Feel the Rhythm

Express Yourself at Harmony Dance Studio

Writer / Kylee White
Photographer / David Fennig

Dancing can be used to express feelings in many ways. It can be used to express joy at a family function, and other types of emotions. Harmony Dance Studio focuses on creating human connections and having fun through dance.

“We are a pretty traditional studio experience,” says Michele Owen, co-owner and teacher.

She started dancing while in college, and quickly fell in love with it. “As I got started and got more immersed in that world, I loved really focusing on that human connection aspect,” she says.

While dancing in college, Owen met David Fennig, co-owner of the studio. Fennig started the business 10 years ago this April. Owen joined the studio six years ago as a teacher, and became co-owner with Fennig after moving into a new location.

“I have seen dancing taught in many different ways over the 19 years I’ve been dancing, and none of them felt quite right. I needed to start my own thing, and change the way people learn and teach dance,” Fenning says.

“I started dancing in college and that’s how I met David,” Owen adds. “We then started working together on doing some different things. We now own a studio and we specialize in partner dancing – any kind of dancing that requires a connection with another person. That could be ballroom, tango or salsa. We really specialize in those because it requires a conversation and a human connection with someone else.”

While working at the studio, Owen has been able to make several connections with those who come in to take classes.

“I was working with a couple whose son was getting married, and they wanted to get some dance lessons so that they would feel more comfortable,” Owen says. “They were having just so much fun. I asked them after they had a chance to practice, ‘When was the last time you just danced with each other?’ That’s something that older couples sometimes forget to do. They said they never had. They didn’t do a first dance at their wedding, so they never had that experience of just dancing with your partner around the kitchen. I got to check in with them a couple months later and they were really enjoying just using the skills that they learned. It was really meaningful just to be able to help them have a brand-new experience in their marriage that I know they’re still really enjoying.”

Owen wants to communicate that dancing is made for everyone. Confidence and growth can be outcomes of dancing and simply learning a new skill. It can be rather daunting, but just getting out there and trying something new is the first step.

“I would say that dance is very universal,” Owen says. “If you play music for a baby, they’ll start moving around and waving their hands. We all dance before we can walk. It’s something that is very natural. We get so intimidated by the concept that we forget that it’s something that we already know how to do. I would encourage anyone to just give it a try. No one is going to judge you. People are always going to be encouraging to just see you excited to live your best life.”

“It’s more intuitive than people think,” Fennig adds. “You don’t need a partner or any experience. We can get just about anyone feeling comfortable within their first lesson.”

Harmony Dance Studio is located at 227 South Walnut Street in Muncie. Check them out on Facebook @dancinginmuncie.