Kids, don’t try this at home.

The idea for The Ness — best name ever – think happi(ness) or fit(ness) or well(ness) or just choose your favorite ‘ness — was launched at Bari, the former fitness studio on Leonard. Aly Giampolo and Colette Dong were both professional dancers, and had met at the contemporary troupe they perform with, but bonded over one particular class they were teaching: trampoline cardio.

To see them in action is to understand why. Watching two gorgeous, super-fit professional dancers airborne is what makes you want to try it yourself.

Bari closed in fall 2018, and right away the two started looking at spaces in the neighborhood. By March, they were installed on the third floor of 406 Broadway with a row of west-facing windows and a few layers of rubber beneath the wood floors.

“It’s the greatest decision we ever made,” said Colette (both women are 28 and also have a third founder, Dria Murphy). “We loved bounce so much, and we had been doing it for five years and never tired of it.”

There is something of a catch. The studio is invitation-only. They started with a base of private clients, and wanted, as Aly said, “to build a community of like-minded people who are dedicated to bounce and to their bodies.” From Colette: “The barrier to entry is you have to really want to come here and be up for the workout and be willing to fail and to still want to come back. It’s not a one-time thing.”

To join, you apply with your name and a referral (use me!) on the website and then have a consultation with the gals before you start classes.

“We like to say we are exclusively inclusive,” said Aly.

The studio offers 130 classes a month – bounce, sculpt and The Duo, a combination of both – and has five instructors in all. Classes (50 to 60 minutes) are limited to 10 people who pay as much as $35 per class or $25 if they buy in packs of 15. The instructors know their clients well, and craft the classes based on who comes each day. “We are always trying to make up new routines,” said Aly. “We know who likes what, and we try to keep it challenging.”

They admit the workout is not for everyone. It’s tough, and while low impact, the cardio is intense. The two arrange their own music, keeping it at 120 to 130 bpm.

“This is for people who love movement,” said Colette. “And people who love how exercise makes them feel more than how they look.”

The Ness
www.thenessnyc.com
406 Broadway, Level 3, at Walker
914.233.6630
hi@thenessnyc.com

 

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“We want a challenge, we want to be present, and we want to find a release. We want to feel a high; we want to experience joy. And we like having the energy of a team behind us.” – @goop on what to expect from @goop League. Come experience fearless[ness] with @thenessnyc & the most talented instructors that make this experience possible. October 12 & 13 in Austin, Texas. #letsbounce #goopLeague

A post shared by the ness (@thenessnyc) on Sep 10, 2019 at 9:55am PDT