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Members of YAI’s Hankering For More at YAI (HFM) social program recently set their holiday cheer to music and motion in partnership with the Broadway Dance Center (BDC). 

The BDC is a 25-year-old Manhattan-based company offering more than 200 dance classes per week.  At the recent YAI event, BDC instructor Jim Cooney taught 22 HFM members dances by the decade, including Hand Jive from the 1960s, The Hustle from the ‘70s, the Electric Slide from the ‘80s, the Macarena from the ‘90s, and the WakaWaka dance from the 2010 World Cup.

“The workshop empowered participants to try something new and to develop a skill that is useful in many social settings,” said Jennifer Menges, HFM Coordinator.

Hankering For More at YAI is a program available to high-functioning adults with learning and developmental disabilities who live in and around New York City. HFM provides intellectually and culturally stimulating social and educational opportunities that encourage meeting new people, making friends and developing life-long social skills.

“It was so rewarding to see the faces of the participants, who seemed so happy and excited,” said Jim, a theatre dance faculty member at BDC who has taught Broadway performers and celebrities such as Katie Couric.

“I’ve known these dances for so long it can be easy to forget that the purpose of social dances like these is to have a great time and to celebrate,” Jim added. “It’s great to be around that energy and it is really inspiring.”

“It was really great to see some of the people who at first were shy and standing off to the side jump in and try at least one dance,” said Ana De Villegas, Director of Group Services at BDC, who assisted with the workshop. “That’s really what it’s all about – to learn and have fun.”

“It was a very good learning experience,” said Robert, a HFM member. “The instructors were excellent. Doing the Macarena – we had a lot of fun with that.  Hankering For More activities are always very interesting and people have a lot of fun. It’s a great way to meet people.”

“It was nice to learn the dances; I think everyone had fun,” said Gina, a member of HFM. “My favorite thing about the workshop?  Everything! I liked everything about it!”

To learn more about Hankering For More at YAI, visit yai.org/HFM.