Dear DWP Community,

Now that Parkinson’s Awareness Month has come to a close, I want to take a moment to reflect on the strength, resilience, and spirit of the community we have built together. What began as a personal desire to learn how to dance with people living with Parkinson’s has blossomed into a vibrant, ever-evolving program—and a global community that I am privileged to dance with every day.

I’m deeply grateful to our dancers, instructors, volunteers, and community partners. You continue to inspire us to deliver our program in the most artistic, accessible, and safe way possible. Whether we connect online or in-person, the bond we share is powerful.

This April, as we recognized the extraordinary efforts of the Parkinson’s community, we were proud to contribute in a meaningful way. I’m thrilled to share that Dancing with Parkinson’s has officially launched in-person classes in Peterborough, Ontario—a significant step in our mission to bring movement, music, and connection to even more people living with PD across Canada.

And there’s more to celebrate: with your support, we surpassed our annual fundraising goal of $100,000! A heartfelt thank you to Kanta Marwah, whose generous matching gift of $12,000 inspired a final wave of donations that helped us reach this milestone. Your belief in our mission makes all the difference.

As we continue to grow, let’s celebrate what makes this community so special: our creativity, compassion, and unwavering belief in the healing power of movement. Thank you for being part of this journey.

Together, we are building something truly significant.

With gratitude,

Sarah Robichaud
Founder & CEO

World Parkinson’s Day on the DDC: Dance, Connection, and Celebration!

What better way to honour World Parkinson’s Day than by dancing it out with our amazing online DDC crew? We moved together to the songs that have defined our year—each beat a reminder of our shared strength, joy, and resilience. Click here to enjoy a moment of the magic.

Thank you to everyone who joined us in celebrating this special day. Together, we acknowledged the incredible people living with Parkinson’s, their care partners, families, friends, and the dedicated doctors, researchers, and advocates working to make life better for those impacted by PD.

DWP Comes Together to Celebrate World Parkinson’s Day!

On Friday, April 11th, DWP’s in-person classes made it a World Parkinson's Day to remember! From expressive choreography in Mississauga led by Robin at the Marie Ann Longlade Dance Studio, to joyful gatherings in Meaford and Owen Sound guided by Louise Stewart-Potts, the day was filled with energy and connection.

In Meaford, the celebration was extra special as young dancers from Mutable Arts Performance Company performed for the group. It was a day full of movement, meaning, and memories we’ll cherish for a long time.

“Dancing Through Life” — A Must-Watch Documentary by Our Talented TMU Friends!

We’re beyond excited to share “Dancing Through Life”—a moving, beautifully crafted documentary created by the filmmakers Blake, Aimee, Grace, and Julian from Toronto Metropolitan University.

With heart and honesty, their lens captures the magic of Dancing with Parkinson’s—the impact on our dancers, their care partners, our amazing volunteers, and our Founder & CEO, Sarah Robichaud. It’s a powerful story of resilience, connection, and the joy that is born when people come together through movement.

This film shines a light on the hope, strength, and love at the core of DWP. It’s not just a documentary—it’s a celebration of what’s possible.

Click here to check out their short film and experience the heart of DWP for yourself.

Endless thanks to Aimee, Blake, Grace, and Julian for pouring your talent and passion into this film. You captured the soul of our community—and we couldn’t be more grateful.

A Huge Thank You to Linda Attrill!

We’re so grateful to our amazing friend and regular DDC dancer, Linda Attrill, for her creativity, talent, and generosity in choosing Dancing with Parkinson’s as the lucky recipient of proceeds from her stunning, custom-made brooches and jewelry!

Sarah had a blast co-hosting with Linda and dancing with new friends. It was extra special to see her son, Tofino, and his pals join the fun! We were also so touched to see so many familiar faces from the DWP community log in to show their support, share in the joy, and spend this memorable afternoon together.

Linda, thank you for turning your art into impact—we’re beyond grateful for your beautiful initiative and your incredible heart.

Celebrating 91 Years with Dance, Community and Cake!

During a recent class at Woodgreen Seniors Active Living Centre, Cesar, marked his 91st birthday which fell on the same day as their weekly class. The community brought him a cake which they enjoyed together, and Phoebe, DWP's incredible instructor who teaches in Cantonese, helped make it a proper dance party. We can't think of a better way to recognize 91 years! 

Dancing Together on International Dance Day!

On April 29th, DWP's online community came together from across the country and around the world to embrace the joy, creativity, and self-expression that dance brings to people living with PD and seniors.

Sarah led us through some of her all-time favourite dance movie songs, each one beautifully choreographed to make us all feel like we were starring in our own show! 

Click here to relive the magic of dancing to “Memory” from "Cats"—just one of the highlights of our International Dance Day celebration!

DWP's New In-Person Class is Live in Peterborough!

Thanks to generous support from Parkinson Canada's CARE Fund, our latest weekly in-person class led by DWP's incredible instructor, Lainie Magidsohn, is now up and running!

We had a wonderful time dancing and connecting with the Peterborough / Kawartha Lakes PD Support Group and residents at Canterbury Gardens. The energy in the room was electric, and the joy was contagious! We can’t wait to watch this fantastic community grow and see everyone experience the powerful magic of moving to music together.

Want a sneak peek of the first class? Click here to see for yourself! 

Are you in the Peterborough area? Come join the fun—we’d love to dance with you!

Details:
Date and Time: Tuesdays at 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m., excluding the 3rd Tuesday of the month.
Location: Canterbury Gardens, 1414 Sherbrooke Street, Peterborough
Learn More and Register: click here

Winnipeg Dances to "Honey I'm Good!"

On a recent Tuesday in Winnipeg, DWP teacher, Brenda Gorlick, put together a fantastic partner dance choreographed to the catchy country song, "Honey I'm Good"! We loved seeing our dance friends from U-Turn Parkinson's get right into it.

If you're in Winnipeg, we'd love to have you join us!

Details: 
Day and Time: Tuesdays, 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., CDT
Location: Churchill United Church, 525 Beresford Ave, Winnipeg
Learn more and register: click here

We look forward to seeing you there!

Getting into the Rhythm at the Walkerton Living Well Conference

It was a perfect day for dancing at the Walkerton Living Well Conference, hosted by the Parkinson Society of Southwestern Ontario. Louise Stewart-Potts, who teaches DWP's classes north of Toronto, led an invigorating dance break for conference attendees, which perfectly complemented the focus of the day: the neuroscience of movement, plasticity, and forms of learning. Louise’s session encouraged participants to engage in movement that stimulates both body and mind, and her dynamic approach brought energy and joy to the room, providing some fun and variety, while highlighting the power of dance in promoting neuroplasticity and overall well-being.

Through the month of April, we loved connecting with communities at Gillis Lodge, Community Health Centres of Northumberland, Rotary Club, Smith Fall PD Support Group, North York General Hospital, the PSSO Parkinson Conference to share the joy and benefits of dance.

In May, we look forward to leading classes for Ottawa Tourism and Beacon Heights.

Mastering Zoom with Kayla!

On April 16th, we were thrilled to welcome Kayla, one of DWP's fantastic volunteers, to lead an insightful and helpful "Mastering Zoom" workshop for DWP's dance community! We went through everything from changing backgrounds to getting familiar with Zoom functions. If you weren't able to join us, you can watch the recording here. 

Got tech questions? “Ask the Techspert” via this handy question submission form! Feel free to add your questions as you think of them so that Kayla can address everything you're curious about in our next tech workshop, coming up on May 14th. 

Upcoming "Mastering Zoom" Workshop:
Date: Wednesday, May 14th
Time: 11:30 a.m. ET
Location: on Zoom, immediately following the Daily Dance Connect. Get the link here!

Thank you again for your insight and guidance, Kayla! We appreciate you so much!