~TEACHING PHILOSOPHY~
I believe in movement to be the most important sole connection to oneself. How we literally move through the world and communicate with ourselves and others with trust, tolerance, respect, and love builds our realities and current state of being. Every student deserves to be taught an abundance of knowledge whether it be technical or emotional, so that they have all the tools to make choices in every moment of movement. Why and how we dance is as equally important as technique. Building on healthy foundations of thought, leaves room for a safe space to explore, create, and push ourselves and students to reach above and beyond.
Class Description:
Michele’s contemporary class focuses on dynamic diversity, quality, mental awareness, and discovery and growth of one’s artistic self. The class challenges dancers of all levels and backgrounds to continually find new opportunities.
Michele guides dancers to find fluidity, stability, and sensitivity. As we investigate our natural bodies, the dancers are led to feel the weight of how bodies move sequentially and sporadically with-in and outside the constrains of choreography. Michele’s constant curiosity of how to throw the body off balance and on new points of center, aids dancers in moving beyond their implied range of movement.
“ find trust in your journey to achieving,”
The class begins with a quick series of guided active meditation, followed by floor work to find how different body parts other than feet support the body entirely. Modern technique staples such as contractions and release work are merged into a step progressive center where you’ll find the upper body floating over terminology of ballet in the lower body.
Now that the dancers are fully stretched, we move across the floor with combinations, to put into play the 3 key focuses of the warm up: Groundedness, fluidity, and replacing our centers. Here, the dancer has a foundation to return to as well as let go of. Michele uses countering movements to challenge the dancers to move past their extremities, all while finding support from opposing body parts while moving in and out of the floor, leaping, and turning.
The class rounds out as it finishes with phrase work to bring forth a stronger play in creation and vulnerability. Challenging the dancers to memorize steps, intention within movement, yet holding onto each element emphasized leading up to this point. Each phrase is built on the foundation of changing where center is in a dances body, and being present while dancing to execute dynamics, musicality, and freedom to find new opportunities within the blue print of movement given.
In every class Michele encourages dancers to: let go of what we all know to be dance and to go with the flow, to find trust in your journey to achieving, and to be forgiving to yourselves. Michele reinsures each creative choice is not ever wrong, to live in your glory, and to know the studio is a safe space to explore and be your truest self.
~ Michele also has a bfa in ballet pedagogy, specializes in teaching bALLET, POINTE, jazz, tap, partnering, improvisation, and musical theater. ~
Student Testimonials
“I thought Ms. Lee’s class was very productive and challenging at the same time. She pushed us to explore new challenges in ballet that can improve our technique. I learned that my body has way more potential than what I’m putting forth, and that I should push myself physically and mentally more than I usually do. The different barre routines and across the floors were very familiar, on a regular day we do movements and routines that are very similar. In the end she taught me something about myself. ”
“Overall I really enjoyed her class because she encouraged us to push ourselves. Her personality made me feel as though I was one her own students and I felt very welcomed.”