In the basement of War Memorial, the steady bass of music plays and pointed toes pulse to the beat. Despite the stuffy, dry heat (unique to the building) and sore limbs, there is an energy here, and behind that energy is barre instructor, Julia Workowski.
Taking one of her barre classes, you would find it hard to believe that Julia has had zero dancing experiences. When she first started teaching barre, Julia was extremely nervous. Though this fear was quickly erased because of the participants; “People that come in, I’ve had a few guys but mostly women, have a willing mentality to try, that’s made me super comfortable.”
Julia started watching workout classes on YouTube in high school as a way to stay fit in the cross country and swimming offseason. After watching these classes, Julia knew that she wanted to be a group exercise instructor. When she first came to Virginia Tech, she decided not to go for an on-campus instructor position, and chose to teach yoga off campus at Crimper’s Climbing Gym. Since 2016, Julia has been an instructor for Virginia Tech alongside Crimper’s.
Julia has taught pilates, yoga and barre for Tech. You may recognize her from Moonlight Yoga on the Drillfield, an event from early October. Julia said during the event “people walking on the Drillfield would drop their bags and join in!”
For Julia, the best part of being a group exercise instructor is seeing participants grow; “Seeing someone change in a physical way, along with their attitude towards exercise, creates such a positive environment.” Now a senior, majoring in human nutrition, foods, and exercise with a concentration in dietetics, Julia is focusing on her future. In June 2018, she will go to Nicaragua and train with Momentom Collective, a circus arts performance group. There she will earn 200 hours to become a yoga instructor and be a part of the troupe.
Image Sources: Courtesy of Sara Mathew