MUNCIE, Ind. — In downtown Muncie lies a dance studio that has a vision. It's a vision of bringing the community together to create harmony in the Muncie Community.
Harmony Movement Studio has a message that aims to bring people into finding their passion for dance. Co-owners David Fenning and Michelle Owen wanted this studio to act as an outlet for the community. They want this space to be a place for dancers to connect with their community, build up their confidence, and find their voice.
“One of our major goals is to have a bigger impact for people to know that we’re here and feel comfortable. We want to keep spreading the message that this is for everybody,” said Owen.
Fenning explained where the name Harmony Movement studio comes from.
“When I started talking about one aspect, but really they all come together and that’s the reason for the name for Harmony Studio, they all operate under kind of the same umbrella,” said Fenning.
Since opening the studio, the dance community in Muncie has been expanding with the help of the dance classes the studio offers. Classes range from Hip-Hop, Tango, Sensual Bachata, West Coast Swing and Belly Dancing. All of these classes have brought in people from many different age ranges and dancing backgrounds.
Cynthia Miller is a student at the studio who has had a dance career and is now starting to get back into it.
“Not being afraid of making a mistake you know, or not being the best at something, or you know, being a little older than you knoow, some of the young people that come in and dance, you know, but it’s good to have challenges and try something news and use your brain and your body to push them,” said Miller.
There have been many dancers like Miller who have a dance background and who are getting back into dancing, and to David Welty, he has had the same dream that Miller has had.
“I got into dance briefly years ago,” said Welty. “I always wanted to get back into it, but I thought it was going to take a huge financial commitment and time commitment to pursue it like I wanted to. And it does take time commitment, but, you know, that’s something I’ve worked up to, but thanks to the way David and Michelle do things, the financial commitment has been very gentle, and it’s made dance become such an important part of my life.”
The dance community has had a huge impact here in Munice, and it will only continue to grow with the help of Harmony Dance Studio. The co-owners of Harmony Movement Studio hope to expand their studios and their goals to others.
To sign up for their dance classes, you can visit their website at Harmony Movement Studio.
Contact Ava Lens with comments at ava.lens@bsu.edu
