The role of "barre instructor" is just one of the many titles Elyssa Sardy carries. To us at Barre Intensity, we have the pleasure of including the word "Master" to her name. If you've attended a Barre Intensity Barre Certification and had the pleasure of working with Elyssa, you know her passion and excitement for all things barre and fitness shines through. Spend some time getting to know Elyssa as she answers a few of our fitness questions.
What is your background in the fitness industry?
I've been involved in fitness and sports for about 25 years. Shortly after graduating with a degree in Finance I had a desire to shift what I was doing to follow my love of fitness and health. In 2008 I started working on my Pilates certification through Balanced Body. About a year later I decided to get certified to teach barre and become a barre instructor. I found barre to be a perfect compliment to my Pilates foundation, bringing on new ways to help my clients improve their strength, body alignment, posture, flexibility, and body awareness. Several years later I was asked to come on board as a Master Trainer for RealRyder Indoor Cycling and then in 2013 I joined Barre Intensity as a Master Trainer.
What is your favorite part about being a Barre Intensity Master Trainer?
I absolutely love meeting so many people from around the country at each barre certification who share a passion for movement of the body like I do. I always hope to inspire and motivate those around me in such a way that it encourages them to pass on that positive energy. I take great joy in helping my Barre Intensity students to realize their full personal movement potential while helping them learn a Barre technique that they can take with them for the long term to teach and share.
View one of Elyssa's Barre Intensity classes on Barre Now.
Do you get nervous before conducting a barre instructor training weekend?
I'm so confident with the Barre Intensity technique and completely believe in it and stand behind it that I'm excited rather than nervous before each barre instructor training weekend. Of course when I'm in front of a new group I have a few nervous butterflies, but as soon as I start to share the technique I love and that I'm so passionate about those butterflies disappear.
If you could become a "Master" at another type of fitness or mind body discipline, what would it be?
This is a tough one. I honestly have so much respect for all of those out there in the fitness world who share their craft. It's hard to choose, but I think right at this moment I would have to say Yoga. I'm always in awe of the beauty, strength and flexibility of the body when someone is able to get themselves in and out of those complex yoga positions. On top of that, masters of Yoga always inspire me with their deep words, quotes, and the way they seem to be able to connect with everyone in the room.
Where do you pull your fitness inspiration?
I absolutely LOVE to learn and I continue to try to improve my Pilates and Barre craft through workshops and other continuing education platforms. I always learn something new after a workshop and it gets me excited and stirs up my creative juices. I'm inspired through movement, meaning each and every time I take a class of any sort, or workout in any way I try to tap into my body and I try to recognize how it makes me feel. From there I work on infusing what felt invigorating, challenging, exciting, and good to me while I was working out into my classes that I teach. Lastly, simply watching unique choreography from fellow instructors on Barre Now or from other fabulous instructors on different forms of social media gets me inspired and helps me to think up of new and creative series and flows to excite my class while continuing to challenge them.