World Arts East offers arts and wellness services and experiences from around the globe. Connect and immerse yourself in a variety of movement and wellness forms for youth and adults including dance, yoga, meditation, martial arts, circus arts, visual arts, and Ayurvedic treatments.

World Arts East

115 West 29 Street (btw. 6th & 7th Aves.) / Suite 1106 

Phone: 347-361-1661  / Email: worldartseast@gmail.com

Q&A With Erica Bowen

Scott Stiffler, for Chelsea Community News (CCNews): What is your job at World Arts East? How is the work you’re doing now informed by previous work/life experience?

Erica Bowen (Erica): I’m Co-founder of World Arts East, a small family business and boutique arts, fitness, and wellness studio that highlights arts, fitness, and wellness techniques from around the world. My background as a multi-hyphenate artist, fitness/wellness coach, yogi/Ayurvedic practitioner, television stage director, community programmer, and small business addict informs my work at World Arts East.

CCNews: World Arts East ”offers arts and wellness services and experiences from around the globe.” What is the relationship between arts and wellness, and what are some of the global influences in the services and experiences you offer?

Erica: Arts and wellness are interconnected. They can provide the foundation or inspiration for the other. I think of my yoga teacher training with Aadil Palkhivala. Our teacher training did not consist solely of the physical yoga postures and meditation, but also in depth study of mantra (music/sound vibration), poetry, elocution (public speaking/theatre), and more. This teacher training reminded me that in many ancient wellness techniques art and wellness techniques are seamlessly interwoven to make the scientific and the creative complimentary to each other. 

CCNews: Why does World Arts East have a presence in Chelsea? What programming and opportunities will people find at this specific location?

Erica: The community of Chelsea has a long history that has attracted Black Americans, immigrants, abolitionists, LGBTQ persons, artists, and activists of civil rights including Bayard Rustin. It is a place that historically has nurtured freedom of thought, the arts, and diversity. We knew it was the perfect place for World Arts East because of this history. And of course, even now when you walk through Chelsea you feel an extension of community that is unique in New York City.

To date, our services and experiences have highlighted wellness techniques and arts from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe, and the United States. You can come into the studio and be immersed in classes focused on bellydance, ballet fitness, disco kickboxing, Senegalese sabar drumming, Brazilian percussion, circus fitness, or a traditional Ayurvedic abhyanga massage.

CCNews: Where do you find the instructors for the programming you offer?

Erica: Our instructors and coaches are an array of individuals deeply rooted in the techniques they teach. Some come from a family tradition of teaching a form, while others have studied, practiced, performed, researched and taught for years. What’s most important is that we find a synergy of someone who can impart knowledge, inspire our guests, and bring a little joy and fun in the process.

We know our guests come from different backgrounds. Some come directly from work and the percussion class they participate in is a way for stress management and a sense of community. Someone else may be a teenager who always wanted to take ballet and this is a perfect opportunity to do so in a safe and encouraging space. We understand that all of our guests have different goals and we aim to give each person that comes in to our studio something that nurtures their goals, creativity, and well-being.

CCNews: Are there goals and/or plans to expand your services and the scope of your mission?

Erica: At this time we are laser focused on expanding our presence in Chelsea and surrounding neighborhoods. We know that many people would enjoy what we are offering and we want to make sure they know we are here. Some of our other future goals include offering teacher training programs for national/international students, scholarships for at-risk youth, and community programs for seniors and youth with disabilities. 

To visit the World Arts East website, click here.

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