Our WHY - The Origins of Taking Shape

This story begins in tiny rural Missouri, off the beaten path, at Shapes Dance and Acro Studio—the studio where I’ve been the owner and director for over 25 years.  It’s where I’ve proudly taught dance, tumbling, acrobatics, and more to thousands of kids and teens!  It’s also where I developed a passion for teaching my students how to achieve their ambitions through experiences, opportunities, discipline, and strength of character.

In this small-town community, a typical high school senior class sends less than 40% of its graduates to college.  Many settle for less than their full potential because they haven’t known anything different in their lives; they simply stay in their comfort zones.  And so it became my personal mission to positively impact our students at SDA so that they would not fall into this statistic.  With that in mind, I began teaching the fundamentals of what is now Taking Shape’s STAR Leadership curriculum, offering class discussions about topics like being kind, building resilience, having a great work ethic, and living a life of gratitude. 

Over time, our students evolved into true leaders at their schools and in the community, proving themselves stronger and smarter than they ever thought before.  I’m humbled to say that with this mindset shift, 90% of our students go on to college after high school.  And I’ve now seen the evidence that our efforts to change young lives are working!

After seeing these successful results, I began to think bigger.  I founded Taking Shape with the intent to create a global servant leadership movement reaching people Here in our local communities, Near in our surrounding cities and states, and Far across the globe.  The STAR Leadership curriculum became its own stand-alone program for SDA and also available to other dance studios.  The Here and Near programs grew to include our outreach in and around the Kansas City area.  And the Far program took off after my first trip to Port-au-Prince, Haiti in 2015.

That year I shadowed a friend during her mission camp.  I wanted to learn and soak in every lesson of global service and leadership possible!  On a side trip home one day, we stopped at LePhare Orphanage, where I met a young man named Davidson with an infectious smile.  He spoke English pretty well, and he told me more about the orphans (there were 23) and the faith and hope they all had as a “family.”  His father, Jean Dieuregard, was the pastor of the orphanage.

Davidson took me on a tour of the house, which took my breath away.  When we went up the stairs, it took us to the roof.  The roof, it turned out, was where the orphans slept, because there was not enough room or enough beds downstairs, and of course, it was hot.  At that moment I felt a huge tug on my heart from God that said I could and should do something to help.  I immediately began an action plan when I got home to Missouri.

My brother, a general contractor, drew up construction plans.  We hired a team of all-Haitian workers, and after many trials and tribulations during the two-year process, I’m ecstatic to report that LePhare Orphanage finally has a proper roof.  It also now has an additional seven bedrooms, three bathrooms, a living room, and a balcony.  But there is more to be done to serve LePhare.  Taking Shape’s next goal is to provide the children with an education, and so we are building a school!

Through our Far program and missionary work, I know we will reach this goal.  100% of our proceeds are going toward the school, and with our missionaries’ efforts we will continue to positively impact these young lives with this opportunity for an education.

I would have never guessed, 25 years ago, that becoming a studio owner in rural Missouri would lead me down this path of servant leadership.  But now I can see an impact far greater than my biggest dreams.  Taking Shape has truly formed my “why” in life; I hope it can do the same for you!

"When you are gifted much, much is expected of you" - A young souls perspective of Haiti

Check out a story from our Taking Shape STAR Leader, Savanah Wozny

Meet Davidson and Evanston! These twelve year old boys love to show off and are quite the acrobats! They are two of the orphans that live at Lephare Orphanage in Port au Prince, Haiti and attend our Taking Shape leadership and performing arts camps. Both times that I have been teaching our mission camps to these children I have been truly amazed at their raw talent. Some of the things they can do are things I have been training years for! They flip, walk on their hands, and can headstand all day long; on dirt and rock, mind you! There are no mats in the streets of Haiti!

I really became attached to these two boys as I saw how they loved to perform and how much strength they have. I seriously can’t believe how naturally talented these kids are! Both of these boys are always wanting to play and jump around. There is never a time that these two boys didn’t want to kick a soccer ball around for hours, or flip their bodies around the orphanages concrete or gravel floors. They just love being active and love having an audience.

I especially love these boys because both of them are never phased by the cool technology (our phones and iPads) we bring to the children to play with after a long day of camp. Because the kids never get the chance to play with technology, they are amazed with our electronics. Davidson and Evanston, however, could care less about the electronics; they just want to play even after a long day of camp! I have never seen these two boys with my iPad or phone in their hands. They are constantly wanting to play soccer, tag or they simply just want to be held and given attention to. It makes my heart grow a little bit bigger when I see these two boys because they value our worth and they personally love us, not what we bring for entertainment.

In December, I will travel back to Haiti to teach my fourth leadership camp with these kids. We started with just a team of 3 people; myself, my mom and my cousin Sam. Now, we are taking a team of 18, with the majority of us being college students. How awesome is that! I can’t wait to show the new mission campers what these kids have to offer. The love they share, the gratitude they show, and the trust they have in me and in Taking Shape, is so inspiring. I can’t wait to see how Haiti affects the other campers on this trip and how their lives will change.

Usually people ask me, “How was your trip to Haiti?” Most of the time my answer is, “It’s just something I can’t even explain, you just have to go and experience it yourself.” It’s incredible how you go into a mission trip like this thinking you’re going to help these kids, but in reality every time I leave, I discover that these kids help me. They have made me a stronger leader, they have taught me how to be grateful for what I have and to understand what is in important in life. These kids are more like siblings to me, and there is no greater feeling than being loved by them and their solid gold souls. We certainly learn from each other. ♥️

Savanah Wozny- Taking Shape STAR Leader

If you feel moved to give click here we would love to hit our goal this #givingtuesday to help our December mission trip!

Developing Trust as a Gen Z Leader

This month in our STAR Leadership program we have been focusing on the importance of building TRUST as a successful leader. Today, it seems more than ever, we can get confused about what a true leader is. We may believe that a leader is someone who has the most friends, has the most likes on a post, or even has the most views on a video. We can confuse leadership with popularity, and one doesn't necessarily equate to the other. Being a successful leader requires trust between the leader and those who follow. Not blind trust, but deep seeded faith in the leader and his or her decision-making ability. It is trust that is not earned by votes or fans. Our STAR Leaders dove deep into the following character values that are pertinent to establishing trust as a leader: Integrity Integrity means doing the right thing, no matter the consequences. Some have said it is doing the right thing even when no one is watching. It is having standards, even higher standards than most and living up to them. Generation Z is already more purpose-driven and that is a good baseline for integrity. Maintaining integrity involves making the right decisions more often. When one has an ability to determine who is authentic and who is fake, it helps weed out those who may be a threat to integrity. Honesty Honesty starts with being your true self. It is dishonest to try to be someone you are not or to say things to get attention or approval. It actually can be a relief to not have to hide who you really are. Honesty is being honest in your actions and being upfront with what you believe. Keep in mind, however, hurting people through actions or words is not a sign of honesty in leadership. Honesty can also be earned by being unselfish and having a focus on others. It can be strengthened by being empathetic and creating habits of being a good listener. Loyalty Loyalty takes commitment and perseverance. It is earned through consistency in the values listed above, integrity and honesty. Consistency is an area that is difficult for Gen Zers as they live in a digital, social and mobile world where they are used to getting quick results. If results don’t happen quick, this generation has trouble sticking with it. The good news however is that Generation Z leans towards more conservative and traditional values. With the right guidance and support system, these kids can strengthen their values in loyalty by creating solid habits consistently and seeing the value in their results. Reliability Reliability is earned and established by a pattern of consistent behavior. Reliability is living up to commitments even when you don't want to. It is doing what you say you are going to do. It is being timely. When people can count on you, you are building the foundation as a leader. There are no “cheats”, hacks or shortcuts. Every day there are opportunities, some big and some small, to exercise reliability as a true leader. As an educator and parent of the kids of Generation Z, I have found that they are like sponges. When exposed to these character values in the way they receive information, they get excited. The “light bulb” comes on and they love to jump into conversation on their experiences and ideas. I am so optimistic of this amazing generation! What they need from us as adults is for us to serve as a compass. We can take responsibility for our next generation of leaders and provide opportunities, examples, and guidance. We can all then, have renewed faith in our future.

August 2018 - Day 6 - Haiti Mission Trip

Final day in Haiti with our camp and team. What a week it has been!

We checked out of the guest house and loaded up like Sanford and Son in our tap tap. A final goodbye to our guest house and on the road to our final "party" day at camp.

Today was a day of showcasing everything we learned during our camp, letting the children do any special songs or dances that they had made up on their own. Oh and guess what?! Bob was back for the party! Check Bob out chasing the chicken during the showcase.

We finished the camp celebrated with a meal of chicken and rice and fruit punch. Our team got to hand out several prizes for our "superstar" students of the week and everyone left with a Taking Shape book bag full of school supplies to start the new school season. A huge thank you to Showcase Dance Studio and OBX the Studio Karma Kids program for the generous back to school donations.
Also a HUGE thank you to the amazing translators and volunteers from Cepras and their president Benson Jean. Benson is also an extremely talented photographer and captured the pure essence of our camp this week! 

We left the camp after a huge water balloon fight and many hugs and goodbyes that we will return next year.

A last hour stop at Lephare to eat lunch and pick up Greg before we left for our flight. Look what Greg completed while we were at camp all week!  A gazebo for shade and shelter for the orphanage children and a resting area for our future mission campers that will be housed at Lephare during our next camp this December. The materials for this project were donated by Leo Perez from Lee Summit, MO. 

What a week it has been. A week of growth with our team, relationships with so many wonderful people in Haiti and love in our heart! It is always hard to say goodbye but we will be back soon. Until next time in December our friends!! We learn more from you than you learn from us!

August 2018 - Day 5 - Haiti Mission Trip

Today is a day off from camp. We have scheduled a water truck delivery in the mountains of Titanyen, Haiti where after the 2010 earthquake many survivors went to the mountains to live but do not have access to running water. Many other missionaries in Haiti are part of water truck delivery where you purchase a semi tank of water and hire a driver to deliver it the area needing water. Teams meet up with the water truck and help disperse and carry water that comes out of a huge hose.

What an experience this was! The road up the mountain was gravel and dirt with several 2-3 foot holes every couple yards and our vehicles were stick shift, which even made it even more of an interesting challenge. The homes up the mountain ranged from 20 x 20 shacks made of tin to small tents made of canvas and sticks. We finally arrive at the top of the mountain to meet the water truck that hadn't made it yet. As we got out of our tap tap we saw many young Haitian kids come from their homes to greet us, they knew we were coming with water! Since the truck hadn't arrived yet we passed the time with some teenage Haitian boys from the mountain who played a round of basketball and soccer with Sammy, Ben and Davidson on a playground area that was built from another American missionary group. Alongside of the basketball game, Beana was greeted by young girls from the neighborhood who gave her some fancy hairdos!

Water truck finally arrived and things starting getting CRAZY! People came running from everywhere with their buckets for water. The water truck driver jumped out of the truck and filled big barrels with water. Many Haitian women were in a frenzy to help scoop out the water into the 5 gallon buckets for the children and other members of their family to carry to their house. Our job was to help carry them to their home. This was certainly a work out! Insanely amazed that some of these young children could carry this water further than we could.

During the water transport we also had kits of baby items such as diapers, soap, clothes and washcloths that we handed out to the families. The baby items were donated from Crystal's generous families of Showcase Dance Studio! Another set of donation were flip flops that came from Malia Casner and many ladies from Carrollton, MO. This was a sight! We decided to distribute these from the tap tap like we were setting up "shop" and the swarm quickly came. So many children needing shoes. Our tap tap van was a popular place for about 10 minutes until we ran out.

This was a gratifying day for the team as we left feeling like we really did valuable work but oh, was it heartbreaking!  Shoes and water, something we so easily take for granted, were such a scarcity among the Haitians living in these mountains.

We finished our day at the beautiful Wahoo Beach with our team!

August 2018 - Day 4 - Haiti Mission Trip

It's Thursday and another full day at Cepras.  Our tap-tap rolled out from the guest house at 8:30 am to head to camp. The drive is one of our favorite parts. Everyone is Haiti has a purpose, they are all up and doing something. It may be to set up a couple of milk crates to sell bananas or it may be a walk across town, dodging the crazy traffic, just to visit a family member. Everyone here has a definite mission!

We arrived at camp, greeted with all of the kids who were behind the gate waiting for the entire team with hugs and high fives!  It was so fun to see them proudly wear their SDA passport lanyards and sunglasses we gave out to them the past several days.

Today our surprise activities included Sumo wrestling with inflatable inner tubes, dream catchers for arts and crafts and a group dance to Cotton Eye Joe. Oh and we can't forget the younger kids got to put on a show with some fancy costumes!

We were a little sad at the beginning of camp because we didn't see Bob today but found out that he was so wiped out from the last two camp days before that he overslept. Bob needed some rest!

After the third day of camp it was so neat to see the growth of these kids not only in their activities and skills, but the relationships and friendships they were building among each other. The children of Cepras live a good 20 minute tap -tap drive from the children of Lephare orphanage. These kids are  brought together only by our camp. Very grateful that they have had this experience together this week making friends.

We finished the day with a drive up the mountains of Haiti for a delicious dinner and incredible view over the entire country of Haiti. What a beautiful country!

August 2018 - Day 3 - Haiti Mission Trip

Meayla on the mic!

Up and at it again for Day 3 of our week and the second day of our camp. Today we started our camp out with each child coming up to the microphone, saying their name and telling us what they wanted to be when they grew up. This was a confidence builder for many kids as some where a little shy but others had no trouble taking the mic, especially 2 year old Meayla! She can't speak clearly yet but oh boy, can she sing! As the rest of the kids took the mic, we heard a lot of aspirations to be doctors, football players (football in Haiti means soccer) and pastors. Pretty cool!

"Bob" and Beana

Have I mentioned how AWESOME our team is! Beth and Beana are rocking the crafts. So far we have made aluminum foil figurines, jeweled fish puppets to go along with Beth's bible stories and tie dye flowers from coffee filters. Kids of every age here love to create and it is amazing how detailed and focused they are in their work.

Ben, Sam and Isaac keep the sports and games going on with soccer, baseball and a team challenge of using a bed sheet. Meanwhile, Crystal continues to be a rockstar in the the gravel dance floor area teaching hip hop and a creative improvisational game where the kids made letters with their bodies.

Older boys of the camp making the letter "K"

Oh, and there is this funny little 2 year old guy here we named "Bob" who we later found out is really named Marcus. We didn't know where "Bob" came from for the first couple of days. He just showed up and wouldn't tell us his name so we named him "Bob". After a couple of days a couple kids that knew him kept telling us "no, his name Marcus." So Beth said, "Oh, Bon Jour Marcus!"  He looked at Beth and pointed to himself and said "Bob, Bob, Bob." I think he likes his new name! Bob has brought a lot of humor to this camp. He is a wild crazy kid who spends his time running around chasing the wild chickens that sometimes come through the camp.

Smore time at Lephare

We returned back to Lephare to drop the kids off and had time for a smore party with the neighborhood. This has turned into an annual event as we taught them this last year when we visited. Funny how excited the kids got when we pulled out the smore supplies. They knew exactly what we were doing!

Fritznel, our awesome dance translator, and Crystal!

Overall, another great day building relationships with these kids, this team and this community. It is so evident that these children are so hungry for organized, social and physical activity. They are creative, athletic, fun and full of energy. Ready for tomorrow!