Susan Rizzo Vincent started The Andrea Rizzo Foundation to continue the work of and in memory of her daughter, Andresa’s Rizzo, who survived childhood cancer and then was tragically killed at the age of 24 by a drunk driver. Her dream was to become a dance therapist and give children with cancer and disabilities the gift of dance. Susan has shared this story about love and loss in her newly released book begun with her daughter: Drea’s Dream: An Unfinished Dance. Susan Rizzo Vincent has had a long and rewarding career as an elementary school teacher. She loves kids and feels blessed to have spent her entire adult life being inspired by them.
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!
Dréa’s Dream is a dance therapy/expressive movement program for children with cancer and special needs funded by The Andréa Rizzo Foundation.
The Andréa Rizzo Foundation is the only 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization in the United States that provides grants that exclusively fund dance therapy programming for children with cancer and special needs. Services are provided by trained Dance/Movement Therapists (R-DMT’s and BC-DMT’s) registered with the American Dance Therapy Association. In addition, the Foundation funds expressive movement programs that are directed by dance professionals of the highest caliber.
What is Dance/Movement Therapy? The American Dance Therapy Association defines dance/movement therapy as: “the psychotherapeutic use of movement as a process which furthers the emotional, social, cognitive, and physical integration of the individual.” Dance therapists are dancers who are trained in both dance therapy and counseling or psychotherapy. They work in a wide variety of settings, such as psychiatric and medical hospitals, rehabilitation centers and nursing homes, community mental health agencies, schools and special education settings, wellness centers and private practice.
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