Photo credit: Nuria Rius
On October 1, DanceStream Projects gathered friends, community members, artists, researchers, health professionals, and supporters at Flushing Town Hall for a very special evening: Many Stories, One Dance, our first-ever gala.
It was a night filled with movement, laughter, stories, gratitude, and—of course—dance.
But more than a celebration of how far DanceStream has come, the evening was a celebration of the people who have made this journey possible.
Many Stories, One Dance
Photo credit: Nuria Rius
We began the evening with Hello Body Dance, inviting everyone in the room to offer their own movements of welcome. What started as a simple invitation to move became a beautiful reminder of one of the things we believe most deeply at DanceStream:
You don’t just watch the work—you become part of it.
Throughout the evening, we shared stories from our programs and communities, celebrated the people behind our movement, and reflected on what becomes possible when dance creates space for connection, creativity, curiosity, and joy.
And by the end of the evening, the entire room was dancing together.
That moment captured something essential about DanceStream Projects. Our work is not about bringing dance to a community. It is about creating something with a community.
Celebrating the Communities at the Heart of DanceStream
Photo credit: Nuria Rius
We are deeply grateful to the communities who have welcomed us into their spaces and shared their stories, creativity, humor, and humanity with us:
Queens Center for Gay Seniors, Jamaica Older Adult Center, QCH Social Adult Day Center, New York Memory Center, RSS Adult Day Program for Memory Loss, and Seniors in Touch at Bay Ridge.
Your voices and experiences continue to shape our work and remind us why it matters.
You are our North Star.
A particularly meaningful moment of the evening came when Gale Cantor and David Cerruti shared their powerful and deeply personal testimony about their experience with DanceStream and our Stories in the Moment® program.
Photo credit: Nuria Rius
Their words gave beautiful expression to what can happen when we create spaces rooted in movement, relationship, creativity, and joy—and when people are given opportunities to connect with one another beyond the limitations or assumptions that can accompany dementia.
Honoring a Visionary
The evening also gave us the opportunity to honor someone who has believed in DanceStream from the very beginning.
Miranda Mitchem received the inaugural DanceStream Visionary Award in recognition of her extraordinary belief in our vision and her foundational generosity to DanceStream Projects.
Photo credit: Nuria Rius
Miranda was one of the earliest people to see what DanceStream could become. Her support has helped create a foundation from which we can continue to grow, reach more communities, and imagine what comes next.
It was a true honor to celebrate her.
The People Behind the Movement
DanceStream exists because of an extraordinary network of people who believe in the power of creativity and connection.
We are grateful to our incredible teaching artists, who bring their creativity, care, expertise, and whole selves into every room. They are at the heart of our programs and make the magic happen.
Photo credit: Nuria Rius
We are equally grateful to the many friends and supporters who joined us from across the arts, science, research, health, aging, and dementia communities.
Bringing these worlds together has always been central to DanceStream's vision. Dance can be a powerful meeting place—a place where research and lived experience, art and health, creativity and care can come together.
Thank You to Our Partners and Sponsors
We are deeply grateful to the organizations that helped make this evening possible.
Thank you for investing not only in this celebration, but in the work that makes it possible.
We are also grateful to the many individuals, community partners, volunteers, board members, collaborators, and friends who have supported DanceStream throughout our journey.
Every contribution—of time, resources, creativity, encouragement, and belief—helps move this work forward.
More Than Movement
As we reflected on the evening, one message kept coming back to us:
Dance can be so much more than movement.
It can be a way to find one another.
A way to discover something new.
A way to reclaim possibility.
A way to build belonging.
A way to be seen for what we can create—not simply for what we may have lost.
This is particularly important in our work with people living with dementia, older adults, care partners, and communities whose voices have too often been overlooked or marginalized.
At DanceStream, we believe that creativity doesn't disappear with age or diagnosis. Connection doesn't have an expiration date. And everyone has something to contribute to the dance.
A New Chapter
Many Stories, One Dance also marked an important moment in DanceStream Projects' own journey.
Photo credit: Nuria Rius
As we enter this next chapter as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we are dreaming bigger about what we can build together—and how many more people we can invite into this movement.
There is much more work to do. More communities to reach. More stories to hear. More possibilities to explore.
And we know we don't have to do it alone.
Many stories brought us here.
One dance carries us forward.
Thank you to everyone who joined us at Many Stories, One Dance—and to everyone who has danced with us along the way.
We can't wait to see where this movement takes us next. ❤️