CRESENT SPRINGS, Ky. — A local dance studio in Crescent Springs is teaching students more than just dance steps — it's creating community leaders who understand the importance of giving back.
For 26 years, Expressions Dance Theatre owner and director Cara Patrick has continued a family tradition of using dance as a platform for community service.
"Back to when my mom, Connie, owned the studio, all the way back to the early 80s ... the Dance for Heart program was like the most exciting thing for all of the studios in this area. We all went to the Florence Mall, and we danced for the Heart Association. We raised money. So I was raised in an environment where you give back," said Patrick.
Patrick's mother, Connie Baynum, initially began the Dynamic Expressions dance studio inside Saint Joseph Catholic Church in 1978. Patrick took over in 1998, and a year later opened Expressions Dance Theatre with 37 students and two small classrooms after completing her education and working professionally as a dancer and choreographer in Japan.
Today, the theater that teaches around 400 dancers year-round occupies a five-studio location on Crescent Springs Pike in Erlanger, sitting across the street from the original location.
And Expressions' commitment to giving back has grown tremendously in the years since those early dance programs. In the past year, the studio has supported numerous organizations, including the Girl Scouts, Ronald McDonald House, local Montessori schools, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Down Syndrome Association and MCORE Cardiac Foundation, among others.
WATCH: This local dance studio teaches more than steps
"We're doing a big fundraiser in September for dancers against cancer, which gives back to dancers and families and communities in the United States that are affected by cancer," said Natalie Meyer, community engagement coordinator at the studio.
Last year, Patrick's father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and he passed away this week. Expressions now serves as a hope studio, educating students about the impacts of cancer, fundraising and providing a safe space for dancers, families and community members affected by cancer.
"You can create great dancers, but what's most important is using the art form to create good humans," said Meyer.
The studio's alumni, including Patrick's children, have gone on to become educators, business leaders and entertainers in various industries.
"We have lots of kids who have moved on to dance for Disney World. We have people who are working inside the arts that have nothing to do with performing, but in management situations or arts administration, somebody who's working high up for the New York City Ballet in New York City," said Patrick. "And so, a wide variety, but we also have amazing alumni who are doctors, lawyers, surgeons, who have learned some crazy awesome life skills, inside the dance studio growing up."
Among those successful alumni is Emily Shelby, who recently returned to the studio to teach tap after performing for over five years as a parade performer at SeaWorld and Disney World in Orlando.
"Honestly, the last five and a half years have been, like, the most pivotal in my life, so I'm so happy to share that knowledge that I learned with others," said Shelby. "Bring that back to the community that built me and shaped me."
The studio continues to make a positive impact on the Northern Kentucky community, one dance step at a time.
"I feel really blessed every day to have a bunch of people by my side supporting me and helping me continue my dream and having this wonderful studio for our community," said Patrick.
