Talking to Awesome People: “Michelle Gonçalves” & Feminine Power Fusion
Jul 26, 2019We're talking to Awesome People today!
Our guest is Michelle Gonçalves, founder and owner of Feminine Power Fusion in North Miami Beach (links & info about her at the end of this blog post).
As a fellow Brazilian, I'm so happy to see her flourish in the U. S. and to witness how powerfully and gracefully she has been walking her amazing path. Michelle is a real life inspiration and example for women.
I was very honored to be in her space yesterday to talk about the Sacred Feminine! Check out our social media channels to see it!
Here are some of the highlights of our interview below:
Michelle, the first thing I want to ask you is what really inspired you to move from Brazil to the United States? And then what motivated you to take this leap of faith and create this beautiful studio?
I think the first thing that inspired me to come here is because when I was a kid, I lost my father when I was eight years old because of a robbery. So for me it was really difficult to live in Brazil. I was always scared to walk on the streets. So the most important thing was the quality of the life here. I wanted something different from São Paulo. where you can't wear anything, you have to worry about it all the time. You can't go to the groceries, you can't walk around safely. And you get used to it, this is the thing about Brazil, right? So I wanted something different, and I wanted to learn English. So that's why we moved here. I was married at the time.
So you moved from Brazil for the safety and the life quality, and then when you got to the United States, it's a very different life. Because your family's not here. I'm not sure if you had a lot of friends.
No.
How was your experience settling here?
It was really, really hard, but I'm really grateful because this country taught me a lot. I learned from the basics how to treat people, and how to work with different things. Because when we get here, we are like anybody, you have to start from zero. It doesn’t matter what you were doing Brazil. If I was in fashion studies in Brazil, I had to get started all over again. So it was really good, yes, I learned a lot, but it was difficult because all my friends were in Brazil. It just had me and my ex-husband and my two dogs.
So it was a little lonely in the beginning, but you weren't working with the Sacred Feminine at the time as intensely as you are now, right?
Yeah. Right.
So what did you work with? Was it fashion?
Yes, I was in image consulting. I worked as a makeup artist and I always loved dance since I was two. And I always had Feminine Fusion as a project that I now have the courage to pursue because I never imagined that I was able to become a teacher and especially to be on the spotlight. I was really difficult for me to be on the spotlight even in classes. I'm shy. If you know me, I'm just not shy in class, but I am shy.
Incredible! So you were very familiar with makeup and beauty, and fashion. When I met you, you a stylist, right? I remember the day I met you - I still have that Jacket! (it's the one I'm wearing in the intro of the video in this blog post). But you were always passionate about dancing, and you would take classes, and then you became an instructor in another studio. So what really sparked your joy, or your courage, to create your own space - and why?
Because I just realized that not in any other place I could really show what I'm doing right now. It is not just about dance, it's about the Feminine energy. Feminine Power Fusion is not just a dance class, it's about reconnecting with yourself. It's self-love. It's when you look in the mirror and accept the way you are.
It's much more than the dance class and other dance studios. It's deep and powerful and an inspiration for women who want to start their own business and to give it their name, and face, and brand. But so many of us just are scared of it. So as an inspiration on the business level, it takes courage to do it on your own. Do you have any partners?
No, it's just me!
And you have a message. And you turned that message into a business and a space that goes beyond just dancing. You want to go deeper into the feminine and the soul. So what kind of activities do you offer?
We have the Feminine Fusion Classes, Brazilian Feminine Fusion, Latin Feminine Fusion. The music changes, but it's all about the (Sacral) Chakra, the hip movement. We move a lot. So that's why I created the Method with the Ball as well. In Feminine Fusion I combine different styles of dance in the same class. We use a lot of props, like the chair, and the skirt and the tie. Every week I bring something different to help them bring out their sensuality.
So it's about bringing out your feminine power, your sensuality, your self-esteem, and self-love.
Of course. And we also have the Ballet Fitness Class to help you tone without weights, using just the weight of your body. It's a great class. And we have Yoga, it's helped me a lot too.
And now you’re starting with this project of the Sacred Feminine and bringing other people here to talk about the soul?
We're going to have a different person coming every month.
When we talk about the Sacred Feminine, I believe it's very much about Nature and connection with the body, feelings and self expression, right? So what would you suggest to people that want to connect to their feminine energy and to their love?
Connect more with yourself. Connecting with yourself, going deeper and observing your thoughts, knowing yourself, and being surrounded by good people and good energy and people that help you.
Which is one of the main reasons why you created the space, right? To bring women to a safe space where they can meet other women and have that inspiration and connection with the sacred feminine. Do you think people do not really want to connect to their true selves?
No, it's really, really hard for them. When I ask them to look to themselves in the mirror, some girls start crying or they start laughing because it's really hard to move them into this space of self-connection. It takes classes and classes for them to feel like they can look at themselves the way that they really are. And I always say I wish they could look at themselves with my eyes.
Because it would be the eyes of the Higher Self, right? The eyes of love and self-love.
Yes. And I always talk about myself because I was obese. People always think I was like a Barbie my whole life, but I lost more than a hundred pounds. So if we want to do something, we have to dedicate ourselves, we just have to commit.
You see what an example this is. She lost a hundred pounds and now she is an inspiration for women to be beautiful on the inside, love themselves and show the world how beautiful they are inside and out. It's not just the body, it's not just the soul. It's the fusion of body, soul, and spirit. This is amazing. Thank you so much, Michelle! You really are an inspiration.