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Dear DWP community,
Summer is here, and I hope you're soaking up every moment.
While the official DWP coach tour bus is still in the dream stage (watch out, Taylor Swift!), one of the beautiful things about Daily Dance Connect is that we can still travel together through dance. Last week, Pam joined us live from her Alaskan cruise, sharing spectacular scenery and inspiring a class full of sea-worthy dancing! Judy and Phil recently danced with us from their cottage, and we all enjoyed an impromptu dance party on their deck.
Please keep your adventures and inspirations coming. They create some of our most magical moments of transformation and transportation. Through movement, music, imagery, and imagination, we can journey to oceans, mountains, and faraway places together, all from right where we are.
Wherever summer takes you, remember that your DWP family is just a click away, 365 days a year. If you're dancing from somewhere special this summer, send us a photo — we would love to see where DWP is travelling!
Wishing you a joyful, sunny summer.
With gratitude,
Sarah Robichaud
Founder & CEO
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Sarah Robichaud Connects with our Regina Dance Family
It was so special to connect with our incredible dance family in Regina! Sarah recently led a hybrid class for the local DWP community which includes Dwaine, father to DWP's Board Chair, Craig Pho who is based in Toronto. There's something pretty remarkable about getting to move together, even from afar, thanks to the power of Zoom. Moments like these are a true reminder of what makes DWP so unique: community, connection, and family, in every sense of the word.
Are you in the Regina area? Come dance with us! Learn more and register via the button below!
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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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Celebrating Connection at the LIFT Festival
We were honoured to be part of Inverso Productions' inspiring LIFT Festival in Vancouver in June, celebrating the power of dance to bring generations together through movement, creativity, and connection.
It was a privilege to share a free community class as part of this memorable event, and we are grateful to our wonderful Vancouver dance family and our incredible partners at Inverso Productions for the opportunity to be involved, and to Lesley Telford and Claudia Moore, who lead classes for our BC community, for their vision and lifelong dedication to dance. Thank you for bringing your talent, generosity, and spirit to the DWP community, inspiring all of us with what movement and connection can look like at every stage of life. We loved celebrating the joy of movement and the strength of community with all of you!
To learn more about Inverso, click the button below.
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A Night to Remember at Many Beats / One Community with CMST
It was an unforgettable evening of music and movement at Community Music Schools of Toronto's Many Beats / One Community, presented as part of the Luminato Festival. DWP was honoured to take part alongside renowned musician Saukrates, talented student musicians from CMST and Strings From Paris Music, and our incredible DWP dancers from our weekly in-person class in Regent Park. Take a look via the button below!
What a privilege to work with CMST to continue building our intergenerational work. Projects like this are so important to our community, bringing together generations through the shared language of music and movement. Intergenerational programming matters because it breaks down barriers of age and isolation, creating space for connection, mutual learning, and joy that benefit participants of every age. After exploring Saukrates' music together over the weeks prior, our dancers had the powerful experience of moving to his original new compositions live on stage: music and dance in direct conversation.
A huge thank you to Saukrates for sharing his artistry with us, and to DWP's very own Robin McPhail-Dempsey for choreographing such beautiful, moving work with our dancers!
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An Evening of Grooving and Gratitude with Goose!
On June 13th, Dancing with Parkinson's was honoured to be the selected non-profit at the Goose concert at RBC Amphitheatre — made possible through the generosity of Western Sun Foundation and the band.
To Western Sun Foundation and Goose: thank you for giving us a stage — literally and figuratively — to share that mission. Your belief in our work, and your decision to shine a light on Dancing with Parkinson's, meant the world to us.
And to the Goose fans who stopped to learn about DWP, become interested in joining a Daily Dance Connect online class, and purchased raffle tickets which raised important funds for us - thank you. When music meets purpose, something special happens.
Special thanks to Sarah Blazincic and Cari Bryce for coordinating and making it all happen.
One concert. Hundreds of conversations. Countless new connections.
We are so grateful!
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Looking for an In-Person Class Outside Canada? Dance for PD® has you Covered!
Dance for PD® is a valued partner of DWP, and holds a special place in our story — it's where Sarah Robichaud trained in the Dance for PD® method 18 years ago, alongside great friend David Leventhal.
Dance for PD® offers in-person classes all over the world, bringing the same spirit of movement, connection, and joy to communities everywhere. You can always join DWP's free, online Daily Dance Connect from wherever you are, but if you're looking for an incredible in-person class outside of Canada, we definitely encourage you to check out a Dance for PD location!
To find out where they're dancing, click the button below!
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We love seeing so many of you at our in-person classes across Canada, and online for the Daily Dance Connect, but we appreciate that perhaps the timing doesn’t always work for your schedule.
Dancing more often can make a real difference in how you feel, move, and stay connected, so we wanted to remind you that we also offer two other free, weekly classes on Zoom which are open to people living with Parkinson’s and all seniors: Broadway at 1:00 p.m. ET on Mondays, and a Standing Class at 4:00 p.m. ET on Thursdays. Care partners are welcome, but not required. More information can be found below!
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Broadway Class
Get ready to learn choreography from some of our favourite Broadway shows like Cabaret, West Side Story, A Chorus Line, and many more! Moving to music that is familiar elevates the experience even further — you can even sing along! The class can be done seated or standing, and both options will be demonstrated for each dance number.
When: Mondays at 1:00 - 1:45 p.m. ET
Where: on Zoom
Register: click here!
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Standing Class
This class is based on the Dance for PD® Method and is specifically designed for people living with Parkinson’s, however all seniors are welcome to participate! It is intended for people who are able to stand without support, and feel safe moving independently for a 45-minute period, but dancers may also participate in the class seated.
When: Thursdays at 4:00 - 4:45 p.m. ET
Where: on Zoom
Register: click here!
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Attention Dance Teachers Across Canada!
Dancing with Parkinson's is looking for dance instructors to lead our in-person classes for people living with Parkinson's and seniors in Peterborough, Penticton, Charlottetown, Collingwood and Fredericton.
If you're passionate about sharing the joy of movement and believe in the power of the arts to improve health, well-being, and connection, we'd love to hear from you. This is an opportunity to use your artistic skills in a meaningful way while helping to create welcoming, supportive spaces where participants can build confidence, community, and quality of life through dance.
Join a dedicated team that is transforming lives through music, movement, and connection — one dance class at a time. If you're interested or know someone who might be, please contact us at info@dancingwithparkinsons.com.
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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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"You've Got a Friend" at Thorncliffe Park!
There was something truly magical about this weekly hybrid class at Thorncliffe Park, led by DWP's amazing instructor, Paloma Olan. Complete with a singalong while dancing to "You've Got a Friend", it was a beautiful reminder of the power of music, movement, and community to bring people together.
To experience the magic, click here.
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Celebrating Inclusivity with Pride at TSP!
DWP's awesome instructor, Lainie Magidsohn, brought her signature energy to the in-person class at Trinity St. Paul as dancers celebrated Pride Month. Dancing to Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" and other empowering favourites, the class was a vibrant celebration of inclusion, belonging, and self-expression.
Click here to feel the energy in the room!
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From Hybrid to In-Person Connection!
Anne first danced with DWP through the hybrid Daily Dance Connect program, where she met our wonderful instructor, Robin McPhail-Dempsey. Anne now attends our Regent Park class, and finally got to meet Robin in-person when she was there subbing that day!
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Sun and Song in the Woodgreen Garden!
Making the most of the early summer sunshine, dancers at the in-person class at Woodgreen embraced the beautiful weather with an outdoor class led primarily in Chinese by our wonderful instructor, Phoebe Chu! What a perfect setting to come together to dance!
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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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Dancing Together in Recognition of Seniors Month!
What a fantastic celebration of Seniors Month at the Wellesley Community Centre! DWP’s amazing Christina Litt Belch led the group in dance, and the energy in the room was palpable — singing together elevated the mood in the most heartwarming way. It was a beautiful reminder of how much joy movement and connection can bring. We are so grateful to have been part of this wonderful event.
Click the button below to experience the magic!
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Sharing Movement, Joy, and Connection...
It was such a special month of dancing with new communities across Canada, from the June Festival in Meaford (seen here with DWP instructors Louise Potts and Phoebe North), to the Applegrove Community Complex, the Kanata Seniors Council "Far West Fun Fest", Providence Healthcare’s "Seniors Resource Fair", Kipling Acres, Pinecrest's "Cultures in Bloom in the Park", "Movement Matters" and Rexdale Community Health Centre.
In July, we look forward to meeting friends at Lakeshore Lodge and Pinecrest - Ottawa’s Bayshore community.
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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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"The class was incredibly well received. Our elders were full of joy, smiles, and energy, and everyone who attended asked when it would be happening again. We usually have around 15 to 20 people at our daily exercise sessions, but for this demo we had over 35 participants, which says a lot about the interest and excitement around the class.
It was honestly one of the best moments we’ve had at the centre. Laetitia was wonderful. Everyone loved her, and she created such a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Nobody felt shy, and she even got people who do not usually speak to each other laughing and dancing together. It was really beautiful to see."
~ Tristin Mille - Program Coordinator at Centres d'Accueil Héritage
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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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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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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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