labarre Spotlight - Julie Saccento

Birthday: September 27th

Hobbies: travel, barre (!), online shopping, learning about the enneagram, trying new & awesome restaurants (can’t wait to be able to do this again someday), visiting and exploring my favorite city and old stomping grounds, NYC.

Family Life: Husband, 3 kids (Luke-13, Mia-11, Jack-6), cat, bunny, and a new puppy … pure chaos!

Day Job: Montessori School Administrator

Favorite color: PURPLE

Food: Sushi

Song: SO many. I love many genres of music spanning several decades, so it’s hard to pick just one song. But, “You Make My Dreams” by Hall & Oates always, ALWAYS brings a smile.

Playlist: Actually, I’ll never forget Leilani’s 80’s barre playlist with so many of the songs from my childhood - Paula Abdul, Janet Jackson, Debbie Gibson, Fame, Huey Lewis. I loved that playlist so hard!

Book: Anything by Glennon Doyle

Thing to do during lockdown: well, not really a THING to do, but I have grown a DEEP appreciation for spending all day in yoga pants. To the degree that I now feel quite offended when I have to put on “real” pants.

Training: Drumming with Krissy KT in November 2019, and then (finally) Barre Intensity in August 2020

What led you to barre: I was drawn to barre because of my background in dance. As an adult, I struggled to find an exercise modality that I enjoyed enough to stick with. I knew that if I could tap into the only exercise that I had ever truly enjoyed - dance - that I would have found something that I would want to come back to again and again.

What led you to labarre: I first came to labarre at the recommendation of Amber (Bilak Yip) during the end of the underground days and I believe that the universe led me to this incredibly special place. Labarre came into my life at a time when I truly needed healing. I had recently lost my little brother and was searching for a way to find myself again. I first fell in love with the way that labarre’s classes made my body and mind feel - an hour when I could focus on myself and not my grief. However, before long I recognized that there was more going on and that labarre was also helping to heal my soul. There is a magic here for those who are open to accepting it and letting it in. I am forever grateful to have found labarre at a time when I needed it most.

Philosophy/their WHY: Because everyone deserves to find something that fills them up and makes them feel good, inside and out!

Classes they teach: drumming & barre

Favorite classes to practice: drumming

Instagram handle: julie.saccento

Advice for new students: My advice to new students would be to know that there is no judgment here, this CAN be for everyone, regardless of body type or previous experience, and to make it work for you.  And if you’re trying drumming for the first time … just have fun, keep moving, and come back again because I’m not sure anyone feels like they nailed their first drumming class!

First class experience: I convinced myself that I was “just there for the workout," but of course everyone was so encouraging, warm, and welcoming that I was hooked by the feeling of the community. I came back the following morning for my second class!

Piece of gratitude from the last year: Oh gosh … it’s been a crazy year, but I am overwhelmed with gratitude. Gratitude for my own health and the health of my family. Gratitude for my job because it’s given me purpose despite the many challenges that COVID has presented. Gratitude for my kids’ school and the fact that they have been learning despite all of this. Gratitude for a safe, warm home, wine, grocery delivery, and Amazon Prime. Gratitude for labarre for encouraging me to get outside to take classes in the sunshine and fresh air and for fostering a community of truly amazing and KIND humans.