Beaming Energy in the Beaman: Brielle Cotter

Brielle Cotter teaches barre on Monday nights, Emily Garver

Whether it’s walking students through a new dance routine or a barre workout, junior Brielle Cotter looks to bring a positive energy to every class.  

“I just have a lot of fun teaching class, and I feel empowered after,” Cotter said.  

Cotter sought out the instructor job with FitRec when she heard about it through JumpStart.  

What she didn’t know before applying was the training and qualification process. 

The program includes anatomy, emergency training and a general overview of the health and safety process that goes into being a group fitness leader.  

After passing the training, Cotter still had to decide which class to teach.  

“When I did my demo, I did a lot of dance inspired moves. I just thought I could fit it into the bootcamp category,” said Cotter.  

But that class wasn’t quite her jive, so her boss recommended her to become a barre instructor instead.  

The barre aspect of fitness includes a combination of Pilates, cardio and toning based in ballet fundamentals.  

After leading barre for about a year and a half, Cotter developed a new line dancing class. 

“I went home for summer…and I learned how to country swing dance and started watching YouTube tutorials,” Cotter said.  

She felt inspired by the music and fitness crossover featured in both line dancing and barre and decided to channel her learning into teaching.  

The preparation process is heavily involved in trial-and-error.  

There are plenty of resources online to seek inspiration from to create a successful class.  

Cotter practices what she preaches when it comes to her classes. 

“I just practice it myself and see what I want to do,” she said.  

Her favorite part of the job is not just teaching but for the community and environment the FitRec provides.  

“I love seeing the smiles on people’s faces, working out, but also having fun,” said Cotter. 

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 This article was written by Emily Garver