect program provides opportunities for increased participation and deeper engagement, and discussed these benefits in greater detail with many conference delegates.
For a closer look at DWP's poster and the results of our evaluation, please click here.
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Partnerships, new collaborations and DWP dancer meetups!
Our meetings at WPC confirmed how incredibly aligned our organizations are with so many current partners like Parkinson Canada and Winnipeg-based U-Turn Parkinsons, while re-igniting our enthusiasm to explore new opportunities to collaborate with incredible PD advocates and change-leaders like PD Avengers founder, Larry Gifford.
We were also thrilled to brainstorm and spend time with DWP dancers Richard Mayede (Parkinson Society of BC), Pat Evans (Ottawa-based PD advocate), and Barbara Salsberg Mathews (Dopamine Dance queen and mime for PD leader).
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On August 1 following the Daily Dance Connect class, Sarah and Jessica shared their experiences, learnings and highlights from their highly impactful time at the World Parkinson Congress in Barcelona. To watch their fabulous presentation, click here.
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For more learnings and resources from WPC Barcelona:
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Have you met David? A resident of Toronto, David is a regular at Monday's in-person class at Trinity St Paul. You'll know him by his smile, his quick wit and, whether he wants to admit it or not, his fantastic dance moves!
In his professional life, he is a highly accomplished writer whose list of publications include submissions to Esquire, Cosmo, Redbook, Maxim, Art and Antiques, Saturday Night, the walrus, Toronto Life, Fashion, Nuvo, the National Post, The Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, and the New York Times, among others.
David has written four independent Canadian feature films, and his work has been translated into more than 20 languages.
As a reluctant dancer at first, we asked him if he would be open to sharing his experience as a younger onset person living with PD. Here, in his own words, is David's story.
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Get Down On It
If I could, I’d get down like James Brown. But, no, I could never dance. This body of mine is a boogy-free zone. By contrast, I could always speak in public. My knees knock but I plow through it. I once improvised a fifteen-minute speech for five-hundred people. And killed it. Turn on some music however... it’s like I’ve set eyes on Medusa herself. Turns me to stone.
When I was diagnosed with Parkinson's, in 2020, I never dreamed that dancing would become so important to my day-to-day wellness. PD is what’s called a Movement Disorder. Essentially, the harmony between mind and body breaks down. Although the medication neutralizes the symptoms, the degeneration proceeds. Luckily, all the experts agree that exercise somehow arrests that process. Nothing better, in fact, then dancing.
When my friend Jon first heard of Dancing With Parkinson’s, he broached the possibility thusly. “You wouldn’t want to attend a dance class for your Parkinsons, would you?” The answer was no! Of course not. I don’t want to, but I will.
Right from the first explanations about my condition, I felt at peace with it. I had just completed seven years of psychotherapy and had been pursuing serious spiritual enquiries for even longer. Advaita Vedanta (which is similar to Mahayana Buddhism) asserts that “I am not my body.” I had come to believe that. Very deeply. And then, that suspicion was confirmed by a neurologist. It was both technically and ontologically true.
Acceptance, however, doesn’t mean capitulation. Exercise was fundamental to the fight. So, I communicated my interest and attended a near-by session of DWP. Afterwards, the instructor asked me what I thought. “I don’t like it,” I said. It was difficult. “But I’ll be back.” The difficulty, I knew, was what makes it beneficial.
The DWP movement was the brainchild of the indefatigable Sarah Robichaud. The Bolshoi trained Canadian ballerina holds many of us in her thrall. Using dance as the foundation, she has conjured and sustained something truly incredible. A genuine community. The moreI’ve gotten involved, the more impressed I am. At the helm for more than fifteen years, Sarah has created and cultivated a welcoming, open-hearted vehicle. Free to attend. The bravery of the participants is constantly inspiring.
After a couple of months, attending once a week, and at Sarah’s urging, I gave the zoom option a look, with an eye, potentially, for more sessions. I was expecting nothing. But boy was I wrong. The physical benefits of daily practice are undeniable. I have found that the half hour sessions, not only improve over-all feelings of wellness; but create new pathways to old coordination. It’s literally rejuvenating.Makes me feel better, all day. Reluctant as I was, I’m not only on board, I’m totally grateful as well. Lucky. Lucky.
It’s early days, I suppose, and I still don’t like it. But so too, and to my own astonishment, I look forward to the sessions, more and more, every week. Some day, I don’t know when, I’ll put it together. I’ll cut a rug that'll make you cry. Just you wait.
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World Parkinson Program — Supporting People in Need
Every single month, DWP has the joy and honour of leading classes for the World Parkinson’s Program's network of dancers. This incredible organization helps to provide free Parkinson’s medications to those in need around the world, and has created a wonderful community of participants with whom we love to dance.
Through partnership with various like-minded organizations offering services to support people living with PD, the WPP aims to build a global Parkinson’s network. DWP is proud to be part of WPP's weekly exercise program.
To learn more about the World Parkinson’s Program, click here.
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Pancake Party at Regent Park!
We can’t think of a better way to spend a rainy Saturday morning than dancing together with our friends and partners from Regent Park! DWP's very own Lainie Magidsohn led the guests in an energetic dance in the rain which got everyone moving. It was a wonderful celebration of community complete with tasty pancakes, delicious cold brew, music and stories. Check it out!
If you’re in the Regent Park area, join us every Wednesday at 3pm when we come together to enjoy the joy and benefits of moving to music. Click here for more info and to register for this free, in-person dance class.
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What's happening next?
During the month of August, DWP teachers will be leading presentations and demo classes at a number of locations around Southern Ontario including Grandview Seniors Living and Chartwell Georgian, at Kensington Gardens long term care home, and two subsidized Seniors Housing buildings in partnership with the Canadian Red Cross.
We are grateful for the opportunity to share DWP's work and to engage new participants as we move together to music.
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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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On July 25th we had the great pleasure of hearing from Ana Maria Cruz-Valderrama who shared the history, culture and legacy of the Indigenous people of Central America. It was a very informative and fascinating presentation and an engaging discussion followed.
Thank you, Ana Maria, for sharing these very important stories with us. We are grateful to learn from you about both Central and South America through your Stolen Lands series.
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Our "Slice of Life" series offers opportunities for DWP participants to share stories, life experiences, hobbies and passions for all of us to get to know one another better and possibly, learning something new.
We want to hear your story! If you are interested in sharing a slice of your life, please contact akhil@dancingwithparkinsons.com.
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Are you an experienced professional looking for an exciting opportunity with a fast-growing charity that is making a difference in the lives of people living with Parkinson's and seniors? DWP is hiring!
As we continue our expansion across Canada, the DWP team is growing to include a Fundraising Coordinator and a Managing Director. Visit the links to learn more!
Know someone who might be a perfect fit? Please send them our way!
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This is truly more than a 30 minute dance class. The energy and joy the instructors bring changes the way I think about my Parkinson’s. Being a part of something bigger than oneself is a game changer. For that I give thanks!
~ DWP Participant
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DWP is a wonderful, valuable, necessary service for people with Parkinson's - as daily movement and exercise is the number one treatment for the disease. I would not be as functional and independent today without DWP!
~ DWP Participant
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OUR DANCE AND ARTISTIC PROGRAMS ARE FREE OF CHARGE THANKS TO THE GENEROSITY OF OUR DONORS.
PLEASE CONSIDER SUPPORTING DWP'S MISSION TO SHARE THE JOY AND BENEFITS OF MOVEMENT, CONNECTION AND COMMUNITY WITH PEOPLE LIVING WITH PARKINSON'S AND SENIORS ACROSS CANADA.
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