Michelle Neufeldt and Pierie Danysk
Owners & Instructors.
The success of our company is a true testament that women are stronger when they build each other up. In 2011, Pierie attended a Zumba class being taught by Michelle. Little did we know that this decision would set our lives on a new course. Within weeks we began teaching together, added classes and expanded our community.
Zumba was the gift that brought us and our community together but, like all things, we began to crave change. We researched many different options, but nothing fit. So we did what all strong, driven and talented women would do. In 2014, we created and launched DanceSTRONG Fitness.
Michelle Neufeldt is excited to announce the completion of the Nutrition Specialist Program through the American Council on Exercise. She is thrilled to add Nutritional Coaching to her Personal Training and Coaching. Michelle is an avid outdoor enthusiast: Mountain biker, backcountry hiker, rafter and skier. She has also spent most of her life teaching, leading and coaching. She was a Social worker for high-risk youth, a Child Development Advisor, and a Supervisor for group care homes. Her greatest love is people and finding ways to help them be better each day. Most importantly, Michelle has a lovely husband Jeff, a free style skiing fifteen year old son and an assertive daughter who loves to cheer!
Pierie Danysk has 10 years of ballet training and 20 years experience as a competitive Highland Dancer. In the Highland Dancing world, she won many Championship titles, trained several National and International champions, and successfully completed the requirements to become an adjudicator with the Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing. Her choreographic skills are well recognized Nationally and Internationally as she choreographed the winning choreographies at the Canadian Open Highland Dancing Championships for several years running. Pierie is married with two awesome boys. Outside of dance and fitness, Pierie enjoys golfing, puzzling, cooking and getting away from Calgary in the winter whenever possible. Pierie is very modest about her success and achievements, except when it comes to her Pinball scores in University.
Owners & Instructors.
The success of our company is a true testament that women are stronger when they build each other up. In 2011, Pierie attended a Zumba class being taught by Michelle. Little did we know that this decision would set our lives on a new course. Within weeks we began teaching together, added classes and expanded our community.
Zumba was the gift that brought us and our community together but, like all things, we began to crave change. We researched many different options, but nothing fit. So we did what all strong, driven and talented women would do. In 2014, we created and launched DanceSTRONG Fitness.
Michelle Neufeldt is excited to announce the completion of the Nutrition Specialist Program through the American Council on Exercise. She is thrilled to add Nutritional Coaching to her Personal Training and Coaching. Michelle is an avid outdoor enthusiast: Mountain biker, backcountry hiker, rafter and skier. She has also spent most of her life teaching, leading and coaching. She was a Social worker for high-risk youth, a Child Development Advisor, and a Supervisor for group care homes. Her greatest love is people and finding ways to help them be better each day. Most importantly, Michelle has a lovely husband Jeff, a free style skiing fifteen year old son and an assertive daughter who loves to cheer!
Pierie Danysk has 10 years of ballet training and 20 years experience as a competitive Highland Dancer. In the Highland Dancing world, she won many Championship titles, trained several National and International champions, and successfully completed the requirements to become an adjudicator with the Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing. Her choreographic skills are well recognized Nationally and Internationally as she choreographed the winning choreographies at the Canadian Open Highland Dancing Championships for several years running. Pierie is married with two awesome boys. Outside of dance and fitness, Pierie enjoys golfing, puzzling, cooking and getting away from Calgary in the winter whenever possible. Pierie is very modest about her success and achievements, except when it comes to her Pinball scores in University.
Virginia Posadas
Instructor
The moment Virginia took her first Zumba class with Michelle back in 2012, she was hooked. Since then she has become a certified AFLCA group fitness leader, Zumba instructor and has joined the talented team of instructors at Fit for Change. What an impression one class can make!
Virginia is living proof that you can realize your fitness goals at any age. After being diagnosed with borderline osteopenia in 2011, her doctor advised her to maintain a regular exercise program in order to strengthen her bones. That’s when she took her passion for all things dance, discovered Fit for Change, and reversed her medical diagnosis. Yes, she has greatly improved her overall fitness and most importantly, her bone health. On her journey to achieving optimum health, Virginia also found a love for teaching. Her enthusiasm for DanceStrong and her welcoming, positive attitude draws participants of all ages and fitness levels to DanceStrong classes. She’s a shining inspiration to the more mature devotees.
After retiring from the Alberta Energy Regulator in 2019, Virginia joined the University of Calgary's Alberta Cancer Exercise program teaching fitness classes for cancer survivors. She also teaches dance fitness to seniors in various Calgary communities.
Outside of the fitness world you will find Virginia enjoying golf & gardening during the summer and baking all kinds of delicacies during the colder months.
Instructor
The moment Virginia took her first Zumba class with Michelle back in 2012, she was hooked. Since then she has become a certified AFLCA group fitness leader, Zumba instructor and has joined the talented team of instructors at Fit for Change. What an impression one class can make!
Virginia is living proof that you can realize your fitness goals at any age. After being diagnosed with borderline osteopenia in 2011, her doctor advised her to maintain a regular exercise program in order to strengthen her bones. That’s when she took her passion for all things dance, discovered Fit for Change, and reversed her medical diagnosis. Yes, she has greatly improved her overall fitness and most importantly, her bone health. On her journey to achieving optimum health, Virginia also found a love for teaching. Her enthusiasm for DanceStrong and her welcoming, positive attitude draws participants of all ages and fitness levels to DanceStrong classes. She’s a shining inspiration to the more mature devotees.
After retiring from the Alberta Energy Regulator in 2019, Virginia joined the University of Calgary's Alberta Cancer Exercise program teaching fitness classes for cancer survivors. She also teaches dance fitness to seniors in various Calgary communities.
Outside of the fitness world you will find Virginia enjoying golf & gardening during the summer and baking all kinds of delicacies during the colder months.
Kim Donaghy
Instructor
The sexy and hilarious Kim Donaghy has been a professional ballroom dance instructor since 1980. Considered a pioneer for developing the dance scene in Calgary, Kim was the dance director for The University of Calgary Ballroom Dance Club for 18 years. She also taught for many Phys. Ed. departments for both Senior and Junior High Schools in the City of Calgary.
Amazingly, being a wife and a mother to three kids, Kim competed for Canada both in latin and ballroom where she excelled to become a Canadian semi-finalist. In addition to that, in 2005 she was the World Champion in the Diamond Showcase Division at the World Country and Western Dance Championships in Nashville.
Kim now spends her time traveling as a professional ballroom judge, enjoying her family and sharing her love of dance with us at Fit for Change! Known as a free, fun and outgoing spirit, Kim's contagious personality is an inspiration to many of her students. She makes learning fun and has a gift to make others feel comfortable...and it's inevitable you will be gigglin' a lot!
Instructor
The sexy and hilarious Kim Donaghy has been a professional ballroom dance instructor since 1980. Considered a pioneer for developing the dance scene in Calgary, Kim was the dance director for The University of Calgary Ballroom Dance Club for 18 years. She also taught for many Phys. Ed. departments for both Senior and Junior High Schools in the City of Calgary.
Amazingly, being a wife and a mother to three kids, Kim competed for Canada both in latin and ballroom where she excelled to become a Canadian semi-finalist. In addition to that, in 2005 she was the World Champion in the Diamond Showcase Division at the World Country and Western Dance Championships in Nashville.
Kim now spends her time traveling as a professional ballroom judge, enjoying her family and sharing her love of dance with us at Fit for Change! Known as a free, fun and outgoing spirit, Kim's contagious personality is an inspiration to many of her students. She makes learning fun and has a gift to make others feel comfortable...and it's inevitable you will be gigglin' a lot!