Linda Abrams gets in the groove every Friday evening and Saturday afternoon.

"I think because the world is so challenging these days, with the pandemic on top of it, we need outlets and outlets where people can kind of just get together and just be happy and have fun," she said. "So it’s always exciting."

​Abrams is the one of the founders of the Buffalo JoyWalkers, a group that dances on the sidewalks in the area to bring joy to themselves and others. The group started eight years ago. Allen street is the group’s homebase. 

"We would just dance with people at parks and parking lots, bus stops you know," Abrams said. "Kind of like a prankster thing. Just bringing some happiness and some silliness and some fun to the street.”

Attendance varies depending on the weather. But Abrams says the group is now recognized. People who drive by - police, firefighters - all honk at the JoyWalkers when they see those toes tapping. Outside of being a JoyWalker, Abrams is a therapist. She says music and dancing is therapeutic. 

"There are so many restrictions on the way we move, the way we speak, the way we think, on and on and on," Abrams said. "But when you’re dancing and loving life and loving the music, it really brings balance.”

More people have started to join the group during the pandemic, showing just how popular dancing can be.

"More during the winter," Abrams said. "The summer, when everybody thinks it would be the time to dance, not as many, but now it’s like people have nothing else to do, and are looking for cheap thrills. And we offer cheap thrills."

Abrams says she has to be the one to cancel events in the winter when the weather is not cooperative because people will still come out dance no matter what. 

"We had some people, real hardcore people, out when it was like below 10 degrees," Abrams said. "Single digit on Bidwell. Nobody else was out, but the JoyWalkers were representing."

It was about 15 degrees at this dance and people still came out to join Abrams. She says the group’s message is also about spreading love and being the person you want to be. The point of JoyWalking is to give the best of you who are to the street and all the people you meet.

"It’s like, 'end strangerhood in the neighborhood.' Once you start to meet and more importantly dance with people, you feel a different kind of energy. Because you know how sometimes you’re walking down the street, you’re just looking at people sometimes they look a little sketchy. Sometimes we look sketchy. But once you start dancing and tunes are playing it ends up being like a party!"

You can find out more about the Buffalo JoyWalkers here.