#MemberSpotlight - One Member's Journey Through Movement
Meg Mark's Journey into Skincare
CONNECT WITH MEG
FACEBOOK: Meg Mark - Ever Botanicals
INSTAGRAM: @thegymforyourface
WEBSITES: http://www.everskin.com/with/megmark; http://www.megyourmark.com
Go Green 2017
Breakin Boundaries is so excited to be sponsoring Go Green for another year! Go Green is an outdoors festival that aims to promote environmental awareness and get people involved in their community! It is a chance for community members and businesses to get together and connect with one another; from various art and food vendors, to interesting and interactive exhibits, this is a day you won’t want to miss!
As for us, we will be celebrating the entire day with back-to-back-to-back-to-back FREE dance and fitness classes! We will also be launching NEW MERCH and offering class discounts, so be sure to visit us! Our schedule for the day is as follows:
10:00am- Yoga/Reiki
10:30am- Barre
11:00am- Kickboxing/Bootcamp
11:30am- Zumba
12:30pm- Vixen
1:30pm- Hip Hop
2:00pm- Fit Fatale
2:30pm-Afro Karibe
3:00pm- Free style
3:30pm- Jazz Funk
Master Shamanic Reiki Practitioner Christina Lovely will be offering donation based mini Reiki and massage therapy sessions
The event will take place on June 3rd in McCarren Park in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. You can find more information here
Can’t wait to see you there!
xx
#TeamBB
Get some Jazz Funk in your life
We've had a few of you ask about the choreo-based classes in our schedule. If you haven't tried Jazz Funk (formerly Fusion) with our girl Lauren Cannon, now's the time!
Here's Lauren in her own words, sharing some fun facts about herself, how she got here, and what you can expect out of Jazz Funk.
BB: HOW DID YOU GET INTO DANCE / FITNESS?
Lauren: I hated after school programs at the YMCA and babysitters so my mother decided to put me into dance and I fell in love.
BB: LAST SONG YOU LISTENED TO?
Lauren: 1,000 Times by Hamilton Leithauser + Rosta
BB: WHAT KEEPS YOU MOVING?
Lauren: A good beat, beautiful words, and random acts of kindness
BB: FIRST DREAM JOB?
Lauren: My first dream job was to dance with Michael Jackson...okay it was actually to be Michael Jackson.
BB: FIRST AOL SCREEN NAME? EXPLAIN YOURSELF.
Lauren: larlar12345 which also use to be my Instagram. I'm not ashamed! :)
BB: WHAT SHOULD WE EXPECT IN JAZZ FUNK?
Lauren: To leave sweaty and feeling sexy, challenged, and wanting more.
Guess who's back?! Stephanie returns to kick your ass next Monday at BB!
If you haven't had the chance to take a class with Breakin Boundaries' Master Trainer Stephanie Lombardi, now's the time. She's coming back to hit us with a 75 minute ass-kicking Zumba master class that will leave you sore for days. But don't intimidated. Steph has been along for the BB ride since its inception. Here's a little backstory and some fun facts about our bootcamp guru.
BB: How long have you been teaching and how did you get into it?
Steph: I have been teaching dance and fitness for 7 years. My love for dance began when I was 6 years old, when I was enrolled in my first hip hop class. Once I turned 17, I got certified for Zumba fitness and began working for Renee at Breakin Boundaries when she was pregnant with her first child.
BB: Song that makes you get up and dance no matter what you're doing?
Steph: I will get up and dance to ANY Backstreet Boys, Nysnc or Spice Girl song!! My all time absolute favorites.
BB: What keeps you moving?
Steph: Music keeps me moving! I feel such a connection with music - the lyrics, the beat, the base. It all keeps me going in one way or another.
BB: Guilty pleasure?
Steph: CANDY! I am sucker for candy. I love anything sour or that involves chocolate.
BB: If you had to give advice to your 18 year old self, what would it be?
Steph: Friendship is about quality, not quantity. When you're young, you look to have a lot of friends and tend to want to be friends with everyone. However, as you get older, you start to realize that there are only a handful you can trust, and only a handful you really need and want by your side.
BB: What should we expect in your master class?
Steph: Expect energy, laughs, booty shaking, hip swaying, sweaty goodness of a workout!! I'm coming back hardcore, bringing back most of my class favorites that really get us going!! I'm looking forward to it and can't wait to see old faces and meet new ones!!
BB's Dynamic Duo: Renee Manzolillo (Owner/Founder) and Stephanie Lombardi (Master Trainer)
Move with Grace every Wednesday at 8:15pm
Get to know BB's sweet, fun resident CheerFit instructor, Grace Seghini, as she shares a bit about herself and her class.
BB: WHAT GOT YOU INTO THE DANCE/FITNESS WORLD?
Grace: I started dancing when I was 5 years old and trained in ballet, jazz, and tap. But when my studio closed down after three years I turned to musical theatre to continue dancing and performing. Now I am working as a professional cheerleader and dancer, among other odd jobs. I honestly wasn't the hugest fan of fitness for a long time. But as a professional cheerleader you need to balance dancing with working out, weight training, and other fitness methods. That's why I got into cheerFIT, because I can combine two of my passions and make working out fun.
BB: LAST SONG YOU LISTENED TO?
Grace: "Bad Decisions" by Ariana Grande; been vibing on her new album.
BB: WHAT MOVES YOU?
Grace: I'm moved to dance by many things. I'm quite a shy person, so when I dance I am allowed to communicate freely and in my most open form. I don't feel judged, and it's a very empowering medium for me. When a song comes on I can't help but dance; music is such a moving force. Even when I'm sitting down at other jobs, my coworkers always tell me how they can see me dancing in my seat and in my mind whenever a song comes on. I'm also moved by my determination to reach my goals, as a hope to become a touring dancer one day. I've already had the taste of travel from one opportunity, with the Gotham City Cheerleaders, and it's made me hungry for more.
BB: WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST DREAM JOB?
Grace: When I was in fifth grade I had to write down what I wanted to be when I grow up for the school yearbook, so I put "Ice Performer" because I was watching the Winter Olympics at the time! I'm a Michelle Kwan fan, and I took ice skating lessons (very briefly) as a child, so it sounded fun to me. I've always been into lots of different things though, so I was never set on just one occupation.
BB: FIRST AOL SCREEN NAME?
Grace: It was: MissKix33. Haha, the Kix is because my favorite cereal is Kix, and the 33 was my jersey number in middle school when I played soccer. The Miss is because everyone needed "Miss" or "Lil" in their screen name of course! I was being tame with just one x though.
BB: WHAT SHOULD WE EXPECT IN A CHEERFIT CLASS?
Grace: Expect a high energy bootcamp class that combines classic cheer moves with fitness moves set to upbeat tunes! Exercises that cheerleaders use to stay fit and in cheer shape all year 'round are incorporated into the class to tone, sculpt, and define. Everyone gets a set of pom poms, of course, so you can feel like a cheerleader on the sidelines. There's some dancing and cheer chants thrown in as well. Oh, and get ready for lots of squats :D
Check out BB's CheerFit class with Grace every Wednesday at 8:15pm.
Jessica Phoenix brings Fiyah Afta Dark to BB
Team BB sat down with our very own Fiyah / Dancehall instructor Jessica Phoenix to talk about her story and what we can expect from Fiyah Afta Dark. If you've ever taken any of her classes, you know this is going to be a soul filling, sexy night of fun! If you haven't, you're seriously missing out! Put it on your calendars and join us 10/27 at 9:15pm!
BB: WHAT GOT YOU INTO THE DANCE/FITNESS WORLD?
Jess: My mama put me and my sisters in dance classes when we were young - ballet, tap, jazz. And my mom was also a jazzercise instructor when we were growing up, so I was hip to the fitness thing from early on. I just didn't know it was going to come into my life later on. But I grew up watching her and her routines in the living room, with the highwaist leotards, biker shorts, bright colors -- BB team interrupts to say "I want that. Bring it back!" (laughter ensues) -- And maybe about 3 years ago, I started getting into the fitness aspect. People would come to my class and tell me it was such a great workout so it got me thinking maybe i should actually do it for real.
BB: LAST SONG YOU LISTENED TO?
Jess: Konshens - Action...the raw version.
BB: Oooooohh...
BB: WHAT MOVES YOU?
Jess: My mood, how I feel at the moment. What's going on in the world, friends and family. Everyday life. I might change my playlist coz of something I saw on the way over here.
BB: WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST DREAM JOB?
Jess: For the very first one, before I knew what a veterinarian was, I said I wanted to be animal doctor...I have a video! But around that same age, my mom dug up an old letter that I wrote to my grandparents. It said I wanted to move to NYC and be a dancer. And I did it!!! (Please note that she kicked her leg straight in the air as she said this.)
BB: FIRST AOL SCREEN NAME?
Jess: Bububear and Hoofn4life
Back story is that I realized early on that ballet wouldn't be my thing. I caught on tap really quick because of the rhythms, and I liked hoofing style. So I was into hoofing, and eventually left ballet and jazz to be in a semi-pro tap group around middle school, for about 2 years. So it was Hoofn4life!
BB: WHAT SHOULD WE EXPECT AT FIYAH AFTA DARK?
Jess: A sexy good time, lights off, whining up your waist, letting your hair down, alter egos, props -- it's gonna be sexy, goodness, fun.
If you can't make it to Fiyah Afta Dark, you can find Jess spreading joy, love and FIYAH every Monday, Thursday and Sunday at BB. Check our schedule for details.
Brittny and Ashley Sugarman of Dance Kit share what moves them
BB: What got you into the dance/fitness world?
Ashley: I used to competitive dance when I was younger, but as I got older, it became more of a fun hobby. Now, with dance fitness classes becoming more and more accessible, it allows me to still dance for fun and release my inner Rihanna after working for 8 hours!
Brittny: Dance has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember and want to do it every chance I get. I dance for a living, so what's better than getting to do it for your health as well?! I love how they have now combined them to make working out more enjoyable.
BB: How did you guys come up with Dance Kit?
Ashley and Brittny: We wanted to create something that could be universally used in the dance world, no matter what age, genre or level you are. Also, with the athleisure marketing exploding over the past few years, it really changed people's mindsets on how they get ready to workout now. Just because you are going to dance or workout, you still gotta look fab!
BB: Name 3 random scenarios a Dance Kit could come in handy.
Ashley:
- Who wants to take a dance class to a Beyonce song with flat hair?! One hair flip and a few hairspray spritzes before your dance class, and wait until you see the difference in how you slay that choreo!
- Jazz heel classes have become so popular and are so much fun- until you have blisters from your shoes! Your DanceKit has bandaids so you don't have to sacrifice dancing full out.
- You are SO OVER dumping your purse or gym bag upside down to find that ONE hair tie you have been holding onto for weeks because your others seem to disappear. Your DanceKit has a stack of them, nice and tidy in a zipper compartment!
Brittny:
- If you are like me you ask yourself everyday, "where did all my bobby pins go?" Somehow they love to disappear, but not with DanceKit. You know exactly where they are at all times!
- Whenever I audition for major artists or movies, image can be a big part of it. It is so great knowing I have that perfect red lipstick handy to get ready and book the job :)
- Another audition technique gone wrong is when you are dancing so hard with your audition number and it falls off. It's very important that the casting directors know your number in order for them to book you. Having my DanceKit assures me they will never miss my number by having safety pins on me incase it falls off.
BB: If you could dance with anyone, who would it be?
Ashley: Ellen DeGeneres.
Brittny: Michael Jackson
BB: We're so excited for your master class at BB! What can we look forward to seeing/doing/experiencing?
Ashley: Brittny can move like no one else! She was one of the main dancers from the Step Up movie franchise, so expect to learn the hip hop moves inspired by those movies! Also, dancing at studios in L.A. like Millennium Dance Complex, you are always pushed to your fullest potential, so be prepared to go full out all class and break a major sweat! For the hour class, you can live out your J.Lo backup dancer alter ego!
Brittny: I am so excited to be teaching at BB! I believe fun and confidence is the most important part of becoming the best dancer you can be. I am going to be bringing not only choreography, but different techniques to make sure every student leaves there sweaty, with a smile, confident, and have learned at least 1 thing.
BB: Lastly, what is your JAM? (i.e. that song that gets you up to bodyroll no matter what you're doing)
Ashley: A$AP ROCKY- Problems
Brittny: Beyoncé- Formation
A Love Letter From Our Founder
Dear Breakin Boundaries family, sponsors & community members,
I would like to take this time to say THANK YOU! Sunday's relaunch event at Breakin Boundaries was more than I could have ever imagined. I am still flying high from all the energy that exuded from you all. The amount of support, love and dedication was overwhelmingly infectious.
A special thanks to all the incredible sponsors for your generosity. Whether you were a vendor, donated raffle prizes, or supplied us with products or services, we are so appreciative of your support for a woman-owned local business. We are looking forward to future collaborations.
To my Breakin Boundaries squad, my team of excellence -- Conchita, our studio manager, for keeping me sane through this whole relaunch process helping us with our kickass NEW website (sponsored by DUPO.is); Danielle, our head yoga instructor, for always providing BB with awesome visuals, including our new logo, flyers and merchandise; Carolyn our fitness coordinator, for her constant sense of humor, social media, marketing and branding ideas; and of course, Stephanie, for being there from day one, my partner in crime, our new Master Trainer, and my friend. To our summer interns Deanna and Agata, thanks so much for all your help. To Nate Parson, for such great photos that accurately depict who we are. And Russell our desk associate, for handling front desk duties among other things, and being our in-house handy man. I can't thank you all enough for your efforts!
To all the BB instructors, for continuously delivering kick ass dance and fitness classes each week. Your diverse styles, cultures and personalities are what draw me to you all. For your ongoing support and believing in my vision for what Breakin Boundaries should be. Much love for you all.
And of course our Breakin Boundaries VIP's, members and extended community. It's because of each and every one of you that BB thrives. We are so BLESSED and honored to have such amazing people take class week after week. Thank you for trusting me with your fitness and nutritional goals. It has been an absolute pleasure to get to know you all on a personal level, and welcome you all to the BB FAMILY!
I would like to share with you my all time favorite quote:
Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate,
but that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us.
We ask ourselves,
Who am I to be brilliant,gorgeous, handsome, talented and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us.
It is not just in some, it is in everyone.
And, as we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our fear, our presence automatically liberates others.
- Marianne Williamson
Thank you again,
Renee Manzolillo
More photos to come soon!
Why we love our community
Every year, Breakin Boundaries sponsors Go Green, an annual celebration of the Greenpoint community in Brooklyn. From local vendors to artists to free dance and fitness classes, Go Green gives those of us living in the neighborhood a reason to come out and meet, mingle and connect with one another. We love spreading our mission of health and wellness to this community we love so dear because it is as much a part of us as we are a part it.
We'll now be going on our eighth year in the Williamsburg/Greenpoint community and you've shown us your loyalty and dedication at each and every turn. It's the reason we love to do what we do. We're excited for this next chapter in our story but wherever the journey takes us, we promise to always be the squad you can depend on for ass-kicking workouts, unconditional moral support and most importantly, a raucous sweat-dripping, soul-shaking good time.