Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Sorensen.
Hi Michelle, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
I first discovered bellydance 15 years ago. I had no prior dance experience as a youth, so beginning as an adult felt daunting, yet I was determined. I started by taking 1 class per week, which gradually became 2 and then 3. At this point, it was still a hobby, but I was very much obsessed. After 4 years of flitting about between different stylizations of bellydance, I was casually asked if I would teach a beginner class. I said yes, thinking nothing of it. After teaching, word spread about how much the individuals who took the class enjoyed it! It was never my original intent to turn dance instruction into a career, but my life took an unexpected turn in that direction. Fast forward to 2014 and I received my first inquiry about teaching internationally. My first trip out of the country to teach was in Argentina, and that snowballed into a solid 5 years of touring and teaching all over the world. Most of my teaching opportunities came from word of mouth and my online presence through Instagram, which I am beyond grateful for. When the pandemic hit, I moved all my instruction online, and now focus on a hybrid of both in-person and online instruction. I’m excited that later this year my travel picks back up again!
I have also added personal training and fitness instruction to my repertoire in the past few years, and that has added a fresh perspective on my dance training, mobility, and strength focus.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Some of the struggles I have faced and still face as a working artist is constant rejection and undercutting of my work. Many people think that because I do what I “love” then I shouldn’t be charging the prices that I do. Art is undervalued and underappreciated, and I very much am working to change those outdated ideas.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am most widely known for my stylized version of fusion bellydance which blends traditional Raqs Sharqi with more modern iterations of dance, such as waving, popping/locking, contemporary, and hip-hop influences.
I am most proud of my ability to pivot with trends, while still holding on to my passions and not selling myself short. It takes an individual who is not only creative, but business-minded to make those shifts and do them well.
What sets me apart from many is my ability to cue movement in a way that is understood by a majority, even if they don’t have a dance background. I think coming from a place of zero body awareness and building it in myself from the ground up has played a huge part in me understanding where others are also beginning from.
How do you define success?
My definition of success has changed over the years and now is built upon the idea of happiness and fulfillment. Money is nice, but I know from personal experience that focusing solely on my income level with little regard for what brings me true joy, has been a detriment to my artistic voyage. I’m learning to ride the waves of the financial unknown while also making sure I’m nurturing my wildness and pleasure in creation.
Pricing:
- Pricing varies according to offering, but most of my classes range between $10-$45 each depending on the length and style.
- Private lessons/training and private parties are $150/hr minimum.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thevelveteenserpent.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/velveteen.serpent.queen
- Facebook: Facebook.com/Michelle.belly.dance
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCLhIW7Dpn1LaUIFKRiJ0IrA
Image Credits
Kel-Z Photography
Slc Pix
The Time Machine
