Urbanity Dance

We are beyond grateful and overjoyed to share that together, we not only reached our $75,000 Move What Matters Annual Fund goal, we SURPASSED it, raising $87,812.76 ! 💛💛🌟🌟

From gifts of $3 to $15,000, every contribution made a difference. Every donation, shared post, class attended, volunteer hour, and conversation helped make this possible. Thank you for showing up for Urbanity and believing in our mission. This achievement belongs to all of us!

Your support powers programs like:
- Movement Meets: providing free, customized dance classes for individuals living with life altering diagnoses, and now expanding with Dance For Dizziness for individuals living with Persistent Postural-Perception Dizziness (PPPD)

- The Access for All Fund, providing up to 100% tuition coverage for young Bostonians so financial circumstances are never a barrier to dance.

-Artist Development Programs like Urbanity X, Urbanity 2 and the Teen Leadership Program

THANK YOU!

We are SO excited to announce a brand new drop-in class this summer! Self Care Sundays: Strength, Mobility and Flexibility with an incredible lineup of rotating instructors! 💪💛

Held in the light-filled sanctuary of our dance studio, this class is designed to be your weekly "reset" button. Each class will be with a Dance + Exercise Science expert, bridging the gap between clinical/wellness expertise and mindful movement. This class provides the tools to offer your body a moment of self-care.

This class focuses on the three essential pillars of physical longevity:
- Mobility: Specialized techniques to unlock restricted joints and improve range of motion.
- Flexibility: Science-based stretching to improve muscle length and elasticity.
- Functional Strength: Targeted exercises to build the stability needed to protect your body and move with ease.

This is your sign to add some Self Care to your Sundays.
Sign up now: https://www.hisawyer.com/urbanity-dance/schedules/activity-set/1889704?day=2026-06-21&view=cal&source=semesters

Meet Rafi Rivera, one of the instructors behind Urbanity’s Dance with Parkinson’s program. Rafi leads classes at Urbanity and at IBA - Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción in the South End, where he teaches in Spanish to Spanish-speaking elders living with Parkinson’s.

For Rafi, offering this class in Spanish at IBA is about more than dance. “The older Spanish-speaking population who move to the U.S. tend to feel lonely, especially if their kids and family members move away. This class creates community and gives people the opportunity to move with rhythm and coordination.”

Rafi’s story is what Move What Matters is all about. Help us reach our $75,000 goal by midnight tonight, so we can continue to show up for people that need it the most.

And we just got word: your gift counts TWICE! 😱
A donor has offered to match all gifts up to $15,000 through tonight; give today and your support is doubled. 💛

As we observe International Day of DeafBlindness today, we’re excited to announce a teacher-training workshop with 2026 Urbanity X Resident Kerry Thompson

Join Kerry—the Founding Executive Director of Silent Rhythms and global inclusion expert— for a vital teacher training workshop: Creativity and Movements for Persons with Disabilities.

🗓 Date: Saturday, July 25, 2026
🕑 Time: 2:00 PM - 4:15 PM
📍 Location: Urbanity Dance Central
💰 Cost: $100 (or Pay-What-You-Can)

What you’ll learn:
1️⃣ Understand the barriers people with disabilities face in accessing dance.
2️⃣ Learn American Sign Language (ASL) specifically for the dance studio.
3️⃣ The crucial role of Dance Ambassadors.
4️⃣ Communication tips for teaching students who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing, Blind/Low-Vision, and DeafBlind.
5️⃣ Inclusive teaching methodologies for a diverse disability community.

Come learn, celebrate dance, and help us build spaces where everyone can belong, participate, and thrive. Register here: https://pro.gofundme.com/event/creativity-and-movements-for-persons-with-disabilities-a-workshop-with-kerry-thompson/e816088

About Kerry:
Kerry Thompson is a renowned global inclusion expert, the Founding Executive Director of Silent Rhythms, and a Latin dance instructor. Drawing from over 20 years of experience and her unique lived experience as a Deaf dancer who later became blind, Kerry has trained cultural institutions, nonprofits, and dance companies worldwide (including recent performances at Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City!).

Meet our partners at Afrobeats Dance Boston. In 2019, Afrobeats Dance Boston joined Urbanity's Artist in Residence program, receiving free studio space as part of its commitment to uplifting BIPOC-led artists and collectives across the city. What began as a residency has grown into something deeper: today, Afrobeats Dance Boston shares a dance home with us at UDHQ, a space that neither organization could currently afford alone.

This partnership is what Move What Matters is all about: creating pathways for artists and organizations to thrive together. Our Artist in Residence program is built on the belief that no studio space should go unused, and that when arts organizations have a home, the whole city's dance community grows with them. By sharing space, resources, and responsibility, Urbanity and Afrobeats Dance Boston have created a sustainable home that strengthens both organizations and expands opportunities for Boston's dance community.

Help us reach our goal of $75,000 by June 30th and keep moments like this going.

And.... this just in..... your gift counts TWICE! Good news landed today! A donor has offered to match all gifts up to $15,000 through June 30th. Give now and your support is DOUBLED!

Donate: https://giving.gofundme.com/campaign/792896/donate

Meet Rachel. Rachel started dancing as a child. Like so many dancers, life eventually pulled her in different directions and she thought her dancing days were behind her. Then she found Urbanity 2. Stepping back into the studio, Rachel rediscovered something she didn't know she was still missing.

Rachel's story is what Move What Matters is all about. Less than two weeks until our June 30 deadline. Help us reach our fundraising goal so every dancer who thought their time was over has a way back to what they love.

Donate: https://giving.gofundme.com/campaign/792869/donate

Read Rachel's full story: https://www.urbanitydance.org/move-what-matters