Groove With Me is a youth development organization using free dance and performance opportunities as a tool to instill in young women leadership, pride, spirit of cooperation, creativity, joy and discipline. All these things that are needed to confront the adversity in their daily lives and throughout their future development. The program is seeking seeks to decrease teen pregnancy, truancy, crime, violence, prostitution, substance abuse and gang related activity by nurturing youth, building self-confidence, offering positive choices, and providing a safe place to go.
Their vision is to utilize a dance studio as a safe and enduring space for girls to express themselves and discover their capacities in a stable environment. With all of the negative role models and influences in media today, Groove With Me is a constructive and positive place for these girls to be who they are in true form.
In June 1996 Founder Abigail Rosin launched her first class with two students at Loisaida, Inc., a community center on the Lower East Side of New York City. In that first year, Groove With Me grew to serve over 40 girls ages 7-14 with five classes per week and seven volunteer teachers. In February 2001 Groove With Me opened its own studio in Spanish Harlem. In the first half hour of registration 200 girls poured through the door.
Groove is driven and surviving on volunteers who donate at least one hour of their time a week, 48 weeks a year.
90% of the expenses at Groove With Me go directly to programming, to providing free dance classes to girls. So if you want to donate, volunteer, or support these young ladies check them out at www.groovewithme.org.
