In a great spectacle of hometown pride and community, hundreds of New Yorkers joined together on Monday evening for a Empire State of Mind dance party.

I was one of over 900 New Yorkers who gathered in Central Park last night to A HURRY TO NEW YORK! An unforgettable dance experience, an invitation to the public to learn and perform a choreographed dance to Alicia Keys’ New York classic, presented by Public Works.

The synchronized movements had the diverse, multi-generational New York crowd rushing forward, reaching for our dreams while raising “a hand in the air for the big city.” The dance was choreographed by Camille A Brown, the director/choreographer of the Broadway musical Hell’s Kitchenand rehearsed on the dance floor (a lawn in Central Park) of Hell’s Kitchen Dance captain Chloe Davis.

“I should see a sea of ​​people moving from one side to the other, with our own individuality,” she instructed the crowd.

Some dancers were prepared and had watched Davis’ dance tutorial on YouTube beforehand. Others, like me, were given a blue wristband, meaning we had no idea what was going on but still wanted to learn right away.

“It felt like New York had come together to dance with each other, and that was really an incredible feeling,” Laurie Woolery, director of public works at The Public Theater, told me.

“I wanted to make sure that people felt welcome from the moment they got there, that it was accessible, that anyone could do it, and I wanted it to be fun,” Woolery said.

Every year, the Public Theater puts on a musical version of a Shakespeare play at the Delacorte Theater and invites 100 New Yorkers to participate—but this year, for the first time, they’re aiming to reach hundreds more, with over 1,000 people already signed up.

After an hour of rehearsals, people of all dance levels danced together in a final performance. We followed the teachers from choreographer Brown’s Every Body Move initiative and the actors from Public Works.

One of my teachers was Paula, who was very fond of Alicia Keys’ lyrics.

“It’s my personal anthem because I’m originally from Trinidad and Tobago, so coming to New York means so much to me, it made a difference for me,” she said. “And every time I look up at the Empire State Building and see those lights, it tells me that I can do anything.”

“It’s a wonderful opportunity to bring everyone together,” said Esther, a participant. “Dancing brings people together.”