There's a beat along Masten Avenue in Buffalo. Step inside  and get a sense of West African culture.

"We have a dance and drumming performing entity of adults as well as a children's company," said Linda Barr, the assistant to Dance and Drum Department at the African American Cultural Center.

Since 1958, the agency has been spreading its mission of “enabling spirits to soar” one rhythm at a time.

"As we all know, rhythm and movement is a universal language,” Barr said. “It opens up people's hearts and minds."

Barr, like many who are part of the agency now, grew up in this studio, learning the ways of those who first called Buffalo home.

"Our main focus is the young people and to give them a sense of identity, a sense of pride," Barr smiled.

That mission goes far beyond these dances. There are also after school and summer educational programs. Wellness classes, career day and more are all part of connecting urban youth to the community around them.

"Make them feel empowered and enlightened, loved and beautiful," said Jasmine Everhart, one of the center’s educational directives directors.

"But we also serve the entire community," Barr added.

There are drum dance classes Saturday afternoons plus the theater department. This is where Paulette D. Harris, the artistic director, comes in.

"The overarching message is that theater is used to address personal anxieties, it's a type of healing," Harris said.

From drama to comedy, each show runs four weeks, taking center stage Friday through Sundays. The season starts in September and goes through May. The entire community is welcome to be part of the cast and crew.

"Theater is theater, you want to get the message out there, but we do focus on African-American themes,” Harris said.  “You have to have something that speaks your truth, and ours is our history and our heritage. But being able to share that with the entire community is very important to us."

They’re walking to the beat of their ancestor’s drums to give a better understanding of the past, in hopes of creating a brighter future for all.

"Art is an expression; this is how we are able to continue to develop our world into something beautiful," Barr said.

Looking ahead, “The Dance on Widows Road” opens March 13 and runs through April 5.