Today we’d like to introduce you to Janna Harris.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Janna. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I took my first barre class in 2010 at a boutique studio in Fort Worth. A few friends had tried the class a week before and raved about how hard it was and how sore they were the next day. As a former athlete and 6 days/week gym rat, I was sure they were overreacting and that I’d breeze through class, no problem. I could hardly walk the next day. Every step I took reminded me of my misplaced confidence and how I’d completely underestimated the effectiveness of a barre workout. I was immediately hooked. I took classes at the same studio regularly for about a month. I felt the difference instantly.
My body changed, my posture improved, my muscular endurance increased tremendously. The studio owner took me under her wing. She realized that although she was (as well as all the other instructors) a former professional dancer, barre isn’t ballet. Not every student who took class was a dancer or wanted to be. Most just want a great workout that shapes and strengthens their bodies. She brought me on as an instructor and encouraged me to use my background (I have my Masters in Exercise Physiology from TCU. As an exercise physiologist, I’ve studied the widespread impact exercise has on the body physically and physiologically.
Basically… I’m a nerd, 🙂 to create a class that focused on body awareness and control for overall toning and strength. I even took on the challenge of training for a marathon (in San Francisco of all places… we don’t have hills like that in North Texas!). I used barre as my primary cross-training modality and truly attribute much of my race training and race success to the lower body endurance and core stability I gained from barre. When I finished grad school and left Fort Worth for Dallas, I had to leave the studio as well but I knew I wouldn’t be leaving barre behind. You’d think it’d be easy to find studios to teach at in Dallas, but I knew, a chain or “box studio” wasn’t the right fit for me.
I’d come from a local studio with diversity and creative freedom to make your class unique. So after about 10 months of working full time in oncology rehab and clinical research on top of driving all over Dallas to teach at small studies… I burnt out.
Something had to give. And thus, the birth of Barre In Your Bedroom. I knew I needed to find balance and a way to keep barre (and the health and fitness benefits I got from it) as a primary part of my lifestyle, without spreading myself so thin. I came to understand that life is in constant flux and if maintaining a certain lifestyle was important to me, I was going to have been too flexible and creative about “how, where and when” I made things happen.
Essentially we’re all busy (and probably always will be), but health and fitness doesn’t have to take a backseat (and honestly, shouldn’t – that’s the Exercise Physiologist in me). I figured, for the most part, we can count on waking up and going to bed in our bedroom (or where ever you’re sleeping – dorm room, hotel room, etc) so if nothing else, its worth it to carve out a few precious minutes in that space to focus on yourself, your body, your health and fitness. That’s balance to me. The ability to do whats important to me, on my schedule, where ever I happen to be.
Basically overnight I took my weekly class load down from 5 to 1; I started an Instagram account and really just wanted a way to continue sharing my barre workouts, and embrace the fact that you don’t need a studio to get it done. It challenged me to be even more creative and efficient with my workouts so, naturally, my training techniques and applications evolved and BIYB with it. I now focus on Instagram as a means of offering inspiration to get moving; workouts to keep you moving; and above all else, balance to keep you happy (as shown by the many drinks and all the decadent foods pictured).
Outside of that virtual space, Its important to me to stay connected IRL. Partnering with Klyde Warren Park to provide free community classes and co-hosting Barre & Bites events gives me the opportunity to give back to my community, teach and share what I’m passionate about and believe in.
I love Dallas and all its diversity. I appreciate that you can drive to different areas of the city and get a completely different vibe. That was the catalyst for my Pop Up Barre Series. To bring together a series of pop up barre classes at various locations around Dallas, each highlighting a specific community or element that makes Dallas the unique, thriving city it is. More than a great workout, it’s music curated for a specific vibe, beautiful, eclectic spaces, smaller, intimate classes for an exclusive, one of a kind experience. This is the focus for 2018 (as well as the many Barre & Bites events on the lineup), but there are already so many ideas and plans in the works… think… Barre in Your Bedroom Abroad. 😉
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
If the road was completely smooth, I’d be worried. I like a challenge and running into resistance and obstacles comes with it. I haven’t had anything crazy happen (other than a minor break down and moment of devastation early on when I lost months worth of video footage for a workout series/project I was putting together. I’d even traveled for many of the shots so… there were tears.).
Tech isn’t my thing so there will always be those issues, but I feel that some of my greatest struggles have been self-generated. Like, not asking for help soon enough (because I should be able to do everything perfectly on my own, right?), or letting the fear of rejection or failure keep me from even trying a new idea or project (because sometimes I cope like a two-year-old). Truly the biggest struggle has come from sometimes losing sight of all the potential and WHY I started. There’s always so much going on, and so many people doing so many similar things… it can be overwhelming and a serious struggle to just stay focused.
Please tell us about Barre In Your Bedroom.
Barre in Your Bedroom is ultimately about balance. Have your cake and eat it too (I’m kinda greedy like that ;). I like to think that BIYB specializes in the feeling you get when you realize you’re getting stronger and loving the way your body changes (i.e. your legs or abs or arms are on fire but you just keep going). In order to get that growth BIYB workouts have to be always changing, always challenging, but consistently effective. If you were to ask any of the regular “in class” students or anyone who has attended a BIYB pop-up or Barre & Bites event…
I’m known for the music. The playlist is everything. Playlists are specifically (and eclectically) curated for the venue, the area, the overall vibe we’re trying to create, and THEN I’ll make the workout. I let the music drive the class and the workout is so much better because of it. Sometimes you just need a Derek Pope trap beat to push you through the glutes segment, and sometimes you need Alina Baraz soothing you through the “end of class” stretch. Without fail, there are always questions about the playlist or workout after class.
Those are often my proudest moments and what I believe sets BIYB apart. I invite the feedback and dialogue. I love sharing my taste and interest in music and my education and dedication to health and fitness. Bringing those things together in a BIYB workout truly is a creative experience and expression for me. It’s important that each class, pop up or video workout is unique. I’m grateful to anyone who takes the time to comment or ask questions because that acknowledges and validates the creative process.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I would start earlier, and stronger. I was apprehensive at first and really just trying to figure out how to find some balance. In hindsight, I see that finding balance is an ongoing process so it’s better to just keep moving and be gracious with yourself through the inevitable missteps. I would ask for help earlier and not let others distract me. If I had to start again, I would understand the importance of being fearless, going for it, and just getting it done. I have a feeling that would make a big difference.
Pricing:
- Barre Pop Up Series 15$ / class
- Barre & Bites 20$ – 35$
Contact Info:
- Website: www.BarreInYourBedroom.com
- Email: barreinyourbedroom@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barreinyourbedroom/
- Other: www.BarreandBites.com
Image Credit:
Terel White Photography
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