fit for broadway | Body Conceptions

If you’ve seen the blog posts and pics this year, you know that Body Conceptions has created a strong connection with Fit for Broadway and its founder, Jane Jourdan. Jane writes about health and wellness in the Broadway community, and Mahri’s Broadway musical theater background connects perfectly with Jane’s mission.

Mahri’s most recent collaboration with Jane at lululemon in Soho celebrating “Fueling Happiness through Theatre and Dance” with cast members of the Broadway show, On Your Feet, was a huge success. Read Kathleen O’Neill’s piece and check out her pics documenting the fun-filled night. And stay tuned in the next year for even more Broadway events and exciting collaborations!

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It was chilly the evening of the #FuelingHappiness event, but the hosts sure brought the heat to lululemon SoHo. Guests were treated to $20 gift cards upon their arrival and perused the endless racks of the highest quality athleisure. Their arms were piled high with clothes, and the super-friendly associates helped them choose the best options.

Once everyone was decked out in lululemon gear, it was time to get the party started. Clothing displays were pushed aside to expose a vast dance floor, and Latin music emitted through the speaker system. Jane, the mastermind behind the Fit For Broadway blog, brought the talented cast of the Broadway show, On Your Feet (Luis Salgado, Hector Maisonet, Brett Sturgis and Nina Larfarga) to lead a fun warm up.

Our own Mahri of Body Conceptions pumped up the energy level with a high intensity cardio workout. Her uplifting tone of voice and encouraging comments kept everyone in the studio – dancers, yogis, and Broadway stars alike – completely motivated.

Even the sales associates couldn’t help but take a break from closing up the registers to get in on the action.

The lights dimmed and the music transitioned to a more calm and soothing sound for the cool down. The room radiated with a sense of relief, satisfaction, and happiness as everyone stretched out their limbs. There’s nothing better than that feeling you experience right after you’ve worked your body to its core and are giving it the nice stretch it deserves. But in this case, it DID get better with the help of Tiny Empire, which had a table of organic, raw, pressed juices set up and ready to be enjoyed.

While the guests sipped on their refreshments, they scanned the displays of My Intent bracelets (handmade pieces that reflect various meaningful intentions) and Hickies (cool shoelace substitutes that turn any sneakers into slip-ons). Everyone was in great spirits, making new friends, and catching up with old ones. The raffle winners were announced, winning prizes that included a personalized shopping experience with LuluLemon SoHo and a gift card to Birch Coffee. No one went home empty handed because goodie bags filled to the brim with treats were handed out at the end of the evening.

Liquid IV, Yuve , Maple Water, Perfect Bar, Haus Urban Skincare, Hickies, R.Evolución Latina

Then everyone circled up, and lululemon Soho Manager Erin reinstated the purpose behind the evening: To spread positive energy, kindness, and of course, to fuel happiness. It can be done in a number of ways, including donating your time to R.Evolucion Latina (an affiliate of Broadway Cares and Equity Fights AIDS) by teaching dance lessons to underprivileged artists. Gabriela Garcia was there as a representative, and told the heartwarming story of how the program came to be. She had lived her dream of performing on Broadway but was eager for more, so she decided to give back.

One by one, the cast members of On Your Feet also shared their touching stories. Although everyone faced different struggles, the one commonality was that each of them had experienced something preventing them from pursuing theater and dance as a full time career at one point in their lives. Yet each of them found the courage and strength to persevere. And now they’re all living their dream without regrets. Luis’ adorable son, Hikari, could not contain his excitement, and ran towards his father. Then he prompted Luis to get up and dance– it was absolutely precious!

Jane could not have been more accurate in saying it’s hard to find a sense of community in the vast city of New York. But through theater and fitness, she has been able to find just that. And Mahri’s words also hit close to home. It’s easy to get consumed in a tunnel-vision mindset, only focusing on achieving one serious accomplishment after the next, while letting the world around you pass by. It is not until you take a moment to pick your head up and just look; become aware of the beauty that surrounds you every day and embrace it. Find what makes you truly happy and be fearless in chasing it. That’s what Mahri did, and she’s built not only a fitness empire, but a family. Clients look forward to BoCo classes and personal sessions because the trainers know more than just their names; they know their stories—and they’re actually friends. Fun events like this one are just the cherry on top of the cake.

Jane Jourdan, creator of the wildly successful blog, Fit for Broadway, talks a lot about the people in her life who have inspired her. Without realizing, however, she has become a true inspiration to so many people who have come to see her as a guiding light for living a healthy, authentic, connected life. And I’m one of her biggest fans!! From her recent e-book to her fun-filled events, Broadway interviews and deeply thoughtful advice, she is a force to watch!

I am so excited to be doing an event with Jane on Tuesday, May 19th that will feature Broadway performers from the cast of Broadway’s Cinderella along with the global charitable foundation, Because I Am Girl. The night will include a Body Conceptions workout followed by a discussion and talk-back with a full panel of inspiring and phenomenal women, including Jane. Please join us, but RSVP quickly to before it’s full!

I was so excited to have a chance to interview Jane about her life and her incredible blog…

We are so excited to be working with you again, Jane! Can you tell us a little bit about Fit for Broadway? How and why did you create it?

I feel honored to be working with BoCo again! :) I created Fit for Broadway just over a year ago and I can’t believe how much has changed in my personal journey in that amount of time. A year ago, I was auditioning full time and had the idea of creating an online source about the fusion of Broadway, fitness, and health. I originally wanted to call it “A Singer’s Guide to Wellness” and wanted to feature recipes and healthy living tips for performers. I didn’t have much of a vision for it past that. At the time, I was participating in a musical theater workshop and Kristine Bendul (who was in Cinderella at the time) was teaching the dance session each day. She completely blew me away. I remember watching her in complete awe almost to the point of tears because to even say she is a beautiful, wildly talented dancer is an understatement. I had the idea of interviewing her for what had then become my blog, Fit for Broadway, about her health and fitness lifestyle. I thought sharing the advice of a well established and respected artist in the Broadway community would be useful for aspiring performers. I interviewed her over dinner and we talked about everything from meditation to veganism to relationships. It was a really profound moment in my journey when I felt entrusted to share her story in such a unique light. We focused on her artistry, how she lived day to day, how she overcame her struggles, and the intense dedication it took to work on Broadway.

And so became Fit for Broadway!

I feel so honored to interview Broadway performers because, for me, the inspiration extends past the stage. Their stories are full of perseverance, self-discovery, triumphs, battles, and everything in between. I think sharing a very transparent version of someone’s journey is so much more beautiful and interesting than sharing their highlight reel. Also, I think if your health is your main priority, it is much easier to deal with the ups and downs of this industry, and life in general.

I’m currently working on my blog full time and have never felt more fulfilled and inspired in my life. I love events that bring everyone together like our upcoming, Empowering Girls through Theater and Dance! It’s a way to celebrate all of our personal journeys and our common passions. I’m beyond excited for this next year and all of the new and exciting things coming up for Fit for Broadway. Stay Tuned! ;)

You are a performer yourself, right? What’s your background?

I am! : ) I have been singing my entire life and studied classical voice at Loyola Marymount University. I grew up completely obsessed with Phantom of the Opera and then dove completely into the opera world for a few years. My biggest influence musically has been Anna Netrebko (check her out! She is fierce!) I actually got to meet her last year, which was completely bananas. She is my hero. I transitioned to musical theater about two years ago and fell completely in love with the world of Broadway. I’ll always identify myself as a singer. I’m really focused on Fit for Broadway, and that transition feels really natural for me right now.

What’s your favorite part of doing Fit for Broadway?

My top 3 (in random order) :)

1) Connecting with readers
2) Hosting events like our upcoming, Empowering Girls through Theater and Dance
3) Interviewing Broadway performers

BoCo is so passionate about empowering girls and women as a company. I would love to hear your thoughts about that, and how it’s a part of your work, too.

I think empowerment has to be the bottom line constantly, in what we believe and promote. This industry can make you very fragile if you’re not ready for it. I think the most important thing you can do is find your inner strength and inner voice and hold on to that with all your might. Even if you’re not a performer, life is full of twists and turns and I think staying true to yourself is key. You can lose yourself in this city without inner strength and an amazing support team, what I call my “tribe”. And those are things you have to create yourself. I wanted to create not just a source, but also a community where people feel supported to chase their dreams. Whether it’s becoming stronger, more healthy, or standing on a Broadway stage one day. In my mission statement for Fit for Broadway, I have key themes: community, authenticity, honesty, empowerment, inspiration, motivation, and support. I try and make sure through my posts, the events, through anything associated with Fit for Broadway, that I’m staying true to these themes.

What’s something about you that might surprise people?

Probably that I’m from New Mexico. 9 times out of 10 the response is “I’ve never met someone from New Mexico!” which is awesome! It’s a far far away magical land that I get to call home! Maybe also surprising is that I went to undergrad in Los Angeles, lived a year in New Orleans after I graduated, and then made my way to NYC. So I have hopped around! But New York is now my home and I plan to be here awhile.

Is there anything I haven’t asked that you would like to add?

I always like sharing my favorite mantra which is “You are enough.” Sierra Boggess is pretty well known for this message and it really is one of the most empowering messages you could send yourself. For a long time I fought against my body, fought against my voice, fought against things that were uniquely me. The more and more I embrace myself exactly as I am and try to become the best version of THAT…that’s when the magic happens. And that’s really all I want to do through Fit for Broadway, whether it’s my advice, or someone I’m interviewing, or an event- I want people to feel celebrated for authenticity because YOU ARE ENOUGH!

Posts

Broadway Stars Teamed Up With Fitness Professionals at LuluLemon To #FuelHappiness: Find Out What Went Down!

Jane Jourdan of Fit for Broadway: Supporting her “tribe”