MOVE Inclusive Dance

A week full of bright outfits and dance parties? Count us in! 🌈

This July we’re hosting theme weeks at the studio for a little extra summer fun, from Super Heroes to Christmas in July (full recap coming at the end of the month!). Last week, during Rainbow Week, our Program Director Ms. Maddy had a BRIGHT idea that showed there’s a lot more to these dress up days than meets the eye.

Theme weeks are a fun way to get our dancers excited for class, but they’re also a chance to build important life skills. Every theme is intentionally planned to make learning feel natural, engaging, and memorable.

For Rainbow Week, some classes used the colors of the Zones of Regulation to help our dancers identify, understand, and express their emotions. Through music, movement, and imagination, we explored what it feels like to be happy, silly, sad, frustrated, calm, excited, and everything in between.

Yes, we wore rainbow colors. Yes, we danced and laughed. But we were also building emotional awareness, communication skills, and confidence with every activity.

That’s the magic of MOVE. Every game, every dance, every theme, and every class is designed with purpose, helping our dancers grow both on and off the dance floor.

“One of the absolute coolest events I’ve been a part of! So incredibly grateful and blessed to have been a small moment in someone else’s life. Lots of smiles and laughter today!”

These sweet words came from one of the high school quarterbacks who volunteered at Pass It Forward, and they perfectly capture what this day was all about. Creating space for ALL to feel seen and valued for the gifts they bring to the world.

We know firsthand the impact mentors and role models can make, because we felt it ourselves as kids. Neither of us would be doing what we love today without people pouring into us and our passions. We have them to thank for the confidence and heart to pass it forward.

We’re so grateful to every athlete, family, volunteer, and supporter who made this event possible!

Want a closer look at this incredible day? Swipe through, then head to the link in our bio to read The Tennessean’s feature on Pass It Forward.

- Lauren & Thomas Morris,

Something you may not know about MOVE… we don’t just groove it out at our studios! Almost every day of the week, one of our amazing teachers is out in the community, spreading the joy of movement to groups far and wide.

Thanks for sharing, Centennial Adultcare Center!

Meet the Occupational Therapists behind “Life Skills in Motion”, our upcoming OT x dance class series!

We first met Abby and Taylor when they were placed with us for their capstone internship through .ot …Now this dynamic duo is back at MOVE, this time as licensed occupational therapists, combining their expertise with the joy of dance to lead our latest program. By blending dance instruction with OT, these classes will help children of all abilities build everyday skills like tying shoes, getting dressed, making friends, and managing big feelings.

👋 Abby Smith
Abby danced from age 3 through college as a member of Auburn University’s Tiger Paws Dance Team before earning her Doctorate in Occupational Therapy from Belmont University. During her capstone internship at MOVE, she discovered the incredible overlap between dance and occupational therapy and is passionate about using movement to enhance functional skills and quality of life.

👋 Taylor Nock
Taylor grew up dancing and doing gymnastics and now works as an outpatient pediatric occupational therapist. She also found MOVE through Belmont University’s OT program and loves helping children build confidence and practical life skills through movement.

There are just a few spots left in our first round of this series so don’t miss out! Head to the link below to learn more and register.

https://www.moveinclusivedance.com/life-skills-in-motion

Yes this is me bragging on my husband, but it’s also more than that…

I just received this email from one of clients, and it stopped me in my tracks. He wrote about how grateful he is for the impact Thomas has had on his son, saying it’s “way more than simply throwing a football.”

That short line hit home because it’s exactly what we all say about MOVE when explaining what we do here. What happens in our studio has never been just about dance steps. It’s about confidence, connection, and every person feeling valued. Like they are a part of a team.

That’s why our Pass It Forward event (happening next week!) is such a natural collaboration for us. Two things we individually believe in deeply, football and dance, being used as a tool to remind kids (and all of us) that showing up for each other is what really matters.

I feel so fulfilled knowing that our kids get to see their mom and dad following passions from childhood and making it something that changes people’s lives for the better. At the end of the day, you don’t have to be the star on the stage or the MVP on the field to make a difference. In the words of my brother-in-law and founder of , do you have soul in the game? Soul. SOUL! It’s so much deeper than throwing a football or executing a perfect pirouette on stage.

We can’t wait to share this one with you and we hope to see you there!

📍 Wednesday, July 15th at 5:30 PM at
🎟️ Tickets and more info at the link below

https://secure.qgiv.com/for/passitforwardqbcountryshowcase/

An unfiltered glimpse into my week - Lauren

Starting with working from the car on a 7 hour road trip, managing a 2 year old and 3 year old in the backseat who need ENDLESS snacks and iPad assistance. Good thing I’m a natural multitasker 🙃

Back to the studio, in a sea of dance costumes! Early recital prep is in full swing and I LOVE IT.

Week is suddenly derailed by my two year old daughter getting an abscess tooth that had to immediately be extracted 🫠

Lunch break for mom, lunch break for said toddler with missing tooth. Sprinkles fix everything!

Another day, another lunch break, this time featuring our favorite sandwich shop ! PEACHES FOR MEEEE 🍑 is my go to order. Alyssa (wife of Jambox owner and MOVE Membership Manager Extraordinaire) talked me into the “biggie” full size. The correct decision was made.

More costuming. My favorite part of the recital planning process even though it is soooo tedious and consuming. Will share more on this process later! 🤗

Happiness looks a lot like this ⬆️

We say it all the time… but man, our volunteers are just the BEST. If you are thinking about getting plugged in here, now is the time. You won’t regret it!

Schedule a quick Meet & Greet with one of our studio coordinators on the Get Involved page of moveinclusivedance.com today to take the first step.

And mark your calendars for our August 8th and August 15th training for new volunteers! More info at moveinclusivedance.com/volunteer-training