PORTSMOUTH — They’ve been itching to take over, and on Saturday they got their chance.

For many months, about a dozen young adults with various disabilities have been regular participants in Zumba classes at the CFP Center for Arts, Wellness, and Community in Common Fence Point. Occasionally, they even got up on stage with the professional instructors as they danced and gyrated to the loud rhythms. 

Saturday was all about the eight new “instructors in training,” however: Madisen Adams, Heather Anable, Olivia Canario, Morgan Carroll, Seth Dame, Contessa DeLeo, Ruth Faria and Michael Scales. So many people showed up to watch them lead the class that cars were parked on the field across the street and halfway down Rhode Island Boulevard — despite a newly expanded parking lot for the hall.

“I’m speechless,” said class participant Betty Czech. The best part, she added, was watching the new instructors lead the other dancers with such confidence.

“You can see that they are just exuberant. They’re great instructors,” Ms. Czech said.

And that’s the point — giving them a taste of assertiveness. 

Sarah Chase, a caseworker for one of the new instructors, Seth Dame, said the importance of giving young adults with disabilities cannot be overestimated.

“It’s huge,” she said. “You can just see how they all feel when they step — not even up on stage — but through the doors. It’s just a boost of confidence. They all smile and they make a bunch of new friends.”

Seth started coming to Zumba about three and a half years ago, and the activity played a big role in his rehab after a significant illness, said Ms. Chase, who lives in Common Fence Point.

“We started inviting his friends to Zumba, and this is kind of what happened. Any time Seth Dame spreads the word, a whole bunch of people show up. He’s the mayor,” she said. “Every single class, they jump up on stage; the participation level is 110 percent. There’s Zumba here almost seven days a week and you will see them here the majority of the time.”

Their participation eventually evolved into the Friday Café, where a group of young adults with disabilities serve soft drinks and light refreshments to the public following the morning Zumba class that ends at 10:15 a.m.

“A lot of people stick around and socialize and get to know one another. It’s really made a lot of people become friends here,” Ms. Chase said.

‘They knocked it out’

Conley Zani, a Zumba instructor and the president of the Common Fence Point Improvement Association, which owns the hall, welcomed everyone who came out Saturday and thanked the instructors for training the new recruits.

“Stacie, in particular, is the person who stayed after class every week and worked with these young adults,” she said.

That would be Stacie Schultz, who’s part of the Zumba instruction team.

“With these kids, I was directly responsible in working with them, with the choreography and everything they brought to the stage. I worked with them at least twice a week after class,” said Ms. Schultz, adding that she focused on harnessing their talents.

“It’s been a little bit less than a year ago when the idea came to be, and we were able to get a grant from the Fogarty Foundation to make this program a reality. We’re spent about six months making today happen,” she said.

So how did they do Saturday?

“They knocked it out,” she said.

Before everyone started dancing, Ms. Schultz acknowledged she wasn’t sure if everything would come together at first.

“I have never done this before,” she told the crowd. “How do I teach this and what do I do? But these guys are the ones who wound up teaching me.”