The Australian Special Olympics Dance Group arrives at BDC.

Prepare yourself for a sweet story: Yesterday, the Australian Special Olympics Dance Group visited Broadway Dance Center in New York City to take a dance class from hip-hop teacher Shirlene Quigley.

This trip, for nine of the dancers, has actually been in the works for the last two years. In 2013, BDC director of educational programming Bonnie Erickson and resident choreographer Jim Cooney traveled to Australia to teach the dance group a routine to John Lennon’s “Imagine,” as an entry for the opening performance of that year’s Special Olympics Games. Ever since then, the dancers have been fundraising to make a trip to the States and BDC a reality. (One of the biggest fundraisers was the“Don’t Dis Disabilities Dance Extravaganza” in Sydney this past June.)

The group, formed in 2006, performs frequently—including high-profile gigs for the Governor of New South Wales and as part of the “Flame of Hope” torch run for the Special Olympics.

In 2013, the dancers learned a routine from BDC resident choreographer Jim Cooney.

Top photo courtesy of BDC