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Tricia Graf

by Morgan from Fort Wayne

Died Pointe Shoes (high.heels.com)
Died Pointe Shoes (high.heels.com)

I started dancing when I was 4 at a studio in Terre Haute. Then we moved back to Fort Wayne and I began taking dance classes at IPFW when I was 7, and I danced there for 3 years. I started dancing with Tricia Graf at Studio 149 five years ago. That was when dancing changed for me. The classes before were not bad, in fact they were fun and I loved them, but the way Tricia taught it was different. She taught me to dance in a positive, clean way that is glorifying to God. She also taught me that to dance this way could be a lot of fun.

Tricia not only taught me a positive, healthy way to dance, but also how to live my life. She has not only helped me, but many other students as well. Tricia has taught us that it is a struggle being a Christian in a society that doesn’t agree with our beliefs, especially in school. Through her example, I have learned that I can disagree with our society in a way that respects my teachers, friends, the people I meet, and their beliefs.

I believe that there is an issue with the way some people dance. Young girls all over the country, and the world, dance. But, the way they dance is not always appropriate. The moves themselves can be vulgar and improper. This is not a positive way to dance. Not only does it affect the way they dance, it also affects their attitude towards life, each other and their ethics. The media, especially movies, suggests that this type of dance is okay. It encourages girls to dance provocatively because it will make them look cool. It also says that guys will like you more. It teaches children that it is okay to use your body however you want, sometimes even to get what you want. It’s saying that it will make you look better and people will like you more. It creates a bad self-image for girls of all ages. They may start thinking that they need to be skinnier to dance, which could lead to eating disorders and other things. Dancing in general is a good thing. But the way the students present themselves and their body language can have a negative affect. Tricia changed this.

A Dozen Red Roses (www.alyssasflowershop.com)
A Dozen Red Roses (www.alyssasflowershop.com)

As a young girl, Tricia Graf she had to be hospitalized from an undiagnosed illness. She had to be in a wheelchair and had to relearn how to walk. She started dancing to help with physical therapy. She also wanted to dance because of the first ballet that she saw. It wasn’t so much the costumes or the dancing; it was the huge bouquet of roses and the applause the ballerina received at the end of her performance. She danced for various competitive dance companies that pushed students too far, both physically and emotionally. After she became a Christian and she had her first daughter, God planted the seed for what is now Studio 149. She wanted to find a way to combine her love of dance and her love for God in a way that could reach people with His light. She also wanted to give her daughter the opportunity to dance in a way that praised God, honored her, and was healthy for her as well.

The studio started with 10 girls who wanted to learn a dance for Promise Lutheran Church’s Easter service. The next year she had over 50 students who wanted to learn how to dance. Classes were held at a YMCA in Ohio and they named it Studio 149. The idea of “149” came from Psalm 149 which says, “… Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp….” Since becoming Studio 149, it has become a non-profit entity. The studio offers affordable classes and provides scholarships for students who need them, making dancing available to everyone. It has also been working toward being able to be funded by grants. Tricia hopes that the studio will become a conservatory of our own that will help serve more students. From the beginning she hoped it would be a conservatory of not only dance, but of music, art, photography and more. She also hopes to have classes for children with disabilities, and show people the healing power of dance.

I can help with the issue of inappropriate dance by continuing the vision here at Studio 149. Tricia started this studio to create a positive, fun, healthy way to dance. I will continue to help teach some of the classes, and I hope to someday have a ballet class of my own.

Page created on 10/21/2009 12:00:00 AM

Last edited 10/21/2009 12:00:00 AM

The beliefs, viewpoints and opinions expressed in this hero submission on the website are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs, viewpoints and opinions of The MY HERO Project and its staff.