Sydney Bartunek Bender is the founder of Move To Heal South Dakota and describes this role as honoring her soul. She grew up dancing from a young age and has always felt a deep passion to give back through the healing power of movement. After Sydney experienced being a caregiver for over 10 years to her father, she was able to experience first-hand the hope, joy, and healing that the arts in health provided. In 2019, she took this inspiration, passion, and experience to another level and created this nonprofit organization that aims to serve South Dakota and the region with movement-based programming in healthcare and community settings with an emphasis to reach rural locations without access to movement programming.

Sydney also works full-time  in the Sanford Health Marketing Department and is active in the LiRa Dance Theatre Company and the South Dakota yoga community.  Sydney graduated from the University of South Dakota with a bachelor’s degree in Contemporary Media & Journalism with an emphasis in PR & Advertising and is a certified yoga instructor.