Meet Michelle Turner-Young
Meet Michelle Turner-Young, a mother and energy mover, and the owner of SoulFire Movement.
Our Community Health Hubs initiative creates one-stop-shops for diverse health and social resources in trusted community locations. In 2025, we partnered with 23 different community-based organizations, healthcare systems, government agencies, and–for the first time–local small businesses aligned with our mission.
One of those partners was SoulFire Movement, which supports emotional wellbeing through structured, multi‑week movement programs that build joy, connection, and resilience.
We sat down with SoulFire Movement’s founder and owner, Michelle Turner-Young, to learn more about how her pursuit of dance as a passion has shifted over time, the importance of community at every age, and how she came to center the mind, body, and soul as she looks ahead to aging well and helping others do the same.
“I really think people need an anchor to keep you grounded when life shifts, when you’re in the trenches…faith, a community member, a friend, a spirit, an angel, anything.”
“What does healthy aging look like?” Michelle Turner-Young was first confronted with this question as a teenager. Born in Portsmouth, Virginia and raised in Dorchester, Michelle became a teen mother of twins at the same time that her own “powerhouse go-getter” mother got sick. These experiences forced Michelle to grow up quickly. For years after her kids were born, Michelle tried to follow the script she’d been given as a young adult: finish school, get a stable job, get married, and secure a future for her children. She studied medical assisting, completed a Certified Nursing Assistant program, took the firefighter’s exam, and even considered the Coast Guard. None of it stuck. What did stick was something she had always found joy in: dance.
In 2007, dance began evolving from a hobby to a source of income for Michelle. That year she was crowned Boston’s Dancehall Queen, and a year later, she became the first American to win an international dancehall competition. For a moment, it seemed like her path was finally clear. Michelle’s parents, who cared for the twins while she pursued her dream, finally began to respect dance as a profession after her achievements. She toured and performed in the U.S., even receiving opportunities to travel outside the country.
But life shifted again. In 2009, her family home caught fire, and Michelle and her daughters entered the shelter system.
“That’s how SoulFire was born, adding the mindfulness piece to movement.”
The instability of those years forced her to set aside her dream of dance. She remembers that what kept her going was her unwavering faith: “I really think people need an anchor to keep you grounded when life shifts, when you’re in the trenches…faith, a community member, a friend, a spirit, an angel, anything.”
In 2016, Michelle was back to earning a living primarily through dance. During this period, dance opened up new worlds for her. She was introduced to the “fitness” side of movement—nutrition, workouts, and the language of health. She also landed a principal role in the film The Heat, which still provides residual income today. While she didn’t make a lot of money, Michelle says she was able to support herself and her children by living below her means and relying on the support of family.
However, the darker side of the male-dominated dance industry began to take its toll. Michelle faced sexual harassment, financial exploitation, and unsafe working environments.
Those experiences shaped not only her boundaries, but also her understanding of what “aging well” really means. For Michelle, healthy aging includes learning to recognize when a space or system is harming you—and having the courage to step away to protect your emotional and physical health.
Barely two months after she stepped away, COVID-19 forced Michelle to reimagine her life yet again. What emerged from that disruption, however, was SoulFire Movement—a dance class she hosted in her backyard that grew into a mind–body–spirit practice and business. She remembers, “When COVID hit, SoulFire Movement was not just about physical health, and it wasn't just about making money. I had the capacity to hold space for my clients and grow with them [...] That’s how SoulFire was born, adding the mindfulness piece to movement.”
“I try to share my story so people can see similarities in their own stories.”
Michelle realized that surviving COVID wasn’t just about exercising or eating well. It was about relationships, spiritual grounding, and community, which are also key to weathering life’s other challenges. In fact, community is what helped Michelle transform SoulFire from a backyard class into a business. With support from friends, fellow artists, and local organizations, she officially incorporated in 2021, expanding her presence in Boston and deepening her work with older adults in particular.
When her twins left for college shortly after, Michelle once again found herself facing a transition. For years, her priority was “grinding” to financially support her children. When that focus ended, she had to ask, “What is my purpose now?” SoulFire quickly became her new “baby”— a living practice in aging with intention and a legacy for her daughters and the broader community to heal, move, and age well.
Reflecting on her journey, Michelle says, “I only know the quote—‘the one constant in life is change’—is true because of what I’ve gone through. And now I just try to share my story so people can see similarities in their own stories.” Her story reminds us that healthy aging is not defined by following others’ script for your life, progressing in a straight line, or the absence of hardship. It is defined by how we move through life’s seasons—reaching for community, leaning on whatever anchors us, and allowing our purpose to evolve as life does.
Looking ahead, Michelle envisions a solar-powered mobile dance studio, expanded offerings for older adults, and a certification program to train others in the SoulFire Movement approach.
If you are interested in learning more about SoulFire, check out Michelle’s upcoming events here.
Written by Briana Acosta (August 2026)