One letter in particular brought me right back to the very beginnings of Dréa's Dream pediatric dance therapy program at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center – the very hospital where Andréa had been treated and cured of neuroblastoma when she was only eighteen months old.

Dance/Movement Therapist, Dr. Suzi Tortora developed and implemented Dréa's Dream at this world renowned cancer center.  I found this heartfelt and most beautiful letter from Suzi, written just months after Dréa's Dream began. I am sharing it with you because it embodies the work we do each day to help children to heal – emotionally, psychologically and physically.  I know that it will touch you as deeply as it has touched me.

Dear Susan and Foundation Members,

Each day at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center I am filled with awe at the children, the families, the staff.  The love and care and kindness in and of itself creates such an atmosphere of healing.  I feel embraced.  Everyone has welcomed my presence and the gift of dance therapy from The Andréa Rizzo Foundation.

My memories already are full – of the little Australian girl who took me on a journey to the sun, the sky and the flowers through our dance, despite the language barrier. And- the 2 ½ year old who stood up on his bed and jumped and twirled and swayed with me, stepping and leaping over the tubes he was attached to sustaining our dancing journey for 20 minutes. 

Then there was the nine year old who adjusted her dancing style to each change of music, portraying a Spanish dancer, a tango partner and a peppy teenager, culminating her dance in a soft, warm embrace to herself – seeming to say in her silent gestures, that everything will be okay.  She had just lost her leg to cancer the week before.

Lastly, there was the teen, studying to be a professional dancer, who stood up and performed a dancer’s warm up with me and quietly allowed her tears to softly roll down her cheeks as her body remembered those moves that she hasn’t felt in 18 months.

As my work begins here at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, it is I that must thank all of you.

Sincerely,

Suzi

Many dancers have asked me about the exciting career of Dance/Movement Therapy (DMT).  As President of The Andréa Rizzo Foundation, we fund Dréa’s Dream pediatric dance/movement therapy program for children with cancer and special needs in schools and hospitals nationwide.  I have personally had the honor to observe dance/movement therapy in action.  I've seen the wonderful transformation and healing that takes place within the walls of hospital rooms and classrooms – psychologically, emotionally and physically.

  I’ll start by answering some frequently asked questions.

What is dance/movement therapy?

Based on the assumption that the body and mind are interrelated, the American Dance Therapy Association defines dance/movement therapy as the psychotherapeutic use of move­ment to further the emotional, cognitive, physi­cal, and social integration of the individual. 

They further explain that dance/movement therapy is practiced in mental health, rehabilitation, medical, educational, and forensic settings, and in nursing homes, day care centers, disease prevention, and health promo­tion programs.

They note on their website that the dance/movement therapist focuses on movement behavior as it emerges in the thera­peutic relationship. Expressive, communica­tive, and adaptive behaviors are all considered for both group and individual treatment.

For more information about the field of Dance/Movement Therapy, you can visit:   www.ADTA.org

I've also included a video created for Dréa's Dream with Dr. Lori Baudino at Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA to offer a close up view of dance/movement therapy in action as well as a wonderful explanation of the work.

movement-therapy-at-mattel-childrens-hopsital-ucla

 How do I become a dance/movement therapist?

Professional training of dance/movement therapists occurs on the graduate level.

R-DMT (Registered Dance/Movement Therapist) is granted to individuals who have completed a master’s degree in dance/movement therapy or a master’s degree in a related field plus required credits of specific dance/movement therapy curriculum. All candidates must complete a required number of hours in a supervised clinical internship in dance/movement therapy.

BC-DMT (Board Certified Dance/Movement Therapist) is awarded only after R-DMTs have completed additional hours of supervised, professional clinical work. BC-DMTs are qualified to teach, provide su­pervision, and engage in private practice.

Many BC-DMT’s hold state licenses, National Certified Counselor (NCC) status, and doctoral degrees.

I asked Becky Engler Hicks, Ph.D., R-DMT (Becky Brittain) of St. Louis, Missouri to share her experience as a dance/movement therapist.

Here is what she had to say:

A career in dance-movement therapy is endlessly rewarding in an intellectual, physical, creative and spiritual way. Every day that I have worked as a dance therapist, I have enjoyed the non-verbal attunement that I felt working with individuals and groups. It is fun and joyful work that can change lives for the better to improve emotional and/or motor functioning and developing insight into one’s particular situation. Each client is unique, with differing somatic histories and needs and challenges.

In a long career span as a dance therapist I have treated infants, children, adolescents and adults in schools, residential treatment facilities, and hospitals. I have worked with autistic, emotionally disturbed, special needs, deaf and blind children. I have seen adolescents and adults with mental health issues and eating disorders. For many years I have taught undergraduate dance therapy classes on the college level and supervised students working as interns. It has been my privilege to inspire many of my students to go on to pursue rewarding careers in this field.

Recently, Dr. Bruce Perry, MD, one of the foremost trauma specialists in the US, stated that in a five-year study of many therapeutic approaches, that dance-movement therapy and music therapy are the only two modalities that consistently help traumatized children. This is an incredible endorsement of our remarkable healing field of study.  

I am grateful to Becky for sharing this background and hope that it inspires many dancers to consider this rewarding career option.

We will continue to share stories and experiences written by the dance therapists funded by The Andréa Rizzo Foundation.  

This story is one that moves me deeply and I know it will move you too!

Julie Reed was 16 years old when she was diagnosed with a rare sarcoma of the liver. She underwent intense chemotherapy, leaving her tired and sick in bed most of the time. As an active young dancer, she found it hard to cope with her inability to move as she once did.  Our team of dance therapists at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center coaxed Julie into trying dance therapy during one of her in-patient stays. Julie wrote in a letter to The Andréa Rizzo Foundation, “Even when I couldn’t get out of bed, these wonderful therapists were able to transport me out of the hospital, into the sky, the ocean, a sandy beach, wherever my fancy would take me that day.”  The sessions let Julie express how she was feeling through movement.

 the-andrea-rizzo-foundation-dancing-with-the-stars-video

In an interview on ABC TV Eyewitness Newscast that aired on both coasts, Julie reflects on her experiences with dance therapy and the Andréa Rizzo Foundation. “I don’t think anyone has had this kind of impact on me before. It made the complete difference in me getting through with a positive attitude,” she said. Receiving a much-deserved trip to Hollywood, meeting the cast and crew of Dancing with the Stars with her Mom and Board members of The Andréa Rizzo Foundation at her side, Julie shared her thoughts of the surprise trip on the newscast: “It’s one thing to just be here in the first place, but to be here with the people who have done so much for me and really changed my life…it’s incredible!”

Julie Reed and her family have remained good friends of The Andréa Rizzo Foundation.  Julie has attended many of our fundraising events and has been an ambassador for Dréa’s Dream, speaking on our behalf.  Julie not only visits with patients at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center to serve as a beacon of hope, but she also encourages dancers to hold dance events to benefit our cause. Julie’s encounter with cancer has turned into an inspiration for so many.  She is currently a senior at Cornell University majoring in Drama and just returned from a semester in Turkey having landed an acting role there. Julie looks forward to a bright and healthy future. It is our hope that all of her many dreams come true. Knowing Julie’s tenacious spirit – I have no doubt that they will !

Hope – to wish for something with expectation of fulfillment    

During this season of giving, I think about all of the young dancers whose hearts have been touched by Dréa’s Dream. They have found ways to combine their love of dance with compassion and give to children with cancer and special needs. I’d like to highlight their stories each month. They inspire me and I know that they will inspire you, too.

One young dancer’s personal story of dance, healing and hope symbolizes a true gift from the heart. Ashley Audet was only eleven years old when her younger brother Brandon was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Ashley spent hours visiting with her

brother in Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center's pediatric ward in New York City. While trying to keep his spirits up, she sat in awe and watched many children enduring endless chemotherapy treatments. It filled her with sadness. Thankfully, Brandon’s cancer was caught early and he was successfully treated and cured. Ashley knew that wasn’t going to be the case for many of the other children she met at MSKCC.

In 2005, Ashley read in Woman’s Day magazine about Dréa’s Dream pediatric dance therapy program, funded by The Andréa Rizzo Foundation.  Since dance had always made her feel happy, she knew that Dréa’s Dream would help those children that she continued to worry about.  Her brother’s life threatening experience inspired her to find a way to help others and promote their healing while giving them hope.

Ashley approached her dance teacher and together, with the help of her family and her fellow dancers, she began what would become a tradition of annual dance-a-thons and benefit performances that have raised over $30,000 to provide pediatric dance therapy.  Not only does their belief in the power of dance help children at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center but it also helps children with special needs in two schools in the Perth Amboy, NJ public school system. Children who struggle to get through each day have found new ways to manage pain, gain mobility and express themselves because of Ashley’s and Brandon’s own life altering experience.

At this time of year, I am especially grateful to all of the dancers who have let their hearts move their feet for the many children who wish that they could be dancing too. Thank you for making a difference and keeping their hopes alive!

            Hope – to wish for something with expectation of fulfillment. 

Bethesda, MD—Walter Johnson High School located in Bethesda, has recently pledged their support for the Andréa Rizzo Foundation’s nationwide fundraising effort, “Dance Across America.”

 Students from the Walter Johnson community will compete in their own dance crews to show off their many talents. The charity event, overseen by Principal Mrs. Jenifer Baker, will be on Friday, December 16^th, 2011, where the students participate in a spinoff of MTV’s “America’s Best Dance Crew”.

“Dance Across America” is one of many fundraising efforts created by the Andréa Rizzo Foundation, a non-profit, 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt organization dedicated to bringing dance therapy to children with cancer and special needs in public schools and pediatric hospitals across the country. Created in memory of a young dance therapy graduate student an  d survivor of childhood cancer, killed by a drunk driver at the age of 24, the foundation aspires to bring dancers together to blend dance and compassion. Dancers of all ages in all parts of the country can make a difference in the lives of fragile children by doing what they love best…dancing!

For more information about this event, contact Walter Johnson High School, Principal, Jennifer Baker at shiri.brodsky@gmail.com or call (301) 803-7100.

For more information on the Andréa Rizzo Foundation or the “Dance Across America” program, please call 401-952-2423, e-mail DreasDream@aol.com, or visit www.DreasDream.org.

The definition of hope is to wish for something with expectation of its fulfillment.

Recently, one of our dance therapists shared this beautiful story –

A three year old pediatric cancer patient loved to dance and she had participated in many sessions of Dréa's Dream.  Her cancer had spread to the bone and an amputation of her right foot was required. Having been the parent of a child with cancer, I can't imagine how devastating this was for her young mother and father to accept. When the dance therapist arrived for their first session after surgery, she entered the hospital room and the girl excitedly exclaimed, "The Dance Lady is Here." Her dad looked on smiling from ear to ear. This was her first smile in days. The dance therapist used a familiar theme to engage the child to venture out of bed with her tiny new walker. She said, "Let's dance like Angelina Ballerina." As the dance therapist moved her own leg, the little girl giggled and followed with hers – the one that had the amputation. They swayed to the music, swinging their legs back and forth. The dad watched in disbelief as his little girl laughed and happily "danced." This session ignited hope in both the child's heart and the parent's heart. Their wishes for a future filled with endless possibilities were being realized through dance.

Dancers have shared their own stories of how dance has helped them through struggles and given them hope to overcome hurtles.  Andréa's lifelong passion for dance helped her to overcome life's challenges and gain hope for a bigger and brighter future.

My own wish to see Andréa's dream live on has been fulfilled by those who share their compassion and commitment to our cause. Together, with hope in our hearts, we are making a difference in the lives of children through the power of dance.

Click here to read about one young dancer's personal battle with cancer and how dance gave her hope.

I invite you to share your own stories of how dance has impacted your life or the life of a child.

Once you choose hope, anything's possible.
~ Christopher Reeve

West Lafayette, Indiana  –Once again, Higher Ground Dance Company of Purdue University has pledged their support for The Andréa Rizzo Foundation’s nationwide fundraising effort, “Dance Across America.” Higher Ground will hold 2 performances to benefit this cause at Loeb Playhouse in Stewart Center on December 10, 2011 at 12pm and 4pm.  Through the Higher Ground dancers’ compassionate support and generosity over the past five years, The Andréa Rizzo Foundation has instituted Dréa’s Dream pediatric dance therapy program at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis. For the first time, Riley Hospital for Children is able to offer this healing modality to their patients.

The Andréa Rizzo Foundation provides dance therapy to children with cancer and special needs in pediatric hospitals, public schools and Ronald McDonald Houses throughout the nation and the Higher Ground Dance Company is making a difference for fragile children locally as well.  The Foundation was created in memory of Andréa Rizzo, a special education teacher and dancer who had survived childhood cancer herself.  Andréa had begun her graduate studies in dance therapy at NYU.  Andréa was killed at the age of 24 by a drunk driver.

Through their Dance Across America initiative, the Foundation aspires to bring dancers, both young and old together to blend dance and compassion.  Dancers of all ages in all parts of the country can make a difference in the lives of fragile children by doing what they love best…dancing!    www.DreasDream.org   www.Dance-Across-America.com

Pazazz Performers hosts its second Gala December 4, 2011 at 7:00pm at the Lee Theater on the campus of University of Missouri, St. Louis. Proceeds from the Gala will benefit Drea's Dream, a dance therapy and expressive movement program for children with cancer and special needs, as well as help support and fund Pazazz Performers.

Artistic Director, Kacy Voskuil states, “The Gala is an opportunity for Pazazz to share their art and give back to the local community by raising funds for Drea's Dream. The Gala also gives Pazazz dancers the unique opportunity to headline their own performance on a professional stage.”

Pazazz is thrilled to announce that Big Muddy Dance Company, Common Thread Contemporary Dance Company, Kari James Dance Network, and Tiger Ball Z will be contributing their featured performances at the Pazazz Gala!

The Pazazz Gala is supported by individual contributions and sponsored by, Eureka Sign, Mary Institute Country Day School, Klassy Kickers, Professional Employment Group, The Eye Bar, The Hunkler Family, The Jones Family, The Braunstein Family, and the Bakula Family.  Tickets for the performance are $15.  Available online at www.touhill.org

For more information contact:

Kacy Voskuil, Artistic Director

Emily Anderson, Assistant Director

St. Louis Academy of Dance Pazazz Performers

314-991-1663 

Pazazzgala@gmail.com

Proceeds from this event will benefit Dréa’s Dream pediatric dance therapy program funded by The Andréa Rizzo Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing dance therapy to children with cancer and special needs in pediatric hospitals and public schools across the country.

For further information contact Brea Oliver at boliver1@binghamton.edu or DreasDream@aol.com.