A Return to What Matters Most

Before there was Move with Gail… before there was even Dance with Gail… there was a jar in a park.

In March of 2020, when the world shut down, I started teaching dance classes in my backyard and garage, sharing them on social media for anyone who wanted to join. Soon, I began teaching live classes outdoors in my community outside Philadelphia—first in driveways, then in parks, and eventually in a beautiful space in Ardmore where people gathered week after week to move together.

I didn’t charge anything. I simply put out a jar and invited people to donate if they felt moved to. Those donations went to a local grassroots organization helping people in our community meet basic needs during an uncertain time.

It was never about building a business.
It was about helping people feel less alone.
Including myself.

That following winter, my life changed in immeasurable ways. I was going through a separation, moving to Florida, and starting over in a place where I didn’t know many people—at a time when the world was still largely shut down.

So I did the only thing that made sense.
I opened my laptop and started teaching on Zoom.
It was messy. It was imperfect. But people showed up.

And in a season when I felt incredibly alone, that small group of familiar faces on my screen became a lifeline.

Week after week, we moved together.
We laughed. We supported each other. We stayed connected.
Over time, that Zoom class grew into what became Dance with Gail.

Over the past six years, it evolved into a full online studio and eventually into something even broader. As I’ve grown, I’ve realized that movement isn’t just about dance—it’s about helping people stay strong, mobile, and independent in their everyday lives and doing it in a joyful, uplifting way. That realization led me to expand into more functional fitness and chair-based movement, and ultimately, my new rebrand, Move with Gail.

But recently, after another season of life challenges and reflection, I found myself thinking about that jar in the park.

About the simplicity of those early days.
About what mattered most.
And the answer was clear.

It was never about the number of classes or the structure of a membership.
It was about the community.

So I’m returning to that spirit.

Move with Gail is now centered around a free weekly Community Class every Sunday.
There’s no cost. No obligation. No expectations.
Just movement, music, and connection.

You can move seated or standing. You can keep your camera on or off. You can come and go as you need.

Your presence is enough.

There will still be special workshops and opportunities to support the work if you choose—but at its heart, Move with Gail is once again a place where everyone is welcome.

Looking back now, I realize that jar in the park was more than a container for donations.

It was an open invitation.

And just like that first jar in the park, the invitation is open.

🩷 Gail