Mija Bishop on Helping Dancers Soar at Flight Feathers

By Madison Huizinga, Former DWC Blog Editor

It’s no secret that many small businesses suffered throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and dance studios were no exception. Amid growing dance studio closures, those eager to move were left without a space to practice and without instructors to learn from. In the face of these challenges, local dance instructor and artistic director Mija Bishop founded Flight Feathers, a dance studio aimed at helping each individual dancer sore. Stay tuned to Flight Feathers’ Instagram for details about its June production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Influenced heavily by her family, Mija began dancing around age six. Her father was a ballet teacher as well as the owner of a ballet studio. “I was a little goof-off when I was little!” Mija laughs, sharing that she often got kicked out of class for being disruptive. It wasn’t until around age 13 that Mija began focusing on her dance training a bit more seriously. Throughout middle school and high school, she tried to get involved with as many ballet-related workshops, programs, and performances as she could.

Nonetheless, Mija shares that she eventually got burnt out and quit dance after high school for three years. “I kind of had this all-or-nothing mentality,” she says of how she viewed her involvement with dance. After three years, Mija found herself missing the dance scene. When she found an opportunity to get back involved, she jumped on it. “I’m really grateful for that chain of events that brought me back to dancing again,” she says. Today, she’s going on her tenth year of teaching dance, which has been a big part of what she’s loved about her dance journey.

“I've always enjoyed the movement,” Mija says, sharing her love for dancing to beautiful music. She appreciates the artistry behind dance and being able to feel so present with herself and her body. “There’s something really freeing about just being able to completely immerse yourself,” she says. Mija also appreciates her dance community, as well as the discipline and structure of ballet, particularly the ability to assess herself.

Mija shares that in her personal life, a challenge she’s faced in dance is grappling with the “perfect ballet body.” She never felt like she fit the ideal image of a ballerina, pointing out that she is shorter in stature and has shorter limbs. “People of Asian descent might relate,” she shares of people who share the same racial identity as herself. Mija says that growing up as a dancer she felt pressure and received comments about staying within a certain weight and not gaining “extra” muscle, as it would corrupt her lines. It wasn’t until after high school that she realized that cross-training and weight training were key to helping her gain strength as a dancer. “That’s something that I have been enjoying for myself and also been able to share with my students,” Mija says of cross-training, sharing that it can help dancers gain a better sense of ownership over their bodies and physical capabilities. Learning to train one’s body to gain strength rather than training to look a certain way is a healthier and more sustainable practice.

Flight Feathers was established in May of 2021 so that Mija could safely continue working with dancers during the COVID pandemic. “I was just really devastated having to say ‘good-bye’ to so many dance families,” she says of the studio she had taught at closing. She decided to take a “big leap of faith” to provide community members with access to dance classes amid COVID. Flight Feathers has mainly focused on ballet this year, but Mija is eager to expand the studio to offer jazz, hip hop, and contemporary.

“The intention behind both the name and the program is to create an environment where each student can grow and explore their own unique needs through ballet,” Mija says of the mission behind Flight Feathers. “I feel like there are just so many different ways to shine and soar,” Mija says, connecting the notion to a flock of birds. “I really hope to provide each student with [a] unique experience that will make them grow.”

Dance accessibility is something important to Mija. She shares that going into the second year of her program, she would love the chance to connect with people and find ways to make dance more accessible to people, particularly in the financial sense. Mija's vision is starting to take shape, as she has recently been connected with The Cobb Foundation Northwest Founder and President Margaret Cobb. The foundation currently funds and creates opportunities for underserved children, including music and tennis lessons, LEGO robotics workshops, and a book giveaway program. Margaret and Mija are in the process of adding ballet to one of the Foundation's offerings. She is excited about the opportunity to team up with Margaret and provide a positive dance experience to a wider range of kids through the organization.

Excitingly, Mija has recently moved operations to a new studio space in Woodinville, Washington. “It’s still a little bit unreal!” she says, sharing that she’s incredibly grateful for the support she’s received from her husband and dance families

Follow Flight Feathers’ Instagram to stay up-to-date on all their upcoming shows and more!

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The Story of a Studio Born Out of the Pandemic