Minneapolis Amplified brings community together through dance, music

As Minneapolis residents and businesses continue to feel the effects of Operation Metro Surge, a new city initiative is creating opportunities for people to reconnect through music and dance.

Minneapolis Amplified kicked off its first event this past weekend, turning the parking lot outside Uncle Franky's into a dance floor.

The city is partnering with My Dance Agenda to bring music to unexpected places, bringing people together while supporting local businesses.

"It makes me happy that they want us to come together as a community and dance and have fun," said eventgoer Alyssa Schmidt.

Leo Himself, founder of My Dance Agenda, said the events are especially important after the federal immigration enforcement operation left many people afraid to go out.

"When the Operation Metro Surge happened, a lot of people were scared to go out," he said.

He said the events offer a chance for people to take a break from the stress and connect with their neighbors.

"It was a moment for us to kind of forget about all the pain that's happening here and coming out together, connecting and dancing with our community," Himself said.

The initiative also aims to support local businesses by bringing people into their spaces.

Brian Harbour, manager of East Hennepin Auto Service, said hosting an event is not necessarily about making money.

"We don't necessarily earn any money off this; in fact, actually, we're shutting down our gas pumps and everything for the event, but just to let people know that we're here," Harbour said.

For attendees, the events provide a space to come together and feel connected to their community.

"It's nice that we are holding a space for people to come together," one eventgoer said.