Ballet master Michelle Elton inspires movement for all ages.
With a smile as vibrant as her energy, Michelle Elton, the owner of Camp Verde Dance and Fitness, is not only a ballet master but also an instructor who teaches a wide range of popular fitness and dance classes to people of all ages.
“My whole life is dance,” said Elton. “It’s my life and my passion. I get the biggest enjoyment from teaching kids, teenagers and seniors. I teach them in the same manner I was raised.”
Many little girls want to be ballerinas, but Elton’s wish came true. She began dance lessons at age 4 in San Fernando Valley, California. “My mother was a ballet dancer and used to teach the neighborhood kids to dance. She saw something in me and decided to enroll me in ballet classes. It was there that a scout from the Royal Ballet of London came to our studio and invited me to go to London on a scholarship.”
“My mom thought the scout was another mother just picking up her child, but when she inquired and found out who she was, my mom asked her what dancer she was interested in. The scout pointed at me and my mom said, ‘That’s my daughter,’” explained Elton, who was offered a yearlong scholarship to train with the Royal Ballet of London.
At 9 years old, Elton took off to London with her grandmother to train. Interestingly, her mother was born in London and had once also trained with the Royal Ballet of London.
A celebrated career of dance was sparked for Elton. Along with ballet, Elton fell in love with jazz dance. “I trained with Joe Tremaine Dance Center in Studio City from the time I was 14 to 32 years old,” said Elton. “I performed with them for two years while attending high school. After graduation, I danced with the Los Angeles Ballet Company for five years, then the New York City Ballet for six months.”
While pursuing her dance career, she also became a personal trainer because “she loved changing people’s fitness behaviors.”
Karen Morefield joined Camp Verde Dance & Fitness nearly eight years ago. “We are so blessed to have such a beautiful studio here in Camp Verde. Michelle’s fitness classes are so upbeat and she makes sure that you are giving all you got during your workouts. I had knee replacement surgery recently and I truly believe that my recovery was helped by attending the Silver Sneakers Classes. The motivation and encouragement from Michelle and the friends I’ve made there keep me coming back. Here’s to another eight years.”
In 2011, Elton moved to Cottonwood and opened a personal training studio for nine years and shortly after started teaching ballet and jazz dance at the Verde Valley Ballet and Dance Center. “I took six of my students to Phoenix Dance Competition to compete, and they won a High Silver Award with my choreography. My mom was very happy about that! All the years of ballet lessons had paid off,” said Elton.
Camp Verde Dance & Fitness opened in 2017 with classes in ballet, tap and Pilates. Elton also teaches workouts for seniors and offers personal training. In addition, she keeps an eye out for talent, especially dancers with a promising future in ballet.
“I love Michelle’s passion for fitness,” said Bryan Mandel of Camp Verde. “The circuit training classes are challenging for any level. I’m 45 and sometimes have a hard time keeping up. Michelle brings a wonderful, fun atmosphere, sharing her love for dance and fitness.”
Every year, Elton’s studio performs The Nutcracker at Camp Verde High School. “This year, we decided to give back to the community and took our show to the Haven Health Camp Verde Assisted Living to share with the residents there. All of our dancers, from age 4 to 80, participated.”
The dancers also performed at the Cottonwood Village retirement community. “The audience cried because they were so happy that they got to watch the Nutcracker,” she said.
“Of course, the adorable 4-year-old dancers stole the show,” said Camp Verde Dance & Fitness student and performer Emily Fagan. “Michelle brings a wealth of knowledge to her classes and her enthusiasm is truly infectious. No two classes are ever the same and she is always challenging us with new and unique exercises.”
“My daughter is 7 and just loves her classes,” said Petra Niesten. “For a small town, it is wonderful to have this here.”
Along with “The Nutcracker,” Elton’s dancers perform “The Enchanted Garden” in June. “It’s a beautiful show. We feature butterflies, bumblebees, bluebirds, fairies and a dragon. The kids just love dressing up,” she said. FBN
By V. Ronnie Tierney, FBN
Camp Verde Dance & Fitness studio is located at 564 Main Street in downtown Camp Verde. For more information,
visit campverdedanceandfitness.com or call 928-499-2619.
Photo by V. Ronnie Tierney, Fresh Focuses Photography: Camp Verde Dance & Fitness owner Michelle Elton teaches the morning Silver Sneakers Strength and Balance class for seniors.