Today we’d like to introduce you to Magdalena Piekarz.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
It all started with my failed interview to play an instrument at the local music school in Poland. The dance classes my mom signed me up for right after were supposed to teach me how to hear the beat. They for sure did that and so much more… As 30+ years later, I am still dancing and love sharing my passion for dance with others. Especially, those who can’t hear the beat or believe that they have two left feet.
Those are my favorites.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
At the age of 19, I found myself in NYC with $200 and no friends or family around. My positive outlook on life, willingness to bet on myself and a big dose of ignorance turned my 3 weeks stay into 20 years now.
Culture shock, language barrier, and limited funds have definitely presented many fast opportunities for growth. But as they say about NYC ” If you can make it here you can make it anywhere.” I am definitely proof of that. Teaching at the most prestigious studios in Manhattan quickly developed my competitive edge and made me unstoppable for all my new dance adventures ahead.
It allowed me to appear on stage in front of global audiences, earning a place as a finalist on the PBS show “America’s Ballroom Challenge”, Dancing with the Stars, and placing 4th in the 2008 World Championship Finals. I was also featured on television programs with Ellen DeGeneres and Tony Danza before retiring and moving to Palm Coast.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Elite Dance and Travel – Premier Social Club located in Roma Court, Palm Coast, FL. A place where sophisticated couples and singles socialize. We specialize in teaching adults to social ballroom dance through private lessons, group lessons, and dance parties. Our mission is to fill up dance floors around the world with happy and confident couples.
What separates Elite Dance and Travel from other dance studios is that it provides a completely fun, social, and non-threatening environment that can lead to travel opportunities or social events right at our elegant ballroom. We love learning about the origin of the dance, trying the basic steps of it, and then traveling to the destination where it was originated.
Just like we are doing right where we are about to go to Argentina to learn more about the culture and history of the Argentinian Tango. Some of the upcoming trips include group cruises to Alaska, Vienna, and Rio de Janeiro. We get 90% of new clients from referrals because people love dancing and traveling with us.
Through dance, we focus on connecting versus competing with each other. Remember: Life begins at the end of your comfort zone!!! So let’s dance, let’s party, and let’s travel!
How can people work with you, collaborate with you, or support you?
We specialize in working with beginners as well as seasoned dancers. The best part of my day is always seeing someone walk in and being hesitant or even afraid of looking foolish and within less than an hour to watch them dancing out with the biggest smile on their faces.
We always offer a complimentary private lesson so everyone in privacy could try it for themselves. And hopefully, see that dancing can be easy and fun. We also always are on the lookout for new talent to join our professional team.
It is a very unique opportunity as it allows someone to dance and travel for a living.
Pricing:
- $2800 + Alaska Cruise + Ballroom Dance course On Cunard.
- $99 Private Ballroom & Latin Dance Lesson.
- $ 15 Social Party and Group Class.
- $6990 Land Based Argentina Trip + Argentinian Tango Course.
- $ 20 Live Music Latin Night.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@elitedanceandtravel.com
- Website: www.elitedanceandtravel.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanceandTravelClub
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCToAurG7_t0RvDyZ19RZdDA.
