JuliaCore barre studio

…everyone can do it, but it's not for everyone

There is no athletic or dance experience in my past: I cut gym classes and smoked two packs a day. After my three children were born, my bathroom scale hit north of 220 lb. and was put away. Weight and the way I looked have never been a big issue for me. I grew up in an overweight family where both of my parents were happy eaters. Besides, my husband of twenty years has never once said there was anything wrong with me. I did miss my younger self, but not enough to make an effort.

My first barre class I took on a dare: a friend bet me $20 and I went for the money. Fourteen years later, 80 lb. lighter, 9 dress sizes smaller, I look, but more importantly, feel, like never before in my life. Even so, it was not the body transformation that attached me to the barre from day one. These changes went unnoticed until people started pointing them out months down the road. The most addicting was the feeling of underlying emotional strength that would roll on after each session. Anything seemed possible, everything was exciting, obstacles disappeared, and I felt capable and confident for the first time in my life. Inspired and overwhelmed, I started sharing what I have learned with others, first, with friends in my basement, then, at the Fitness Barre in Waldwick, NJ. Now, certified by Core Fusion co-founders and the fitness industry leaders of Exhale Mind Body Spa, I am a barre instructor in my own studio.

To my teaching, I bring more than a decade of consistent practice and continuous research on the concepts of this technique. What makes my instruction different is my previous training as a science writer. I spent years deciphering medical language and translating it into human words. That experience, plus knowledge of anatomy and physiology, help me better guide my guests towards the path of mind-body synergy so integral to the transformation. I encourage my students to better understand their bodies, enjoy the road rather than focus on the destination, and challenge them to go beyond what they think they can do. From their drive and ability to work, I derive my own inspiration — and assurance that positive change can happen at any age.

My mother once said that in life we go through three major phases. First is the time when we can do anything but have no idea what we want. Last is when we know what we want but can no longer do it. Between, there is the time when we recognize our calling and have the strength to follow it. Being involved with barre classes all these years, I have seen and experienced firsthand: if done correctly, this technique dramatically expands that period when we know what we want and can actually do it.

Julia Ferraro