Today we’d like to introduce you to Joanna Stone.
Hi Joanna, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I started Barre Vida in 2016 in New York City actually. I was born and raised in Houston Texas and I grew up in the Houston dance scene. I went to school at UT AUSTIN and majored in dance and then to graduate school at TEXAS WOMAN’S UNIVERSITY for dance. Starting a Barre fitness method just made since in my body and career path. After school, I had moved to NYC to dance and teach. I was hired to teach barre and I realized it was the perfect fitness method for me and dancers. I created my own version of the barre method to really focus on strengthening all the smaller muscle groups to prevent injury for dancers, athletes, and all people who move. The method grew and I started to do teacher trainings which led me right back to Texas. I had so many contacts in Texas so networking the business was easy. Two Barre Vida master instructors are currently also located in Texas. We are having our next teacher training at the Katy, TX YMCA in September. Kenyetta Brasher is a master trainer there and she has really grown the Barre Vida brand in that area of town. We also just had a company in downtown Houston reach out to us about hiring from our next barre instructor training class in Katy, TX in September. My hopes for the future are to open a studio that offers Barre, TRX strength training and yoga classes.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Starting and creating the method was easy. I love barre and body workouts. I wrote the manual and started making the videos for the teacher training in about four months. The first training was a huge success but also a little bit of a mess. I learned so much from my first four trainings mostly from my mistakes but also from some successes. I am so thankful to the people who believed in me in the beginning and who took the leap to get barre certified with me. Those people are now teaching barre all over the USA!! I also did an online barre certification so it has been great to see it grow but it was harder to build than the in-person training. The hardest years have been the past two years. With COVID the entire industry changed and I saw so many of my peers and connections lose their studio spaces and gyms. I have struggled with online competition that didn’t exist before. As well right now people don’t have as much money because of rising costs. For many people taking the risk on becoming a barre instructor is difficult because they do have to pay to do the certification. But the jobs are there!! It’s just been harder to get people in the door to get certified. I am facing a re-building challenge and a re-working of the business plan which is challenging because the industry changed so much.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I own a business, I am an educator, and I am an artist. My career path started in dance, theater, and performing. My love of dance and somatics lead me to barre and my love of performing lead me to be comfortable teaching large classes. Sharing the body knowledge is also such a passion of mine. If I can teach people to take better care or their bodies and learn methods to prevent injuries then I am happy! I really started doing this around 12 years old so I feel very much like this was my life calling. It’s pretty awesome to get to share something I have been researching for most of my life.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
Books:
“Sensing, feeling and action” by Bonnie bainbridge Cohen
“Inside Motion
An Ideokinetic Basis for Movement Education”
by John Rolland
“My Improper Mother and Me” by: Esther Fairfax
Blogs: The Barre Blog
Pricing:
- In person Barre Certification Training is $399.00
- Online Barre Certification is $459.00
- Online Barre Vida Barre Class Library: $9.00 a month
Contact Info:
- Website: www.barrevida.org
- Instagram: BarreVida
- Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCaLoK7lOIQiQ8IHAugwV0dQ
Image Credits
Images by: Tyler Gustin
