Michael Pereira

Michael Pereira hails from Connecticut where he was raised by parents who immigrated from Portugal. His 1st word was “Superman”—clearly he leaned towards the extraordinary! Both of Michael’s grandmothers were very religious and believed in the mystical. He remembers listening to them tell countless stories about spirit and being intrigued from a very young age.

While Michael’s parents wanted him to enter the medical field, Broadway beckoned. After discovering a natural dance ability and passion for music, Michael dedicated himself to the performing arts. At 19 years old, he moved to New York City and ended up working with an array of theatre luminaries. One of his highlights was working alongside Broadway dance icon, Ann Reinking, on the creation of Chicago, The Musical. Unfortunately, Michael did not have the emotional or mental stamina to withstand the extreme pressure in the high-stakes world of showbiz. At 24 years old, he suffered a complete nervous breakdown.

It was this dark night of the soul where Michael’s spiritual path began. During this time, a stranger handed him a copy of “A Return to Love” by Marianne Williamson. Reading this book was an absolute watershed moment for him—tears literally dropped from his eyes as he read this life-changing book. He was inspired to study “A Course in Miracles” and simultaneously discovered the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, both of which led him to deep dive into his feelings.

While it took many years for Michael to unravel the pains of his past, he realized that in fact they were a gift and helped change his life for the better.

Michael briefly left performing and entered the fast-paced world of New York real estate. It was during his tenure selling Manhattan that the call to perform showed up again. Spurred by his studies with Broadway legend Betty Buckley, Michael returned to performing.

To help support himself, Michael became a Dance Professor at Marymount Manhattan College. He started incorporating Universal spiritual principles into his teaching and was thrilled by their impact on his students. During this time, Michael also studied other modalities including The Alexander Technique, yoga, breathwork, and psychology.

While participating in a 10-day, silent, Vipassana meditation retreat, Michael felt the pull to drastically change his life and move to Paris, France. One month later, without a grasp of the French language or a job, Michael made his dream come true—he was living in the City of Light!

While in Paris, Michael created and directed Broadway in Paris, the 1st American musical theatre academy in France. He incorporated metaphysical principles alongside singing, dancing and acting, and saw his students excel in all aspects of their lives. He translated the musical Pippin into French with Marion Martelin, and mounted a first class production of the show with its creator, composer and lyricist, Stephen Schwartz.

As the global pandemic spread, Michael took to the internet to teach dance and share a message of healing, hope, love, art, health and resilience. He built a global community from his daily classes with hundreds of students joining from wide-ranging locations, from Buenos Aires to Taiwan, Paris to Fiji, San Antonio to Boston.

After five years, Michael felt that his time in France was coming to an end. In 2022, he followed his heart and moved to Los Angeles. Now he is focusing on helping others star in their own lives! He had helped a growing number of clients learn to love themselves, overcome obstacles, and live the life of their dreams.

Michael currently teaches meditation and breathwork at The Den and Unplug Studio in Los Angeles, California.