Jennifer’s journey began in classical ballet at age three, where movement became her first language and her way of understanding the world. Years of professional training eventually led her to yoga, first as a tool for recovery, then as a deeper, more compassionate practice. Today, she blends the precision and grace of ballet with the presence and fluidity of yoga through her platform, The Graceful Movement, creating an approach that honors strength, softness, and sustainable connection to the body.
Your foundation in ballet deeply informs your work today. How did your journey with movement begin, and what led you from ballet into yoga?
My journey with movement began very early, at the age of three through classical ballet. Ballet was my first language, it taught me discipline, musicality, precision, and a deep respect for posture and alignment. From a young age, movement wasn’t just something I did; it was how I understood myself and the world around me.
As I moved into a professional dance environment and studied at The School of American Ballet in NYC, I also experienced the physical demands and injuries that can come with that level of intensity. That’s when yoga entered my life initially as a tool for recovery. But very quickly, it became something much deeper.
Yoga offered me space where movement wasn’t about perfection or performance, but about listening. It helped me reconnect to my body in a kinder, more sustainable way, and it opened a spiritual and meditative dimension that I hadn’t fully experienced in ballet.
What ultimately drew me from ballet into yoga was the realization that strength doesn’t need to be punishing and structure can exist alongside freedom. Today, my teaching weaves together the clarity and grace of ballet with the presence and adaptability of yoga. This balance of strength with ease, intention with fluidity is the foundation of my work and of The Graceful Movement.
How did yoga complement or transform your relationship with your body after years of ballet training?
Growing up in classical ballet there were intense physical demands placed on my body. One of my biggest challenges was turnout. It didn’t come naturally to me, and I spent years forcing it, which led to hip and back pain, but also to a sense of frustration and self-judgment.
I often felt like my body wasn’t enough. Yoga became a space where I could undo that pattern. Physically, it helped bring my body back into balance, easing pain, releasing strain, and allowing my joints and spine to move more naturally rather than forcing extreme external rotation. Emotionally, it offered something just as important: peace.
For the first time, I wasn’t comparing myself or trying to perform. I could listen to my body instead of pushing against it. Over time, yoga became a true complement to my relationship with dance and eventually, it became my dance.
Moving with breath, fluidity, and intention felt deeply nourishing, both spiritually and physically. Yoga taught me to appreciate my body for what it could feel, not just how it looked. It gave me permission to move with honesty, balance, and compassion and that shift changed everything.
What parallels do you see between ballet and yoga when it comes to discipline, presence, and grace in movement?
The strongest parallel I see between ballet and yoga is the attention to every detail. In both practices, it’s the energy, focus, and care you bring to the movement that makes them so unique.
As a dancer, what draws you to watch a ballet dancer is not just the steps, but the presence and passion expressed through the arms, hands, feet, and the way the body comes alive.
Yoga is different, yet the same. It asks you to be deeply rooted and connected to yourself. When you practice, you enter your own zone fully present in your body and the movement, free from distraction, simply enjoying the experience.
Especially in today’s fast-moving world, I believe it takes real strength to commit to mindful practices like ballet and yoga. Slowing down, moving with intention, and giving deep attention to breath and body is becoming increasingly rare, yet it is exactly what these practices ask of us.
Both ballet and yoga are not trends, but disciplines rooted in rich history that require consistency and devotion. When practiced regularly, they offer a profound sense of wholeness, a balance of joy, energy, peace, and deep connection that continues to draw me back, again and again.
The Graceful Movement feels like a natural evolution of your journey. What inspired you to create this online platform?
The Graceful Movement truly grew as a natural evolution of my life and teaching. Having lived in three different places and taught in different countries, I’ve been incredibly shaped by the people I’ve met and the communities I’ve been part of.
That sense of connection became especially strong during the pandemic, when I taught daily online classes and connected with people from all over the world. It was a challenging time for everyone, but teaching then felt deeply meaningful as a shared anchor.
While many people expressed how the classes supported them, the truth is they supported me just as much. Those connections never left me. Recently, a student from Italy who had practiced with me online since the pandemic walked into my class in London, and it was incredibly moving. Moments like that reminded me how powerful and lasting this global community can be.
Creating The Graceful Movement as an online platform was my way of honoring that connection. I wanted people to have access to the practice wherever they are, without relying on a physical studio.
For me, this platform is my studio one that travels, evolves, and remains accessible. I believe movement should feel organic and inclusive. You don’t need equipment or a perfect setup; movement is for every body, at every stage of life.
Ultimately, The Graceful Movement exists to help people feel good in their bodies and connected to themselves and each other. It’s an expression of everything I love about movement, shared, intentional, and never forced and something I’m deeply excited to continue growing with an international community.
How would you describe the intention behind The Graceful Movement, and what kind of experience did you want to offer your community?
The intention behind The Graceful Movement is to create a sense of community rooted in good energy. I truly believe that when energy feels positive and supportive, movement can flow more freely. As a teacher, it’s important to me that people feel that energy because it shapes how we move and how we connect.
The experience on offer goes beyond simply completing a workout. The Graceful Movement invites people to truly get to know their bodies and to move in a way that responds to their needs, which naturally evolve through different stages of life. It’s about building a sustainable, functional body that supports you not just on the mat, but in everyday life.
I also wanted to move away from the idea that movement has to be punishing to be effective. Movement can be strong, intentional, and challenging while still feeling good.
The Graceful Movement goal is for people to feel at ease, connected, and confident in their bodies, moving through space with awareness, grace, and a sense of beauty that comes from within.
Your classes emphasize fluidity, strength, and softness. How do you weave these qualities into both your yoga teaching and movement methodology?
Fluidity, strength, and softness truly define The Graceful Movement, and I don’t see them as opposing qualities. I believe we don’t have to compromise one for the other. Strength comes from awareness, attention to detail, and precision in how we move. When movement is intentional, strength naturally develops without force.
As we become more aware of our bodies, we also become more at ease. That ease allows fluidity and softness to emerge, so movement no longer feels punishing or rigid. Instead, it becomes a deeper mind–body experience, one that feels connected, expressive, and even spiritual.
This is how I practice and teach as well. I love to challenge myself, but never at the expense of softness. One of my teachers once said, never begin your practice at a ten start at two. That idea stayed with me. When you leave space, there is room to grow, adapt, and respond. For me, weaving fluidity, strength, and softness is about moving with awareness, staying challenged, yet open, grounded, and at ease within the body.
What has been most meaningful to you about building and nurturing an online community through The Graceful Movement?
The depth of connection it has created across distance. Since the pandemic, I’ve connected with people I would have never met otherwise relationships formed entirely through movement, breath, and shared experience. That still feels incredibly powerful to me.
This became especially clear when I moved from Paris to London. I didn’t yet have a local community or live classes, and my online community became my anchor. Even now, I continue teaching my Paris-based students online several times a week, and the messages I receive about how the practice has supported them physically, emotionally, and mentally are deeply touching.
Movement has always been personal for me. It’s been my therapy, my constant, and a source of strength through different stages of life raising children, moving countries, and building new beginnings. Being able to share that with others, and knowing they feel the same sense of support and positivity through The Graceful Movement, is incredibly meaningful. It reminds me that no matter where we are in the world, we can always connect through movement and that’s what continues to inspire me to grow this community.
How do you support students in reconnecting with their bodies in a gentle yet empowering way, especially those coming from structured movement backgrounds like dance?
I support students in reconnecting with their bodies by first guiding them back to the breath. At the beginning of each class, I create a playful, gentle flow that feels nourishing rather than demanding. This helps students release tension, soften their guard, and begin to connect more deeply to their breath and body.
From there, I encourage observation by noticing sensations, emotions, and how the body feels in that moment. This awareness is especially important for students from structured movement backgrounds, where control and perfection can take over.
Creating a supportive, curious atmosphere, movement becomes something to enjoy rather than perform. When students feel safe and present, reconnection happens naturally, and the body begins to respond in a sustainable way.
What does your personal practice look like right now, and how does it continue to evolve alongside your teaching?
My personal practice right now is very intuitive. I get on my mat and first notice how my energy feels that day, then I move accordingly. I don’t limit myself to one style. I love bodyweight movement, barre and free-style dance, squats, lunges, and a bit of single-leg work consistently.
I enjoy lifting weights because it exercises the brain in a different way and compliments my body weight movement. Yoga is always woven through everything I do, whether it’s barre, Pilates, or fitness-based movement, because it continually brings me back to center and to a sense of peace.
I leave space for meditation and free-flowing movement. At this stage of my life, my practice is about honoring where I am rather than pushing myself into anything forced.
That philosophy carries directly into my teaching,I love to challenge students, but in a way that feels present, intelligent, and never punishing. My practice is also spread throughout the day. I don’t always have time for a long session, so it might be ten minutes here, five minutes there, even simple ballet-inspired movements in the kitchen between teaching.
Consistency matters more to me than duration. Moving regularly, in small, intentional moments, is what keeps me feeling grounded, strong, and connected and it’s something I encourage my students to embrace as well.
Looking ahead, what’s next for The Graceful Movement, and how do you hope it continues to grow and serve your community?
My Vision for the Future: Expanding Grace, Connection, and Community
Looking ahead, my focus is unequivocally centered on continuing to evolve and expand The Graceful Movement platform. This space has truly become the beating heart of my community, a sanctuary where people from all walks of life can connect with their bodies and find support. I’ve poured countless hours, immense passion, and deep personal experience into its creation, and my intention is to keep developing content that is not only inspiring and practical but also deeply supportive.
I aim to foster a movement philosophy that genuinely meets people where they are, recognizing that every individual is at a different stage of life and a unique point in their movement journey. This means offering a versatile library of practices from revitalizing morning flows to restorative evening sessions all designed to be seamlessly integrated into a busy life.
Bridging the Access Gap: Sharing Movement Beyond Traditional Spaces
Simultaneously, a strong and compelling calling resonates within me: the necessity of reaching communities that traditionally lack consistent access to the transformative power of yoga, Pilates, and mindful movement. It is a profound frustration that movement, which should be an essential part of well-being, has increasingly become perceived as exclusive or financially unattainable.
I hold an unwavering belief that if more people felt truly connected to their own bodies experiencing that sense of strength, peace, and self-compassion the world would be a happier, more resilient, and exponentially more compassionate place.
That care we cultivate for ourselves inevitably and organically extends outward to our families, communities, and the world at large. Therefore, finding concrete, actionable ways to share movement beyond the four walls of traditional studios through dedicated community outreach programs, consistent volunteer work, or developing robust, truly accessible programming is not just an aspiration; it is a core, non-negotiable imperative of my future work.
Redefining Grace: Movement, Dialogue, and Leadership
I also see the future of The Graceful Movement expanding well beyond the purely physical practice. The concept of "Grace," for me, is far more than a fleeting aesthetic; it is a foundational philosophy, a way of living, a style of leadership, and an intentional manner of showing up in the world. I feel an intense inspiration to re-expand into the realm of conversation and dialogue. This could manifest as a revival of my previous Graceful Chats series or, more ambitiously, the exploration of a sophisticated podcast format. My goal is to connect with and amplify the voices of other women thought leaders, entrepreneurs, and creatives who lead their lives and businesses with unimpeachable integrity, profound creativity, and an abundance of heart.
Ultimately, whether the vehicle is dynamic movement instruction, insightful and honest dialogue, or meaningful community outreach, my overarching and singular intention remains constant: to continue sharing the profound joy of movement and, crucially, to pass that vital sense of self-connection, inner peace, and grace forward to as many people as possible.
Practice with Jennifer
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Connect with Jennifer
- Website: thegracefulmovement.com
- Instagram: @the_graceful_movement
- Upcoming events: Reconnect and Renew Spring Retreat, March 6-8 2026, Bore Place, Kent, England.
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