Tango Therapy Project: Adapted Tango for Parkinson's & More

Carolyn Merritt is organizing this fundraiser to benefit Tango Therapy Project.

Tax deductible

In 2024, the Tango Therapy Project (TTP) launched a one-of-a-kind Adapted Tango Pilot Program for people with Parkinson’s disease (PD). In our first year of operations, we obtained certification in Adapted Tango Fundamentals with pioneering neuro-kinesiologist Dr. Madeleine Hackney; built a cohort of dedicated teachers and volunteers; brought tuition-free adapted tango classes to people with Parkinson’s and their care partners in Greater Philadelphia; and much more. Your donation of any amount will help us continue to support people with Parkinson's and other movement disorders through creative, cost-effective arts-based programming. Specifically, in 2025, we aim to:

Complete 2024-2025 pilot programming by providing three 6-week adapted tango pilot series to people with Parkinson’s and their care partners.
Recruit and train volunteers interested in our mission to support and partner participants in our adapted tango classes.
Bring Dr. Madeleine Hackney to Philadelphia to observe our pilot programming and lead an advanced-level training for TTP instructors.
Launch 2025-2026 programming, including 10-week introductory adapted tango series and a 6-month level 2 adapted tango drop-in class.
Explore a cross-pollination of our adapted tango with board member Dr. Alexandra Pfister’s MS Modern Dance.
Collaborate with Judith Sachs, a local Dance for PD-certified teacher and the creator of Close Contact for Couples with PD.
Consult with physical therapists on program design, safety, and assessment.
Conduct research and evaluation and create documentation of our programming.
Open pathways for connection between the local tango community and TTP participants and care partners.
Maintain a living library of research on the therapeutic benefits of adapted tango.
Cultivate relationships in the neurologic, movement disorder, clinical research, arts therapy, and senior communities.
Celebrate the healing power of tango, dance, and human connection by sharing stories of this work.

DONATIONS of any amount support training, administration, program development, programming, evaluation, and documentation. We are thrilled to acknowledge donations of $300 or above with sponsorship benefits for our inaugural annual fundraising event, A Spring Soirée, on March 8, 2025:

$300-$599: Silver (includes 2 tickets, name included on sponsor list)
$600-$999: Gold (includes 4 tickets, name included on sponsor list)
$1000+ : Platinum (includes 5 tickets, name on promotional materials and sponsor list, and reserved table at the event)

Thank you for your support, well wishes, and interest in our work. If you would like to stay apprised of TTP’s activities, please subscribe to our mailing list via our website, www.tangotherapyproject.org.

With warm wishes for the holiday season from the The Tango Therapy Project:

Carolyn Merritt, Executive Director (Ph.D. Anthropology, author of Tango Nuevo)

Rebecca N. Ichord, Board President (MD, Pediatric Neurologist at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia)

Amy Yang, Board Treasurer (Associate Director of Civic Tech Programs, BlueLabs Analytics)

Mary Carmel Etienne, Board Secretary (Assistant Dean & Director of Advising in the School of Arts & Sciences, LaSalle University)

Alexandra Pfister, Board Member (MD, Assistant Professor of Clinical Neurology, Penn Medicine)

Huaou Yan, Board Member (Attorney, Blank Rome LLP)

Kerry Kay, Board Member (Holistic Health Practitioner and Tango DJ)

Laurie Humphreys, Board Member (Tango Volunteer, Power for Parkinson's)

More on TTP

The Tango Therapy Project was conceived with the mission to provide therapeutic benefit, improve quality of life, spark joy, and promote social connection through Argentine tango. We are a group of Philadelphia-based dancers who are inspired by scientific research demonstrating tango’s unique benefits for people with Parkinson’s disease, as well as individuals with other motor and neurological disorders and mental and physical conditions. We aim to share these benefits more widely by bringing adapted tango programs to people who might not otherwise experience this unique art form.

Parkinson’s Disease and Adapted Tango

The second most-common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s, Parkinson's disease (PD) impacts 10 million people globally and 90,000 more people each year in the U.S. While there is no known cure and medications may help combat symptoms, exercise is recognized as a vital therapeutic tool for people with PD, and in studies exploring the efficacy of various exercise regimens, adapted tango has performed as well as and sometimes better than other movement forms.

A social partner dance based on hugging another person and walking, Argentine tango is accessible to people of all ages and doesn’t require specialized physical training. As a therapeutic tool, tango is a moderate-intensity activity that offers practice in countless real-life skills, including many that prove challenging for people with PD. Adapted tango is a creative, cost-effective means of supporting quality of life for people with Parkinson’s and others, that also provides a safe environment for experiencing physical touch and forming meaningful social connections and community.

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