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Dear DWP Community,
"What do you know about Parkinson's?"
That was the question Andy Barrie asked me 18 years ago in my condo gym. At the time, my answer was pretty basic: "Nothing really..." I knew it affected movement, it involved tremors, stiffness, slowness. But his question stuck with me. It nudged me to learn more, get curious, and eventually see for myself what was possible.
Not long after, I found myself in New York City, sitting in on a Dance for PD class at the Mark Morris Dance Group. I will never forget what I saw that day. People living with Parkinson's moving with strength, expression, freedom, and joy. I saw confidence come back. I saw connection. I saw people stand a little taller and smile a little wider. That was the day I found my purpose.
When I came home to Toronto, I started small, offering one free class a week. Why free? Honestly, it was my way of giving back with the one thing I knew how to offer: my art. At the time, I was working as a trainer and choreographer, raising my son as a single mom, and juggling all the things. This was something I could do on the side. Something meaningful. Something that made sense in my heart, even if it didn't make a lot of sense on paper. I truly thought it would stay small, and I cherished the early days of close connections with our dancers as we developed and discovered the program together.
People started calling and asking for more classes. Then more communities. Then more days. Families told us their loved ones looked forward to class each week; dancers felt more confident and less alone. And we kept hearing the same simple feedback: It works. This makes me feel like I don't have Parkinson's when I dance with you.
So I kept saying yes.
Yes to another class.
Yes to another community centre.
Yes to hauling speakers and snacks into my car (more times than I can count).
Yes to the next person who just wanted to move, laugh, and feel like themselves again.
And from day one, we kept the program free. Not because it was easy (it definitely wasn't!), but because access matters. Living with a chronic condition is expensive enough. Movement, music, and connection should never be out of reach for anyone.
Over the years, our dancers have taught us something really important. This work is not just about Parkinson's. It is about brain health. It is about prevention. It is about staying strong, connected, and well as we age, long before people reach a crisis point.
April is Parkinson's Awareness Month — a time to shine a light on the more than 100,000 Canadians living with Parkinson's disease, and on the urgent need for programs that support their quality of life, independence, and joy. It is also the month that feels most fitting to pause and reflect on why this work matters so deeply, and to recommit to making sure it reaches everyone who needs it.
Today, I find myself reflecting on how far we have come. From one free class to a national community. From a side "give back" project to a movement that has touched thousands of lives. And the truth is, this program is about so much more than dance. We have become a family. A family that celebrates birthdays and milestones. A family that shows up on the hard days. A family that laughs, a lot — mostly at me! And a family that reminds us that joy and creativity do not disappear with age or diagnosis.
Eighteen years later, I am still saying yes. And I hope you will too.
On April 10th, we invite you to celebrate 18 years of Dancing with Parkinson's with us at "Dance Me to DWP", our annual fundraiser. Dancers will gather at in-person locations across Canada and online from around the world to move together, mark this milestone, and help ensure that DWP can keep saying YES: to every new community, every new dancer, and every person who simply wants to feel like themselves again. If this community has ever meant something to you, this is your moment to help us carry it forward.
(And yes, I will still be loading things into my car.)
Thank you for being part of this journey.
With all my gratitude,
Sarah Robichaud
Founder & CEO
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"Dance Me to DWP" is less than two weeks away — and we need your help!
On April 10th, communities will come together in-person across Canada and online from around the world to dance, celebrate, and remember why this program matters. If you're in Toronto, join us live at Meridian Hall. Anywhere else in Canada? Email us and we'll find a location near you. And wherever you are, you can always join us online!
We still need your support to reach our fundraising goal. Your donation will ensure that DWP's transformative program remains free and accessible for the people who need it most. Please show your support by clicking the button below!
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Meet Geri, who has been dancing with DWP for a number of years — weekly at our in-person class in Thornhill, and often online with the Daily Dance Connect as well!
There are so many aspects of DWP's program that keep Geri coming back: the moves, the music, the fabulous instructors, and the way dancing makes her feel, but most importantly, it's the community she finds here. Geri explains the importance of social connection for people living with Parkinson's, and at the Thornhill class, laughter and chatter are never in short supply!
We love having you as part of our dance family, Geri — thank you for sharing your experience with us!
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Join us for our Next 10-Week Session in Vancouver!
We are so proud to be co-delivering our next 10-week session with our incredible partners at Inverso Productions and the BC Brain Wellness Program.
Date: Tuesdays starting April 14th!
Time: 10:45 - 11:45 a.m.
Location: Birmingham Studio (3rd Floor), Scotiabank Dance Centre, 677 Davie Street, Vancouver
Learn more and register by clicking the button below!
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We are eternally grateful for the enthusiasm and expertise our instructors share with the DWP community, and we are thrilled to introduce our teaching team who will be leading DWP's newest class in Vancouver!
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Lesley Telford
Lesley is a choreographer, educator and the Artistic Director of Inverso Productions (for more information about our partnership, read on!) based in Vancouver on Coast Salish Territory. Her dance career was with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, Nederlands Dans Theater 1, and Madrid's Compania Nacional de Danza and she has gone on to choreograph internationally for these companies and others such as Ballet Am Rhein, Bern Ballet, Ballet BC, Zfin Malta, Hubbard Street Dance Company, Ballet Vorpommern and more.
She was also a caregiver for her mother with Parkinson's which brought her to connect with Dancing with Parkinson's and explore themes of care, aging, and family in her choreography. She values intergenerational projects and highlights the beautiful life experience of older movers. She founded the LIFT Festival, celebrating sharing dance across generations with a mission of “lifting each other up”. She has a Master of Arts in Cultural Production from the University of Salzburg and the Mozarteum, and has furthered her studies in the field of Gerontology at SFU.
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Mika Manning
Mika (she/they) is a dance artist, instructor, and arts administrator based on the unceded ancestral territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations — also known as Vancouver, BC. Mika graduated with a diploma in dance from Arts Umbrella in 2016 and completed further training at the San Francisco Conservatory of Dance from 2016–2018, before returning to Vancouver to pursue a freelance career.
As part of Deleeuw/Gilbert/Manning, she has created and performed collaborative works, including the full-length piece i know you know, presented in the 2022–2023 VIDF Livestream series. Mika also performed in Company 605's Future, Futures, currently streaming on CBC Gem. As an instructor, she has taught Ballet, Modern, and Jazz to students ages 6–17, including on faculty for Arts Umbrella's Summer Dance Intensives. Mika recently completed her Bachelor's degree with distinction in art, performance, and cinema studies at Simon Fraser University and currently serves as BC Representative for the Dancer Transition Resource Centre.
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Kira Radosevic
Kira Radosevic is a Vancouver-based dance artist, instructor, and collaborative performer born and raised in East Vancouver. She trained locally at The Goh Ballet and Coastal City Ballet before completing the LINES Ballet Training Program in San Francisco and the Modus Operandi Contemporary Dance Program in BC.
As a freelance artist, Kira has toured nationally and internationally, and her work spans contemporary performance, community-engaged dance, and multimedia collaboration. She has performed with Kinesis Dance in works including Noxious, choreographed by Paras Terezakis, and has been praised for her commanding stage presence and strong technical artistry. She co-created and performed Environmental Vibrations, a community-engaged work exploring migration and belonging, in collaboration with cellist Tara Rajah.
Kira completed the Dance for PD introductory teacher training with Sarah Robichaud and David Leventhal and is passionate about sharing the joy of movement and creative space with others.
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Shana Wolfe
Shana 愛 is a Japanese-Canadian freelance dance artist based in Vancouver, on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
She has collaborated with local companies including Company 605, OURO Collective, and Inverso Productions, as well as independent artists such as Cindy Mochizuki, Raven Grenier, Anya Saugstad and Shion Skye Carter.
Thanks to these amazing artists, she’s had the privilege to perform at festivals such as Dancing on the Edge, Vines Art Festival, Guelph Dance Festival, Dance Deck, Hold On Let Go, Dance In Vancouver, and Coastal Dance Festival. Internationally, she has performed at Sadler’s Wells (UK), the Autostadt Theatre in Wolfsburg, and the Tanzbiennale in Heidelberg (Germany).
Shana has been a part of the What Lab team for 3 years as the Studio Operations Coordinator. She is also currently pursuing a degree in Kinesiology.
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DWP is Dancing in Kelowna!
We couldn't be more excited to share that in partnership with the Seniors Outreach Resource Centre, we are now offering a monthly in-person class in Kelowna, British Columbia for all seniors!
To learn more, click the button below to visit the Seniors Outreach Resource Centre in Kelowna website. From there, scroll down and download the "Membership Form" to register!
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Join us in Penticton!
And don't forget, we also offer weekly in-person classes in Penticton! If you're in the area, come dance with us!
Date: Weekly on Fridays
Time: 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
Location: Penticton Community Centre, 325 Power Street, Penticton
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Turn Your Aeroplan Points into Joy, Connection, and Movement
DWP is expanding and we need you to help us fly! We’re excited to share a new way to support Dancing with Parkinson’s: by donating Aeroplan points! Through the Aeroplan Member Donation Program, Aeroplan Members can turn their points into meaningful support that helps DWP reach new communities, launch classes, and train instructors and volunteers across Canada. As our programs continue to grow, this kind of support is especially powerful, allowing us to show up in person, respond quickly, and bring the joy and connection of dance to people living with Parkinson’s who need it most.
Give purpose to your points and help us get where we need to go to keep dancers dancing, wherever they are! Click the button below to learn more and get started!
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Dancing Together at the National Ballet School!
Last month, Sarah Robichaud and David Leventhal, founding teacher of the internationally recognized Dance for PD® program, came together at the National Ballet School for an immersive two-day teacher training with dance artists from the NBS.
Rooted in the Dance for PD® method and its best practices, the training was as inspiring as the setting itself: there is truly nothing quite like being in that space, surrounded by professional dancers, where a quality of presence, artistry, and embodied grace fills the room and elevates everyone in it.
As a special highlight, Sarah and David led the Daily Dance Connect class live from NBS, bringing that extraordinary environment directly to the wider DWP community, and reminding all of us what movement can be at its highest expression.
To enjoy moments from our time dancing together, click the button below!
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Follow Us on LinkedIn — New Page Alert!
DWP has moved on LinkedIn! Our new official Dancing with Parkinson's page is live, and we would love for you to connect with us there.
If you have been following our previous page, please make the switch so you stay connected and don't miss any of our updates, stories, and announcements.
Click the button below! It takes two seconds and means so much to us.
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Ed, a resident at the Lakeshore West Toronto Seniors Housing building and an important member of DWP's hybrid community, was instrumental in helping to make this, one of our first locations where we offered the hybrid program, such a success. He is nothing short of a "technical wizard", volunteering to help set up the necessary equipment, and now he joins us as a dedicated weekly dancer.
Ed shares that coming to class gets him out, keeps him moving, and benefits both his physical and mental health — but what keeps him coming back most is the people. The friendships and sense of community he has found through DWP's collaboration with the Toronto Seniors Housing building where he lives mean as much as anything else.
Ed was recently featured in the Toronto Star, where he spoke about how volunteering with organizations like Dancing with Parkinson's has given him a renewed sense of purpose. We are so grateful for Ed, and for every participant who makes this community what it is!
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Partnership is at the heart of Dancing with Parkinson’s. By joining forces with like-minded organizations that support people living with Parkinson’s and seniors, we are able to extend our reach and deepen our impact. It is an honour to work alongside so many incredible partners and leaders in the field, and to celebrate our shared commitment to the communities we serve.
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Better Together: DWP and Inverso Productions
A heartfelt thank you to our incredible partners at Inverso Productions for helping us make free in-person classes in Vancouver possible for seniors and people living with Parkinson's disease. This partnership is a true reflection of what happens when shared belief in the power of movement meets vision, generosity, and enthusiasm. We are so grateful, and so proud to be doing this work together. We simply couldn't do it without you!
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About Inverso
Inverso Productions was founded in 2012 in Spain by choreographer (and DWP instructor!) Lesley Telford, who leads the company with equal dedication to artistic innovation and community engagement. Since becoming a registered non-profit society in Vancouver, BC, on unceded Coast Salish territory in 2017, Inverso has become an established professional contemporary dance company committed to concept-driven, interdisciplinary creation and intergenerational practice. Collaborating with visual arts, literature, theatre, film, music, and science, the company creates and shares work that situates dance within a broader cultural and social landscape. Inverso’s creations have been presented nationally and internationally at major festivals and venues across Europe and Canada
Intergenerational practice is central to Inverso’s artistic vision. We intentionally work across the lifespan, creating a continuum that brings emerging artists, established professionals, and older adults into meaningful creative exchange. The LIFT Festival (launched in 2025) is a cornerstone of this commitment—an intergenerational platform of performances, workshops, and panels that brings artists and community members of different ages together in shared dialogue and embodied experience. This ethos continues through the Performance Research Project (PRP), a creation-based mentorship project to support artists in their career path including workshops, mentorship, and collaborations with senior movement artists. Our community initiatives further extend this work. We offer outreach performances in care homes, OPEN intergenerational movement classes for all, and a new class in collaboration with Dancing with Parkinson’s and BC Brain Wellness at UBC.
Through this layered approach, from emerging artists to professionals to older community dancers, Inverso strengthens artistic innovation while cultivating connection, creativity, and a culture of care across generations. We are grateful for past and present project support from the City of Vancouver, BC Arts Council, the Canada Council for the Arts and our generous private donors.
To learn more about Inverso Productions, visit www.inverso.ca.
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Music, Movement, and Joy at Stanley Knowles!
We are so excited to announce our newest class, launched in partnership with NORC Innovation Centre at Stanley Knowles Co-Op Housing! Dancers gather in a shared space to join DWP's Daily Dance Connect as part of our hybrid offering, with a special in-person class once a month to deepen connection within the community.
Leading this wonderful group is DWP instructor Christina Litt Belch — and from day one, the energy in the room said it all. Neighbours gathered, moved together, and left a little lighter than when they arrived.
We feel truly fortunate to be part of this community. Experience the joy for yourself by clicking the button below!
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From coast to coast, dancers are experiencing the joy and benefits of moving together to music with Dancing with Parkinson’s. Our aim is to make our programs accessible, inclusive, and to meet you where you are.
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Making Magic at Woodgreen!
All of the amazing dancers at our in-person classes are busy getting ready for "Dance Me to DWP", practicing their choreography, and having a ball while doing so! We love seeing this beautiful group at Woodgreen Seniors Active Living Centre enjoying their time together and with our incredible instructor, Phoebe Chu, who leads the class in Chinese!
Click here to experience the magic for yourself!
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Standing Ovation for Ruthie!
Ruthie, one of our beloved dancers in our Mississauga class, has been working up to joining the standing segment, and recently she stood for a full five minutes! When she began dancing with DWP, she could manage just 30 seconds at a time. The whole room erupted in cheers! Ruthie shared that it makes her so happy to see how much stronger she has become.
You are an inspiration for us all, Ruthie!
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St. Paddy's Day in PEI!
Just add music, movement, and community to some lively fiddle music, and we've got ourselves a St. Patrick's Day celebration! Our Charlottetown-based class brought the joy of the Irish to the floor as we danced along to Ray Johnstone’s fabulous fiddle tunes!
Click here to add a little jig to your step!
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DWP's Online Broadway Class!
Every week, dancers from across the country come together on Zoom for DWP's free online Broadway class. Led by our team of professional instructors, this fun-filled hour brings the magic of musical theatre to life! Join us on Mondays at 1:00 p.m. EST — no experience required!
For more info and to register, click here!
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Experiencing a DWP class firsthand is the best way to understand its impact, so in addition to our regular 30+ weekly in-person and online classes, we are always on the go offering demonstrations, presentations and webinars. Here is where we shared the magic this past month!
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Sharing Movement, Joy, and Connection
We are so grateful for the opportunities we have to dance with new communities across Canada. NORC's (Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities) spring event was a fantastic gathering, and Sarah Murphy-Dyson led participants in a fun-filled afternoon at the Sunshine Seniors Centre Active Living Fair (shown above!). We also loved connecting with new dancers at the South Surrey Recreation & Arts Centre as well as at the Parkinson's Shaker in Regina!
Through the month of April, DWP will be dancing with the Barrie PD Support Group and participants at North York General Hospital, and will be leading demonstration classes at the upcoming Lampton House Senior event and Wellings Health & Wellness Expo. We can't wait!
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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 at info@dancingwithparkinsons.com.
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"From the Sahara to the Sea": Exploring Morocco with Marjorie!
Regular "Slice of Life" contributor, Marjorie Sorrell, recently returned from a wonderful 15-day tour of Morocco, travelling with a friend and a small international group through some of the country's most iconic cities and landscapes, from medinas to mosques, through the Sahara Desert, into the Atlas Mountains, and along the Atlantic coast! She came back full of stories, cultural insights, and a deep appreciation for Morocco's rich history, traditions, and people.
For this Slice of Life, we added a very special new element which was to dance together to a piece of music and choreography inspired by the topic. The theme song from the movie Lawrence of Arabia was perfectly fitting!
Thank you for taking us along with you, Marjorie! Your fabulous sense of adventure captivates us all!
To watch our Morocco inspired dance, click the button below.
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On April 8th, one of DWP's incredible Ottawa-based instructors, Nancy Pidgeon, will be sharing power of dance at the Parkinson Research Consortium, where she will be leading a live dance demonstration for an audience of researchers, clinicians, and trainees, as well as people living with PD.
The Consortium will bring these voices together with a shared vision: to deepen understanding of how Parkinson's unfolds and to improve care for those living with it. We can't think of a better place to demonstrate the potential of movement, music, and community.
For more information on this event, click the button below!
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Calling All Volunteers!
Volunteers play a vital role in creating a welcoming, safe, and supportive space where dancers can feel comfortable to move and express themselves. This is meaningful, heart-led work — an opportunity to give back to a beautiful community through art, connection, and self-expression.
Join us and be part of something that truly makes a difference in the lives of others! Click the button below to learn more about the various volunteer oppportunies available with DWP.
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"My mom was very active throughout her life. In addition to being a ballerina, she also ran in several marathons.
When illness took her mobility, the Dancing with Parkinson's class was a ray of light in her life. It kept her active, and let her keep the strength that would have otherwise faded.
I want to thank you deeply for everything you have done and continue to do for people like my mother."
~ Thomas, son of Barbara, Dancer at Trinity St. Paul
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Dance with Us Anytime, from Anywhere!
Did you know that DWP has a YouTube channel with Daily Dance Connect classes? So you can log in from wherever you are, whenever you like to dance! Watch this space as we'll be adding new DDC videos over the course of the year.
To enjoy music from DWP's online classes, listen "live" here!
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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 below to make a donation to help keep our programs free of charge for all who wish to participate.
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