For Marcella Guarino Hymowitz, opening The Pearl on Manhattan’s Upper East Side was more than creating another dance studio. It was about bringing together decades of experience as a New York Knicks City Dancer, fitness instructor, entrepreneur, choreographer and mother to create something she felt was missing from city life.
Throughout her school and college years, Guarino Hymowitz 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.” Later, she formed her own event production company, Studio MGH, which choreographs and directs entertainment for private events like red carpet galas and Netflix premieres.
“In 25 years, we’ve given over $5 million in scholarships,” said Marcella Guarino Hymowitz.
Collaboration with LoveShackFancy
To top it all off, Guarino Hymowitz stepped up to consult as the entertainment director for LoveShackFancy, the wildly popular fashion brand founded by her dear friend Rebecca Hessel Cohen. The duo met as neighbors during the pandemic, and after putting together Hessel Cohen’s 40th birthday bash, they realized they had something special on their hands.
They have since collaborated on countless activations for the company. When LoveShackFancy partnered with Hunter Boots in April 2025, Guarino Hymowitz choreographed a 40-dancer flash mob on the red TKTS steps. Together, Marcella and Rebecca are engineering experiences, immersing their audience in a world where fashion intersects with dance to create magic.
Youth America Grand Prix
Guarino Hymowitz has also established herself on the philanthropic side of the dance world, joining several charitable organizations, including the NYC Ballet, for which she has co-chaired the Nutcracker Family Benefit, and Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP).
As the world’s largest dance network, YAGP gives countless young dancers the chance to become professionals in the field. “In 25 years, we’ve given over $5 million in scholarships,” Guarino Hymowitz noted. More than 500 YAGP alumni are stars of more than a hundred of the world’s most prominent dance 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. At YAGP’s 25th Anniversary Gala in 2024, Guarino Hymowitz announced her newly established Creative Fellowship for Choreography. “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,” she said. yagp.org
Duke University Residency Program
Guarino Hymowitz also extended her generosity to undergraduate students, starting a guest artist residency program with Duke University, where two of her stepdaughters attend. The program aims to bring in dancers and performers for three-to-four-day residences. The first was Stephanie Klemons, Guarino Hymowitz’s college roommate, who was the associate choreographer for “Hamilton” on Broadway. “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,” said Guarino Hymowitz.
The idea is to expose students to different forms of dance. Through Guarino Hymowitz’s own college studies, she learned about the many facets of working in the industry, including choreography, lighting, music, set design and costumes. In celebration of her efforts, Duke renamed a performance space at the Rubenstein Arts Center, “The Hymowitz Family Dance Cube.”
So, when I asked the mother of three and stepmother of three how she defines herself, Guarino Hymowitz laughed and said 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 does the room look like? I think of myself as a creative director, a philanthropist, just everything…”, she trailed off. “That’s a great question. I like to think that I’m not defined by one thing.”
While Marcella Guarino Hymowitz’s career has evolved beyond the stage, dance remains the thread that connects every chapter of her life. As an artist, entrepreneur, philanthropist and mother, she continues to prove that movement has the power to extend beyond entertainment. Her studio blends this passion for dance, fitness, cheerleading and community-building. With The Pearl, Guarino Hymowitz established a gathering place where connections continue after the music stops.
Turning Dreams into Reality
“Aside from my family, The Pearl is what I’m most proud of,” Guarino Hymowitz said. “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.”
“The Pearl was really the brainchild of a lifelong dream of owning a dance studio,” Guarino Hymowitz said. Over time, she imagined a space where people from all walks could come together, instead of a traditional dance school.
“As I got older, that vision evolved from simply being a dance studio for children and teens into a space that serves adults as well,” she explained. “Kids can be taking classes in one room while adults are in another.”
That flexibility is central to The Pearl’s philosophy. Children and teens can attend dance, cheer, hip-hop or acro classes, while parents participate in sculpt, cardio or dance-based fitness. Families aren’t forced into rigid semester schedules either, as many programs are offered on a drop-in basis.
More Than a Studio
The Pearl is truly distinguished by what happens outside the classroom. “We host events before and after classes. One day there might be a speaker, another day a brand activation, and there can be different activities happening throughout the studio,” Guarino Hymowitz said.
The thoughtfully designed Upper East Side space includes areas where children and teens can complete homework before class, a kitchen where families can eat together, comfortable areas for adults to work remotely and even a soundproof room for private phone calls. The studio prioritizes working women, offering classes at 6 and 7 in the morning and evening with specialty pricing of $30 for women under 30.
“After COVID, I felt there were many women who wanted a third space that wasn’t work and wasn’t home. A place where they could relax, order a green juice or coffee, and simply have some time for themselves,” she said.
“The Pearl was really the brainchild of a lifelong dream of owning a dance studio,” said Marcella Guarino Hymowitz.
Dance, Cheer and Teamwork
Long before opening The Pearl, Guarino Hymowitz spent years performing as a New York Knicks City Dancer, building a career that included choreography, artistic direction and fitness instruction.
Yet one of her greatest passions has always been cheerleading. “We have a cheer team and offer cheer classes for younger girls,” she said. “I was a cheerleader in high school. My senior year, I was captain of the team, and we won nationals. Cheer was a huge part of my life.”
While dance nurtured her creativity, cheerleading taught Guarino Hymowitz something different. She said, “Cheer requires everyone working together. If one person is off, it can affect the entire routine. There’s nothing better than that feeling of teamwork and accomplishment.”
Recognizing that Manhattan lacked organized cheer opportunities, Guarino Hymowitz helped develop one of the city’s first programs before bringing it into The Pearl. “I originally started a cheer program with Fastbreak Sports, developed their program and eventually branched out on my own,” she said.
A Businesswoman From the Beginning
Her entrepreneurial spirit started early. Guarino Hymowitz began teaching group fitness while still a teenager after an ankle injury introduced her to another side of exercise. Working summers at a hometown gym, she found herself leading workouts before she was old enough to vote.
While studying exercise science in college, she completed a class project that would unexpectedly foreshadow her future. “One of my projects was transforming my hometown gym into a women’s- only fitness center,” she recalled. “It was very similar to what I based The Pearl off of.”
That vision eventually became reality. Today, the studio’s calming palette of pink and cream surprises even visitors who insist they dislike pink. Guarino Hymowitz said, “Girls who have sworn off the color pink walk into the studio and they say, ‘Oh, this is what we like.’ Every time.”
Expanding Beyond Manhattan
Although The Pearl is rooted in the Upper East Side, its reach extends beyond Manhattan. This August, The Pearl’s programming is coming to the Hamptons, with pop-up classes every Tuesday and Thursday at Wave in Southampton, followed by two special events at Post House on the 16th and 29th, featuring guest instructors. Summer residents and visitors will have the opportunity to experience the studio’s signature combination of dance, fitness and community.
For Guarino Hymowitz, growth has never been measured by additional locations or larger classes. Success is seeing friendships orm, families come together and women discover a place where wellness is more than exercise. “The entrepreneurial side has always interested me, and creating The Pearl allowed me to bring together my passion for fitness, dance, community and business,” she said.
At The Pearl, a lifelong dream has manifested into a community, one class, one conversation and one connection at a time.
By Jeremy Murphy
thepearlynyc.com
