We recently connected with Laura-Ann Marino and have shared our conversation below.

Laura-Ann, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear your thoughts about making remote work effective.

I have lived and worked as a Personal Trainer and Fitness Instructor who specializes in Dance Fitness in Miami for the past 8 years. A year ago I switched my main home base to New Jersey. I continue to train my clients from Miami here in NJ virtually. I go back to my home in Miami once a month and see my clients in person which helps to keep their technique in tact. However I am amazed by their quality of work and focus while training on a virtual platform. It goes to show if you enjoy the exercise that you do, you could do it anywhere and get optimal results.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I have danced my whole life. I received a BFA in Modern Dance from Marymount Manhattan College. From there I went on to dance professionally in theaters, cruise lines, modern dance companies and was a Knicks City Dancer. When I decided to settle back down in NYC I shifted my career to fitness. At the time dance fitness i.e Barre and Dance Cardio became all the rage! I quickly found my niche by combining elements of functional training with Ballet, Jazz and Modern dance techniques. I worked for well known companies and gyms in NYC and when I moved to Miami Beach in 2016 I continued to thrive in the speciality of the industry I was in. I gained an enthusiastic following that either trained with me privately and/or packed into my group classes all around the city. I believe I became a prominent trainer in my industry there due to the creativity and musicality I bring to my method. It is suitable for people of all levels and for anyone looking to gain strength and flexibility all while embracing the power of music. Since moving up to NJ I decided to open up my own Fitness Studio where I can bring my true expertise into a new light and to share my knowledge and artistry under my own brand! I am looking forward and estatic to open the doors of my own studio “stimuL-Ate” in the early winter of 2025. You can take a look @stimulatestudio or www.stimulate.studio for further information!

Have you ever had to pivot?

When I decided to put my traveling dance career aside and focus on fitness it was a major pivot for me physically, mentally and finacially. At the time I was very excited and ready to change my focus all while still being in a physical career. I went for it full force and within months my schedule was packed with clients and classes all over NYC. I didn’t think at the time that I wouldn’t perform ever again. Here and there I performed in some shows but ultimately the time I needed to invest into my clients and classes took over any dance job. It made me more financially stable however 10 plus years later I can truly say I always miss performing on stage and always wonder where I would be in the dance world had I not stepped away for a fitness career. However, the thing about specializing in Dance Fitness is that I do at times get that feeling of being on stage again. My classes and sessions are programmed much like a performance with an opening, body of movement and a close. People have their eyes on me to hit the movements and get a surplus of energy. I go into any session with a similar feeling and focus on the entertainment and technically quality that was always required when on a stage.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I truly believe that building personal relationships with clientele above and beyond being just their trainer has allowed me to gain an incredible reputation within my market. I have always focused on speaking to everyone that walked into my class whether it was just saying hello or carrying a more in-depth conversation. I think this gave people an insight on who I was as a person and trust for them to open up to me with anything that could be on their mind. When you like your trainer/instructor you have more of a drive to get up and get moving with them. After all, fitness should be about bringing people together into a safe environment where you can feel free to move your body and emote energy. I always want my classes to be an outlet for full expression in mind, body and soul.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.stimulate.studio
• Instagram: LADanceFitness & stimuLAtestudio

Image Credits

@IFilmYoga @iamchristianq @FMNavas