Michele Morris

Michele Morris loves to dance!!  Though a “late-bloomer”, starting dance in her latter high school years, she has embraced jazz, modern, tap, hip-hip, Ballroom and Latin Dance.  As a dancer/choreographer, Michele has worked, domestically and internationally, with the following professional companies: Tony Powell Music and Movement, Cross Currents Dance Company, City Dance Ensemble, JazzDanz DC, The Catholic University Ballroom Dance Team, the DC Salseros, DC Mambo,  the Jill Roberts Tap Ensemble, and the Dance Place Moving Company.   She is currently performing with Jam Crew, Crossroads Dance Project and several independent projects.   In addition to being a Joy of Motion faculty member, Ms. Morris teaches Latin dance (mambo, cha cha, rumba, salsa) and swing/lindyhop in the D.C. metro area, and works as a jazz and tap dance coach in the musical theatre arena.   Michele has also served as an adjudicator in various professional dance auditions and competitions.

Ms. Morris has been teaching cardio kickboxing in the Washington D.C. area since the Spring of 1998. She has studied under both local and nationally-renowned martial artists/boxers such as Grand Master Kareem Ali Abdul-Jabbar, Robert Kelly, Eduardo Perez, Terrell Waller, the Finley Boxing Club staff, and the Krav Maga trainers at the Fighters’ Garage.   Ms. Morris is an ACE-certified fitness instructor, teaching a variety of classes throughout the DC Metropolitan area at Gold’s Gym, Thomas Circle Sports Club, The Fitness Company, Joy of Motion Dance Center, the White House Athletic Center, Catholic University, the Rowley Training Center and the Army Materiel Command Fitness Center.   She is currently the Vice-Chair of the White House Athletic Center Board of Directors, of which she has been an elected member for three years.

Michele shares her love for the arts, music, and movement with the community.  She directs training for the D.A.R.E.® Dance program, designing and conducting workshops for professional dancers and instructors throughout the country who want to provide dance as a positive alternative to drugs and violence for the youth.   She has also done dance and movement work with the elderly and Alzheimer’s patients in suburban Maryland and works as a general consultant in fitness and nutrition for individuals throughout the DC area.