competitions she has accumulated over 1,000 medals consisting of 1st to 4th placing. Michelle's last competition was at the National Championships in Vancouver 1997, where she placed 11th internationally and retired from competition to teach dancing.
Michelle has participated in dancing workshops in London with world wide known teachers and adjudicators. She has performed with Colin Dunn (ex-lead male dancer of Riverdance), well-known bands such as The Chieftans, The Irish Rovers, The Paperboys, The Sabir Sisters', Tiller's Folly, winner of 'Group of the Year' at the BC Country Music Awards 2000, and Natalie MacMaster.
Some of Michelle's dancing experience over the years also includes:
Molson Canadian Beer Commercial SO WEIRD TV Productions
Merritt Mountain Music Festival "Ready to Wear" fashion show
Canada Place Vicky Gaboreau Show
Timmy's Telethon Pan Pacific
GENIE Awards BC Country Music Awards
NHL association dinner party APEC
Whistler concerts PNE
Vancouver Club Westin Bay Shore
Queen Elizabeth Theatre Plaza of Nations
Bentall Centre EXPO
Trade & Convention Centre Commodore
Home Show- BC Stadium Capilano Suspension Bridge
Renaissance Fair BC's Fiddling Championships
As well as numerous performances for private/corporate functions, weddings, hospital/extended care facilities, and pubs/clubs.
Michelle volunteered three years teaching (along side her teacher Violet Moore) at The Kiwassa Neighborhood House in Vancouver in her teens. She has spent the last 11 years teaching on her own. She has done workshop classes in Penticton, Surrey, Port Moody, and Burnaby for hundreds of students.
As of September 2001, Michelle became a certified teacher (TCRG) through the Irish Dancing Commission. She is registered with the Western Canadian Irish Dance Teachers’ Association, the North American Irish Dance Teachers’ Association, and with An Coimisiun le Rinci Gaelacha (The Irish Dancing Commission in Ireland). She now has over 150 students belonging to her very own school.
Michelle’s philosophy towards Irish dancing is to ‘dance like no one is watching’. Students learn not only how to develop their natural dancing abilities, but to build self-confidence and poise. They are encouraged to enjoy and express themselves through the art of dance, while increasing their self-esteem and discipline. Michelle is extremely passionate about her dancing and instructing. Her enthusiasm show’s through the encouragement she gives each student, inspiring them to excel both at Irish dancing and as individuals. She accredits her success to her long time teacher, mentor, and friend, Violet Moore ADCRG.
Paula started dancing at the age of 3. She began with the art of Jazz, Tap and Musical Theatre and later added Ballet, Lyrical Jazz, Modern and Hip Hop. With these forms of dance, Paula competed locally and nationally, won numerous awards and scholarships, participated in various workshops within North America and performed at many events like Expo 86, the Councilor’s Ball and The Wedding Fair (Vancouver). Her talents have also landed her some roles as a Special Skills Extra in some TV series and films such as Breaker High, Police Academy the TV Series, Drive She Said, and The Greg Louganis Story to name a few. Paula started assistant teaching in Jazz and Tap when she was 13 years old. She was then offered to teach her own classes a few years later and has been instructing since.
Paula eventually discovered a form of dance she had not yet mastered, the art of Irish dancing. Once she saw Riverdance, the movie, and later went to see Michael Flatley perform in Lord of the Dance (Vancouver), she was in total awe of this form of dance and had to start taking lessons. In 1999, she started taking a recreational class in Langley with Michelle Kilby as her instructor. June of 2000 was her first competition of which, to her amazement, placed in all of her dances. Michelle then encouraged Paula to start taking a second class a week in Abbotsford to better her technique and help her move higher in the levels of Irish dancing. Since then, she has been to many competitions and is now a Championship Irish Dancer.
This is Paula’s 5th year of instructing Irish dance under the supervision of Michelle Bond, TCRG. Combined with Paula’s knowledge of injury prevention, pedagogy and various techniques of other forms of dance, she feels she can offer students a wonderful, safe and healthy atmosphere in Irish dance. Paula takes her own classes 3 times a week and is at the highest level of Open Championship dancer. She competes yearly at the North American Nationals & World Championships.
Assistant;
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Michelle began Irish dancing at the age of four with the Violet Moore School of Irish Dance. She has been competing at the highest level of dance since the age of eleven and qualified for the World Irish Dancing Championships every year since then placing between 1st and 4th. Michelle has participated in National and International competitions in such places as Vancouver, Victoria, Seattle, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Toronto, Fort McMurray, Boston, San Diego, Orlando, California, and Ireland. Her awards for championships have totaled twenty-five 1st, fourteen 2nds, and nine 3rds. For solo and group
Paula Swidzinski - assistant instructor
Michelle Bond, TCRG
