Creativity, Expression, & Movement: Finding Purpose Through Dance | with Nicole Winhoffer
Nicole Winhoffer is a global fitness artist, health expert, and entrepreneur known for her creative workout philosophy, which has played a leading role in shaping some of the strongest bodies in the entertainment industry. Nicole created the revolutionary NW Method, a total body wellness formula that transforms energy into strength through chakras and movement.
Born in New York City, Nicole’s dance background allowed her to make her Broadway debut at the age of 17, performing in productions such as “42nd Street,” “Bombay Dreams,” and “Wicked.” She danced and trained with icons including Madonna, with whom she developed the Hard Candy fitness brand. She also served as creative director of the Addicted to Sweat program, which catapulted Nicole onto the global stage.
With a Filipino mother and German father, growing up in the Bronx, Nicole had a passion for mixing cultures. She started dancing at the age of seven and it quickly became a passion. Her parents were very strict and dance was her escape—and it provided her with discipline, structure, and strength. She got very serious about dancing at 14 and wanted to train at Broadway Dance Center, the most prestigious dance center in the world, and she did. She trained six days a week for three years and got very, very good, and she began to audition for Broadway shows.
As she moved through her career, she tapped into her “spirit,” this presence that she felt in her moves and in her body. When she started auditioning for shows, she took this spirit with her and it connected to her, helping her stay strong. Spirit was her faith, her religion—she prayed to it, she felt it, and she believed in it.
During one audition, Nicole had to sing, and after 27 times auditioning, the casting director walked up to her and directed her to a vocal coach. “You cannot sing,” he said. Instead of internalizing that message, she knew that he was right—but that she could figure it out. So she took lessons and she got better at it. When someone told her that she couldn’t do something, she didn’t back down or consider it a failure—she did everything in her power to prove them wrong.
What Brett asks:
- [02:07] Can you tell me about your early childhood and family life?
- [04:33] How did dance show up in your life?
- [10:14] How does Broadway end up weaving its way into your life?
- [19:36] How did dance give you faith?
- [23:10] What is your practice of spirit?
- [28:35] How did you just believe that you would be able to learn to sing?
- [34:33] At what point did you take dance into the business world?
- [43:40] Where are you now during this time?
Lessons for intentional living:
- When Nicole was faced with situations that she didn’t know how to handle, she would start by asking the right questions. Good questions lead to creative answers.
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