By: Bennett Marcus

Marcella Guarino Hymowitz is that rare person who was lucky enough to discover her passion for dance as a child, and, through hard work and determination, has made it her life’s work. 

Throughout her school and college years, she studied all forms of the art, from classical ballet to tap, jazz, street, musical theater, and gymnastics. While studying exercise science at Rutgers University, she was a part of the school’s nationally ranked dance team. In 2001, she became a Knicks City Dancer, was featured in publications like Dance magazine, and even appeared on Sex and the City. She wrote, composed, and directed her own off-Broadway show in collaboration with renowned dance-world figures Amy Ryerson, Brice Mousset, and Jon Rua. Later, she formed her own event production company, MGH Creative, which choreographs and directs entertainment for private events like red-carpet galas and Netflix premieres. 

Guarino Hymowitz’s latest venture is The Pearl NYC, a new dance fitness and wellness studio on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, where she is not only the owner but also teaches some classes. 

 Guarino Hymowitz is active in a number of charitable organizations, including the NYC Ballet, for which she has co-chaired the Nutcracker Family Benefit, and Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP), which provides dance education and opportunities for underserved young talents, where she acts as trustee and Gala Creative Chair. 

 When I ask the mother of three and stepmother of three how she defines herself, she laughs and says she’s a little bit of everything. “I’m a philanthropist. I’m a studio owner. I’m an instructor. I’m a creative director. With Studio MGH, when clients bring me on, they don’t bring me on to just choreograph. I come in to help direct the entire night. How do we want people to feel when they walk into the party? What is the music that’s playing? What is the lighting design? What does the room look like? Are there performers? I think of myself as a creative director, a philanthropist, just everything…”, she trails off. “That’s a great question. I like to think that I’m not defined by one thing.”

Photo Courtesy: BFA

Collaboration with LoveShackFancy

Another hat that Guarino Hymowitz now wears is that of creative director for events held by the wildly popular fashion brand LoveShackFancy, founded by her dear friend Rebecca Hessel Cohen. 

The Pearl NYC

“Aside from my family, The Pearl is what I’m most proud of,” Guarino Hymowitz says. “It is a studio built not just for dancers, but for anyone seeking strength, confidence, creativity, and connection. It’s a space where girls, teens, and adults can grow stronger in both mind and body; where they can try something new without fear, where movement is joyful rather than intimidating, and where growth is measured in courage, not perfection.” 

This establishment is where Guarino Hymowitz feels she has come full circle, back in the studio where she was happiest as a child. “It’s where I built my confidence through movement, community, and self-expression. It’s a space that exists so people can feel seen, supported, and empowered in their bodies and in their lives.” thepearlnyc.com  

YAGP

Youth America Grand Prix is the world’s largest dance network, giving countless young dancers the chance to become professionals in the field. Guarino Hymowitz notes that the organization has diversified the dance world. “We bring different dancers to different companies all over the world,” she says. “In 25 years, we’ve given over $5 million in scholarships.” More than 500 YAGP alumni are stars of more than a hundred of the world’s most prominent dance companies, including the Royal Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, New York City Ballet, and American Ballet Theater. “We make young dance artists’ dreams come true. These kids start at nine years old, and they go to 19, and they either get awarded scholarships into the dance schools, or they get contracts into the actual companies.” 

As YAGP’s Gala Creative Chair, Guarino Hymowitz coordinates its annual fundraising event in New York, held at the David H. Koch Theater in Lincoln Center. Misty Copeland hosted the gala, where Rebecca Hessel Cohen, LoveShackFancy founder, was honored along with Melanie Hamrick, a retired ABT ballerina and choreographer, and Mick Jagger’s partner, who premiered two new pieces with 100 young dancers.

Marcella Hymowitz Creative Fellowship and Endowment

At YAGP’s 25th Anniversary Gala in 2024, Guarino Hymowitz announced her newly established Creative Fellowship for Choreography, which gives dancers and choreographers who don’t have access to funding the opportunity to create new works that speak to a younger generation. “It is meant to provide a creative lab for choreographers on the rise to create groundbreaking, innovative work that will push the art of dance into the future,” says Guarino Hymowitz. 

After a worldwide search, the first six recipients of the fellowship are from the U.S., Germany, the Netherlands, Brazil and Sweden. One piece, by William Dugan of the Royal Swedish Ballet, was performed at YAGP’s gala in Milan last summer.

Duke University Residency Program

Guarino Hymowitz started a guest artist residency program with Duke University in North Carolina, where two of her stepdaughters are students. The program aims to bring in different types of dancers and performers for three to four-day residences. The first was Stephanie Klemons, who was the associate choreographer for “Hamilton” on Broadway, was a cast member of “In the Heights” and more. Klemons was Guarino Hymowitz’s roommate in college. “She’s won many awards. She is just incredible,” Guarino Hymowitz says.

 “She double majored in genetics and microbiology research and modern dance, so she comes from a unique background. She can relate to Duke students who take dance as a secondary major, but they understand the balance of science and dance.” 

The idea is to expose students to different forms of dance. “They have a very modern dance program at Duke, and I thought it would be great to diversify the type of dance that they have, and bring in some mentors who are living as professional dancers and choreographers, for them to see the different sides of the dance world, the different things that you can do after graduation.” This kind of exposure helped Guarino Hymowitz in forging her own career. An ankle injury at age 14 scuttled her ballet ambitions, but through her studies in college, she learned about the many facets of working in the dance world, including choreography, lighting, music, set design and costumes. 

Duke renamed a performance space at the Rubenstein Arts Center, “The Hymowitz Family Dance Cube.” 

Philanthropy as a New Mom

Guarino Hymowitz took a five-year break from work after she became pregnant with her first child. “I really wanted to throw myself into motherhood and be a full-time mom. I wanted to be fully, fully there for every single moment.” 

During that time, she threw herself into philanthropy. “I chaired lots of galas. I am the President of the Associates of The Society of Memorial Sloan Kettering and am heavily involved with YAGP, raising money for the Y and the schools that my kids were attending,” she says. In 2024, Guarino Hymowitz was a recipient of the 92NY Extraordinary Women Awards. 

She joined her friend Rebecca Hessel Cohen in co-chairing the NYC Ballet Nutcracker galas. “I found that the combination of dance and philanthropy was something that really attracted me with Rebecca. I noticed she was a big fan of ballet and dance, and then I brought her into Youth America Grand Prix.” yagp.org