Keep Us Moving: 

Your Support Transforms Lives

Dear Friend,

As Dance for PD approaches our 25th anniversary next fall, one thing is clear: this community has never been more active and connected. Across 32+ countries, people living with Parkinson’s are using dance to stay engaged, expressive, and supported. Our partnerships are deepening. The evidence is growing. But what defines Dance for PD still happens in a simple moment—when the music starts and someone finds their place in a class.

This year, those moments happened everywhere: our first in-person Mandarin class in Queens; Spanish-language sessions in East Harlem and Brooklyn; a new cohort of teaching artists training together in Chicago; and emerging programs from Nebraska to Norway, Perth to Pune, Kathmandu to Lima. We earned national accreditation from the Parkinson’s Foundation, received NIH support to expand access in underserved communities, and launched 16 new pilot programs through our Launch Grants.

As journalist Dave Iverson observed on PBS NewsHour:

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

With two days left in 2025, I’m asking for your year-end support so we can keep making that joy possible in 2026. With your generosity, we will:

With your generosity, in the coming year we will:

• Offer 480+ free in-person and online classes in English, Mandarin, and Spanish—plus Dance by Phone for those without internet
• Expand our library of 400+ on-demand classes so people can dance anywhere
• Deliver accredited teacher training and professional development in six countries
• Award at least 10 Launch Grants to help new communities begin local programs
• Share our acclaimed At Home instructional videos in three languages
• Continue pioneering research with NYU, Rockefeller, Columbia, Northeastern, and Tufts

Your support helps ensure that creativity, connection, and moments of genuine joy remain available to every person living with Parkinson’s.

Please consider making your year-end gift by December 31—$30, $60, $120, or whatever feels meaningful—or by joining Dance for PD as a Member. Want to contribute through a DAF or gift of stock? Click here.

And if you’ve already given, or your gift is on its way: thank you. Your generosity is already making a difference, and we are deeply grateful.

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