“One of the things I found as a dancer is that you're trying to perfect your body but also protect it and keep it injury-free. When you work against your own weight, you're still building lean muscle and bone density, but you're in a safer zone.”

American fitness entrepreneur and former New York City Ballet dancer

Mary Helen Bowers is an American fitness entrepreneur and former New York City Ballet dancer from Charlotte, North Carolina. She is known for her work as a celebrity fitness guru, and for building a public profile around ballet-based training. Her career combines dance and fitness, with a focus on movement, conditioning and exercise shaped by her background in ballet. In January 2025, she was named a Kennedy Center trustee.