Meet DanceStream Projects

Magda Kaczmarska, Founder

DanceStream Projects brings together artists, researchers, and communities as active collaborators in creative and educational projects that build spaces of belonging and amplify collective stories. We work together to build new systems and structures that maximize our agency and  fortify our collective wellbeing.

Inspired by the concept of upstreaming* health, DanceStream Projects provides direct allyship and empowerment to communities bridging the arts and health. We believe that dance is a universal language and that the arts, and specifically dance, are an integral part of the healthcare ecosystem. By engaging in co-creative arts practices, we are expanding our capacity and agency for promoting our individual and community health. By engaging in the arts, we are putting our brain health into our hands and our bodies.

* Upstreaming health is a concept which recognizes that the root causes of ill-health are systemic and especially within the western model of medicine propagate a culture of crisis. Upstreaming health addresses supporting individuals and communities through a focus on prevention and empowerment. Upstreaming places health outside of the river – catching people before they fall in, invoking cooperation and interdependence in the larger healthcare ecosystem of housing, nutrition, green spaces, urban and rural design, legal assistance, immigration, education and social engagement.

Our Team

  • MAGDA KACZMARSKA, MFA (she/they) is a dance artist, researcher, Atlantic Fellow for Equity in Brain Health and a fierce advocate for dance as a catalyst for brain health. Magda received an MFA in Dance Performance & Choreography and a BS in Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics from the University of Arizona. Magda founded DanceStream Projects, a non-profit arts and health organization based in New York City, dedicated to supporting brain health through dance and creativity. Through DanceStream Projects, Magda created several award-winning programs which apply evidence-informed approaches to extend brain health to older adults and people living with dementia through co-creative dance. 

    Magda mentors future leaders in the creative and health sector through a regular partnership with the Global Arts in Medicine Fellowship in Lagos, Nigeria and speaks regularly in international multi-disciplinary spaces on the role of dance in facilitating healthy aging habits and promoting agency and brain health among older persons and people living with dementia. Recent publications and features include Creative Brain Week, the WHO Collaboration Centre, Frontiers of Neurology,  Being Patient, ABC7NY news and the Alzheimer’s Disease International World Alzheimer Report 2023. Current research includes an observational study of an online dance program for people living with dementia and an ongoing collaboration with UCSF Memory and Aging Center Creative Minds program to explore the role of the arts in promoting brain healthy habits among older adults while increasing participation and inclusion in neuroscience and dementia prevention research.

    Magda is passionate in advocating for the rights of older persons and people living with dementia and serves as a representative to the UN with Generations United, is on the executive committee of the UN NGO Committee on Ageing New York, is a board member of the Dementia Action Alliance and the Vice President of the Foundation Dementia Action Alliance Poland.

  • HILARY BROWN-ISTREFI (she/her) is a Canadian-American dance artist and arts worker, who is a graduate of École de danse contemporaine de Montréal. Originally from Toronto, now living in Far Rockaway, NY, since 2009, she has performed in the works of international dance and visual artists including Bouchra Ouizguen, Jillian Peña, Melissa Riker, Doug Elkins, Linda Tegg, and Candice Breitz.

    In 2013 she co-founded the award-winning performance collective, Same As Sister (S.A.S.), with her twin Briana Brown-Tipley. Their commissions have been presented internationally at The Citadel: Ross Centre for Dance; Base: Experimental Arts + Space; MOMus – State Museum of Contemporary Art; Danspace Project; Centre d’Art Marnay Art Centre; BRIC Arts | Media House; and New York Live Arts, among other venues. Brown-Istrefi initiated the choreographic platform, HB² PROJECTS in 2017, to expand her collaborations in performance. HB² has presented work as a resident artist with West Harlem Art Fund’s Visual Muze Residency on Governors Island; Norte Maar’s Dance at Socrates Residency at Socrates Sculpture Park; and Exploring the Metropolis’ Choreographer + Composer Residency at Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning.

    For more info visit: sameassister.squarespace.com + hbsquaredprojects.com

  • JAMIE ROBINSON (he/him) is a dancer and teacher based in NYC. He was invited to join DanceStream projects in 2023, and instantly loved the joyful community that Magda fosters in each class. One fun fact about him is that he shares a birthday with two US presidents and his Aunt.

  • MAURA MCDONAGH (they/she) is a fourth-year PhD candidate at the University of California, Berkeley - Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute pursuing a designated emphasis in Computational Biology. Working in the lab of Dr. Sergio Baranzini at the University of California, San Francisco studying the role of the gut-brain axis in multiple sclerosis. Maura earned a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering with a double major in Communication Arts (Radio/TV/Film) from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Maura is passionate about brain health across the lifespan and justice in secondary and higher education.

    Maura has been a part of the Stories in the Moment Dance Research Study serving as the Program Coordinator. They enjoy working with families of people living with dementia and learning how the creative self can be unlocked through movement.

  • AYESHA GHOSH (she/her) is a rising sophomore at Oberlin college who is thrilled to join the DanceStream Projects team as a Digital Communications & Marketing intern this summer. Having been a dedicated singer and classical Indian dancer throughout her life, she has directly experienced the profound ability of artistic expression to heal the spirit, improve mental and physical health, and build community. She is passionate about sharing the healing power of artistic expression with people of all age groups and backgrounds. This passion strongly aligns with the DanceStream Projects’ mission to spark brain health and build a creative community through dance and movement. She is determined to bring her skills, creativity, and drive to the team this summer, and is excited to discover more about the collaborations between brain health researchers and creative communities.

    She works closely with Magda to manage the company’s digital presence and communication, as well as share and highlight the incredible work that has been done by the team. Ayesha’s personal and professional goals directly align with DanceStreams Project's program goals to “inspire hope, transform narratives that isolate, divide, silo and  stigmatize while building bridges and meaningful connections.” Her unique dance training, previous work experience, and holistic approach to the arts and health will bring a diverse, innovative, and positive energy to the DanceStream team.

Our Partners