Story & Lesson Highlights with Jelena Drcelic Yowell of Northwest

We recently had the chance to connect with Jelena Drcelic Yowell and have shared our conversation below.

Good morning Jelena , we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
This year EBPS got award as The Best Dance Studio of Phoenix so we got invited to dance at Disney Christmas Parade . In child dancers life this is a dream comes true and to get invited is something they not just makes me proud but all of our students

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
As owner and teacher at European Ballet and Piano School in Phoenix my life is fun and fulfilled every day with children and their laughs , talents and love. As Ballet teacher I have opportunity to develop students brain and watch them grow trough dance movements and it’s super cute and rewarding to witness that
As Piano teacher I literally give brain workout to each of my students on each class and they don’t have a clue about it cause we play games , learn notes and play some fantastic music that students brain is constantly active and it’s developing all full time of the class
European Ballet and Piano School mainly focuses on students brain development trough music or dance plus classes are super fun so studnets learns much faster
As a teacher I fulfilled my dream teaching amazing students as EBPS has
Being parent or working with kids it’s something out of this world . Children’s are angels of this world and that’s how much I love them

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
When NATO bombed my country it was moment that shaped my world and what I think about it . In the War while bombs are falling around you every 5 minutes per day you don’t think about anything else except your life and your family safety . In that moment anything that you have in life doesn’t matter any finances or material things becomes worthless and only life matters. You can’t stop asking one simple question WHY? Why people have Wars ? It’s fight for power and territory but what’s about people ? How many people die during War and how many people get hurt or how much entire country that are in War suffer, no one doesn’t care .

What did suffering teach you that success never could?
When you are in the War and when entire country is without electricity or water and when you future is totally diminished in dust of Bombs , you suffer more than you ever think you will .
The basic human needs can’t be fulfilled as you can even make eggs for breakfast cause there is no electricity than you have to buy old stove that works on wood and start cooking in your house on fire stove. Plus it’s excellent way to keep your warm . And you can take candle and lay in the bad instead of studying with electricity light you study under candle light
Also War suffering teaches you not to hold on to store to buy merchandise to survive but to even make your own bread
And a lots of other basic things becomes impossible during War that makes life so difficult .
The most important thing that suffering tought me that I was so done with suffering that I wanted to leave my country looking for better life . The wish to live normally was larger than suffering
That’s how I came into US

Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Is the public version of you the real you?
Yes it is . I am true to my self and others so what you see is what you got. Sometimes people don’t like it how truthful I am but that’s who I am.
I don’t live by rules but by true heart and love for life or for people.

Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I was born to be ballerina and piano Professor and that’s exactly what I do all my life . However I was told that I should be dentist and my parents were persistently taking me to that road but I kept going on Ballet and Piano at the same time .
So at the almost end of my studies my parents sow it that I am born to be ballerina and to play piano so they were totally for it and supported me all the way. I used to go on my Mom high heels when I was just 2 years old trying to replace Ballerina Pointe shoes . And I have started playing piano when I was just 3.5 years old cause I signed myself to school . My friends and I were playing ball in front of our building where we used to live and two my friends were going with their Mom to sign up to Music school so I have asked them can I go too . And I came back home asking my Mom for sign up fee money and to sign papers that I sign myself to Music school to study piano . My Mom pass out lolllllllll I was super small to do those things but my wish to play piano was bigger than anything.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.europeanballetandpianoschol.com
• Instagram: european_ballet_piano_school
• Facebook: European Ballet and Piano School
• Youtube: European Ballet and Piano School

Image Credits
Jelena Drcelic Yowell