Michèle Bowles

Serves Massapequa Park, NY

35244

Hired 51 times

1 employee

26 years in business

$85/lesson

5.0

This pro accepts payments via Cash.

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Credentials

Background Check

Michele Bowles
Completed on 12/3/2018

Introduction

Michèle Bowles has been teaching Latin and Ballroom Partner Dancing since 1990. She has a wide range of experience and loves choreographing Wedding Dances! She can come to you in Queens or Long Island. Michèle Bowles loves opening up the world of Partner Dancing to beginners! No one is born knowing how to dance, everyone must learn! It is the perfect exercise for your mind and your body, and is the best way to prevent Alzheimer's Disease! You will feel like a new person after a dance lesson! Then you're ready to tap into your inner peace. Michèle Bowles has been practicing yoga since 1999 and has been teaching Ashtanga yoga since 2016. Come and stretch those tense muscles and keep them flexible! Relieve your stress and calm your mind. Michèle Bowles is also certified as a Fitness Instructor, specializing in Latin Dance Cardio Workouts. Line Dancing is another of her specialties.

Q&A

What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?

Discounts are offered for packages that are paid up front. Travel over 25 miles incurs $15 extra per lesson. Full price for one 45 minute lesson - $85

What is your typical process for working with a new customer?

On the first lesson we will discuss what they would like to get out of their dancing. Do you want to be a good social dancer? Do you want to be a competitor? Are you getting married? When is the wedding, where is the venue, what size is the dance floor, what shoes and dress are you wearing? They begin to learn how to dance. After seeing how the student learns, I can then make an educated recommendation of how long I think it will take the student to achieve their goal!

What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?

A degree in Dance from LCC/MSU. Certified through Fred Astaire Dance Studios, Inc. to teach Bronze and Silver levels of Ballroom and Latin Dance. Extensive training in lifts and Argentine Tango. Certified through Shape Up NYC as a Fitness Instructor. Yoga training in Ashtanga, Restorative, Iyengar, and Pilates techniques.

How did you get started doing this type of work?

I started taking ballet lessons at age 3. My brother and I were dance partners living in Paris. We moved to New York and I started the Teacher Training Program being offered through Fred Astaire Dance Studios, Inc. The rest is dance history! I started training for Yoga in 1999. I became interested in Yoga and have trained in many different styles of Yoga since then! I wanted to put my dance training to use in different areas, so in 2018 became certified to teach Fitness Classes!

What types of customers have you worked with?

I have taught children from elementary to high school age in public and charter schools during school hours and after-school programs. I have taught summer dance camps as well. I have taught wedding couples, married couples, males, females, singles, and competitors. I have taught people as young as 4 and as old as 85.

Describe a recent project you are fond of. How long did it take?

I donated 7 years of my time doing a yearly fundraiser for the Boys and Girls Club of Sunnyside/Woodside and Astoria. The fundraiser was called Dancing with the Community Stars and Pro Dancers would be teamed up with local Community Leaders such as Teachers, Police, Firefighters, Political Figures, and Religious Role Models. Everyone donated their time for two months learning a dance. The dances would be performed at a culminating event. Whoever raised the most money through donations was the winner!

What advice would you give a customer looking to hire a provider in your area of work?

Be sure that your private lesson is one on one in a private room, not a room shared with other private lessons going on at the same time!

What questions should customers think through before talking to professionals about their project?

If it's a wedding, the pro will need the layout of the dance floor and room the dance will be performed in. The pro will need to have the students dance in shoes they will be dancing in for their wedding dance. The size of the bride's gown will have to be taken into account. (Too straight and she won't be able to take big steps; too full and the man may step on it or get it caught between his legs!) How much time will you need to prepare? You should start dance lessons at least three months before the wedding date. If it's not for a wedding, I'll need to know what the student's objective for taking dance lessons is.