BLue Grass To The Bay

​Born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, Jacquelyn began dancing when she was 5 years old and danced competitively into her high-school years.  When she was in college at the University of Kentucky (a proud Wildcat!) her teaching career began.  She choreographed and coached a middle school dance team for three years as an outlet to fill the void of what she felt was missing as an avid dancer. She immediately felt how gratifying being an instructor and coach was, and loved the creative element that came with choreographing and creating routines. 
 
“I just love to move my body” Jacquelyn notes, “Hiking, yoga, running, anything that allows me to move... I am into!”
 
This self-proclaimed workout bug has yet to stop.
 
Her moving continued, literally.  In her early 20’s Jacquelyn made her way out to the Bay Along with her boyfriend, Jeremy.  They have been in San Jose for 3 years and (other than the traffic) she and her beau are obsessed with the Bay Area.
 
Originally working in wine sales since graduating from college, Jacquelyn was not completely fulfilled and found she needed to adamantly pursue her true passion.  That passion is heath and wellness.  
 
As her path began to become clear, she auditioned for labarre along with her friend (and labarre equipe member, Anthea) and met owner and founder, Lisa Alberino. 
 
“You can read people’s energy the second you meet them. I was able to trust and dig deep with Lisa.  Her vision, energy and vibrancy… she translated her passion immediately.  She was very genuine and is the real deal.  We are so lucky to have her as a teacher and the visionary for labarre.”
 

Needless to say there was a lot of love in the room, and that allowed Jacquelyn to take another step along the path she had committed to.  Movement and connecting people to fitness was only part of it, however.
 
“Nutrition is the most significant link to wellness. “ Jacquelyn professes.  “Its unparalleled.  Food isn’t just food… it’s a signaling system to our bodies.  You are either sending good or bad signals to your body. Your body is going to mirror what you put into it.  If you feed your body good things, you are going to feel energized, vibrant and light, and your body is going to love you back.  Conversely, if you feed your body junk… that’s what your body is going to feel like.” 
 
The body-mind connection is key for Jacquelyn and nutrition is where it begins.  “Our bodies have this incredible, innate ability to heal themselves, and if we take ownership of this, we can optimize ourselves physiologically.  Often times, people don’t connect the dots with what they are fueling themselves with everyday and how they feel.”
 
Jacquelyn’s blend of fitness and nutrition will bring yet another unique skill set to the equipe.  Her thoughts that a workout is only ‘one part of the overall lifestyle ecosystem’ are shared by the team inherently and her expertise in this area will certainly benefit labarre studios’ guests.   
 
Speaking of the guests, leading a class allows Jacquelyn to escape for a moment in time.  She is completely focused on the class when she is at the helm.  As soon as she arrives at the studio she is in teacher mode - she leaves every class fulfilled. Jacquelyn has always felt tremendous gratitude and inspiration from the instructors she takes from and the gift that they give her in class; her goal is to give that gift to guests of her own! 
 
Where does barre fit into Jacquelyn’s ecosystem?  Its a direct connection to dance, one of the things she adores the most, and that feeling immediately brings Jacquelyn back to where she started as a young girl.  Upon taking her first barre class, she recognized the connection was there.  That spark has turned into a fire and it continues to blaze the path that she has set.  
 
We welcome Jacquelyn to the labarre team as our newest certified instructor, and are excited to watch her hard work pay forward by doing what she is hoping to accomplish.
 
“I want people feeling strong, positive and empowered when they walk out of class.” She states with confidence.  That’s a great goal to shoot for!  See you in class.
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