Six months after my sister, Giavana De Zitter, and her partner Rachael Hughes opened up Barre Centric I had meniscus surgery. After a series of knee problems, that formulated during second semeste
r of my sophomore year at Juilliard, I had to have an anthroscopy, which removed 30 percent of my medial meniscus. Not being able to dance post surgery my muscle became quite atrophied and physical therapy was a must. Receiving the basic physical therapy treatments were a great start in the beginning of the recovering process but were not enough to bring me back to my full dancing capacity. Once I was well enough to attend Barre Centric classes during summer break, I found my muscle strength and proper leg alignment start to come back more rapidly. When returning to school in the fall of 2013, I was not yet 100 percent healed but I continued my therapy and eased myself back into my dance classes. Using the tools from the Barre Centric classes and taking the principles established in the classes I did the exercises everyday using the red ball to strengthen my leg muscles. In classes I was patient in my recovery, and modified when needed, but I found myself getting stronger and never unable to take my classes. Now a full year later, I continue to do the exercises as a warm up and I feel I am a stronger more technical dancer because of them!
–Gemma Freitas
The Juilliard School