A Phone Call That Blew Us Away: Hank and Lupe Featured on Chris Hemsworth’s YouTube Channel
- Mar 25
- 3 min read
In 2025, Rx Ballroom Dance received a phone call that truly blew us away.
Susan Terrill, Development Producer for Chris Hemsworth’s film production company, reached out to ask about filming our students. It was one of those rare moments that felt both surreal and deeply meaningful. To have a production team connected to someone with such a large platform take interest in the work happening inside our ballroom community was an incredible honor.
Many people know Chris Hemsworth as “Thor,” but what makes this story even more meaningful is his personal connection to Alzheimer’s. Because of his family history, he has dedicated his film company to capturing powerful stories, his own and others’, that bring awareness to the Alzheimer’s journey with honesty, compassion, and heart.
This time, his team wanted to explore the power of dance.
Together with the production team, we asked two of our incredible Rx Ballroom Dance students, Hank and Lupe, if they would be willing to share Hank’s Alzheimer’s journey with the world. What followed was something truly special: a beautifully told feature that captured not only the reality of Alzheimer’s, but also the love, laughter, resilience, and connection that dance can make possible.
More than 1.5 million views later, the story of Hank and Lupe has reached hearts far beyond our own community.
Their feature on Chris Hemsworth’s YouTube channel is a powerful reminder that ballroom dance is so much more than movement. It is connection. It is joy. It is partnership. It is purpose. And for many living with cognitive or neurological challenges, it can also be a pathway to confidence, dignity, memory, and quality of life.
For all of us at Rx Ballroom Dance, this was about more than being featured on a major platform. It was about seeing the heart of our mission reflected back to the world. Hank and Lupe’s story represents so much of what we believe in: that even in the face of Alzheimer’s, there can still be beauty, laughter, intimacy, and meaningful moments of growth.
We are incredibly proud of Hank and Lupe for opening their hearts and allowing their story to be shared so authentically. Their willingness to be vulnerable has helped shine a light on the Alzheimer’s journey in a way that is both personal and deeply hopeful.
We are also grateful to our incredible teacher, Alexandra Hopwood, and to Erin Drake Angelo for helping guide the experience and demonstrate the healing power of laughter, movement, and dance. Their presence in the feature reflects the care, encouragement, and joy that are at the center of Rx Ballroom Dance.
A heartfelt thank you also goes to Dance Daly Ballroom in Mission Viejo for the use of their beautiful studio, and to the producers and directors of the short film for the care and integrity they brought to telling Hank and Lupe’s story. We are forever grateful for the thoughtfulness they gave to every part of the process and for the way they helped honor the role ballroom dance can play in the lives of those affected by Alzheimer’s.
This feature was a milestone moment for Rx Ballroom Dance, but even more importantly, it was a moment of awareness. It helped bring visibility to the idea that dance is not just recreational, it can be therapeutic, connective, and profoundly life-giving.
We hope Hank and Lupe’s story continues to inspire others, open hearts, and expand the conversation around Alzheimer’s, caregiving, and the power of movement.
Watch the video here:
The Power of Dancing and A Loving Partner Against Alzheimer’s
Comments