One step at a time, these young movers and shakers are learning the power of dance.

It's something Lauren Fakate discovered when she was a little girl.

"Everything that I know and everything that makes me the person I am I learned in some capacity through dance," Fakate said.

Fakate grew up on the dance floor.

She's a classically trained ballet dancer, and now, a choreographer. 

And in the last 10 years, she has also donated her talents to "House of the Roses." 

It's a non-profit organization completely run by volunteers.

They teach dance to children who may not otherwise have the opportunity to learn, some are homeless. 

"It's a really unique opportunity to get to know people who are just very different from you, in every way and to find a way that we do have common ground and we can relate with each other and we can be friends with each other," Fakate said.

Fakate is just one of 40 “House of the Roses” volunteers working in eight different community centers and homeless shelters across the city. 

Dance teachers say it's more than just teaching choreography.

Students are finding their place on the dance floor and in life.

"I attribute almost everything that I've been able to accomplish in my life to moments when I've been able to perform outside of my boundaries - to take who I thought I was and put it on the shelf for a moment and given permission to be braver, and more confident, and more silly than I ever thought I could be," said Lisa Genn.

And that's exactly what this class means to 10-year-old Saul Pacheco.

"I get to express myself, my emotions, and my thoughts," Pacheco said.

Volunteers say with every new dance move, comes a new lesson.

"They're learning dances but they're also getting to create their own dances and play and make connections with other people, express themselves, so it's definitely a lot more than just learning to dance,"  said Marisa Femia.

And so for helping these young dancers find their own sense of rhythm, the "House of the Roses" teaching artists are our New Yorkers of the Week.