Dance and Movement Therapy

By: Emily Sexton

Lindsey Shields: Co-owner and Co-Artistic Director of Flex Studios.

In July of 2013, Flex Studios opened its doors to the community of Eugene, Oregon.  Using their combined years of dance experience, Lindsey and Angela Dunham, co-director, serve a diverse population in Eugene.  Students range in age from two to three years old all the way to grown adults.  Their students have varying levels of mental and physical capabilities.  This melting pot of students reflects the Studio’s tagline, “Beyond the Studio Walls.”  When explaining the tagline Lindsey said, “We hope to inspire, encourage, and be role models for our young men and women outside of the studio.  It’s not just a dance lesson.  It’s bonding with each child, knowing something special about them, they way they work… “  She believes that anyone who wants to dance should have the opportunity to do so.

Lindsey has always been a dancer.  She grew up in Maine where she spent countless days and hours at her mother’s dance studio.  She always knew she loved danced and wanted to pursue it.  Lindsey traveled all over the world as a dancer and got the opportunity to develop a full-fledged dancing career.  However everything shifted for Lindsey when she came to Eugene, Oregon.  She had originally planned on only being in Eugene for a couple of years while her husband finished up his schooling.  Little did she know that she would meet Angela Dunham and that this meeting would change the course of her career and life path.  In getting to know one another, Lindsey went from being a professional dancer to becoming a teacher, an educator, and a business owner.  Talking about the experience, Lindsey says, “I never thought I would open a studio in Eugene, Oregon, which is 3200 miles from my home. Meeting Angela was clearly a surprise… it was wonderful to make that connection with someone who loved it [dance] as much as I did.”

Flex Studios has enjoyed the participation of over 200 families and dancers since the grand opening last year.  While Lindsey is changing the lives of her students, she emphasizes that this journey and her students have really been a gift to her.  “We are lucky and we feel honored that have chosen to come here and dance that hour a week.”