Our Mission The Andréa Rizzo Foundation will raise funds to help children with cancer and special needs, fostering Andréa’s dreams of providing dance therapy to children with cancer and special education needs. A non-profit corporation, the Foundation is dedicated to the growth and success of Dréa’s Dream, a dance therapy/expressive movement program for pediatric and young adult populations in hospitals, special education classrooms and medical settings throughout the country. The Andréa Rizzo Foundation is the only 501(c)(3) non profit organization in the United States that provides grants that directly fund dance/movement therapy programming exclusively for children with cancer and special needs. Programs are led by registered Dance/Movement Therapists (DTRs or ADTRs) . In addition, the Foundation funds expressive movement programs for the same pediatric population under the direction of dance professionals of the highest caliber.

About Andréa Andréa Rizzo had a love of life that was felt by all who knew her. She was a loving daughter, only child, compassionate friend, dedicated Special Education teacher, gifted dancer and childhood cancer survivor. She was attending graduate school at NYU in hopes of becoming a dance therapist so that she could share her love of dance and its positive impact on her life with the lives of fragile children. She herself had been treated and cured of cancer as a very young child at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. On May 19, 2002, Dréa’s life was cut short by a drunk driver as she returned home from attending a dance performance, but her passion for children and dance live on. With determination from family and friends Drea's Dream is being fulfilled! Thank you, Dré, for having such a wonderful vision! Andréa loved life, family, friends, children and dance! DanceLifeTV.com tells Andréa's story… Watch Part 1 & 2

Board of Directors

President: Susan Rizzo Vincent, Organizational Founder

Vice President: Donald Mollitor

Vice President:  Katie Dugan

Vice President:  Sarah Puerini

Secretary:  Maureen West

Recording Secretary:  Theresa Schimmel

Treasurer:  Nancy Heagney

Advisory Board

Dr. Christopher Bentley, O.D.

Marlborough Family Practice

Marlborough, CT

Amy Bullock, MS Ed., CCLS

Director, Child Life Development Services

Mattel Children’s Hospital UCLA

Mary Connolly

Vice Chairperson of the Newport RI City Council

Professional Lecturer in Education

Salve Regina University, Newport, RI

Greg Cummings

Marketing Advisor

Robyn Flaum Cruz, Ph.D., ADTR, LPC

Editor-in-Chief, The Arts in Psychotherapy

President, The American Dance Therapy Association

Assoc. Professor & Coordinator of Dance Therapy

Lesley University, Cambridge, MA

Janice DeFrances, Ed.D.

CEO/President, Harmony Hill School, RI

Day & Residential Treatment Center

For Severe & Emotionally Disabled Youth

Diane Duggan, Ph.D., ADTR

Licensed Psychologist / Registered Dance Therapist

New York City Dept. of Education

Adjunct Asst. Professor

Graduate School of Dance Education & Special Education

New York University, NY

Rhee Gold

Publisher, Dance Studio Life Magazine

Producer, DanceLife TV

Christopher Gray

Executive Director, Designate A Driver (D-A-D), RI

Malissa Morrell, MA, ATR, MFTI

Arts Coordinator

Mark Taper-Johnny Mercer Artists Program

Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, CA

Nina Pickett, M.H.A

Administrator, Dept. of Pediatrics

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, NY

Andrea Ricci

Coordinator/Choreographer

WNBA Connecticut Sun Dance Team

Simone Zappa, R.N., M.B.A

Director of Medical Affairs

NY Presbyterian Hospital, NY