Keep Us Moving: 

Your Support Transforms Lives

Dear Friend,

As we look toward Dance for PD’s 25th anniversary next fall, I’ve been thinking about what truly defines this community. More people living with Parkinson's are harnessing the power of dance to live well and stay well. Our global network in more than 32 countries is more vibrant than ever. Our partnerships deepen and expand. The evidence supporting our acclaimed approach keeps growing. But at the heart of it all are the moments of connection, creativity, and shared humanity that happen every time the music starts and someone finds their place in a Dance for PD class.

This past year, we saw those moments everywhere: in our first in-person Mandarin-speaking class in Queens; in Spanish-language sessions in East Harlem and Brooklyn; in Chicago, where a new cohort of teaching artists trained together for the first time; and in emerging programs serving Parkinson's communities from Nebraska to Norway, Perth to Pune, Kathmandu to Lima. Our training curriculum earned national accreditation from the Parkinson’s Foundation, we received NIH support to deepen access in underserved communities, and our brand new Launch Grants supported 16 pilot programs in seven countries.

These milestones matter. But sometimes the most powerful truth comes from understanding the experience of each participant and their loved ones as they dance in their first or 100th class. As journalist and filmmaker Dave Iverson put it during a PBS Newshour segment about Dance for PD:

“Joy—it's not a quality you associate often with Parkinson's. And yet, it is what you see here.”

On this Giving Tuesday, I’m asking for your support so we can keep creating the kind of experiences that make those words ring true.

With your generosity, in the coming year we will:

• Offer more than 480 free in-person and online classes in English, Mandarin, and Spanish—and maintain Dance by Phone for those without internet access.
• Expand our digital library of 400+ on-demand classes, ensuring people can stay active and connected anywhere.
• Deliver internationally recognized, accredited teacher training and professional development in six countries.
• Provide at least 10 Launch Grants to support new communities that want to start local programs.
• Share our acclaimed At Home instructional videos, available in English, Spanish, and Mandarin.
• Continue pioneering research with New York University, Rockfeller University, Columbia, Northeastern, and Tufts.

As we prepare for our 25th year, I ask you to help us keep building a world where creativity, compassion, community, and moments of genuine joy are available to every person living with Parkinson’s.

Make your year-end gift today with a charitable gift of $30, $60, $120 or more, or join Dance for PD as a Member.

Thank you for being an integral part of our Dance for PD family. Together, we’ll keep moving forward—one step at a time.

With deep gratitude and best wishes for the new year,
David Leventhal
Program Director, Dance for PD