New Lynnfield Fitness Business Set For Grand Opening

One of Lynnfield's newest businesses, Studio Poise, has begun teaching fitness classes and will welcome area residents to its grand opening the weekend of May 18, 19 and 20.

Studio Poise is located in the Kernwood Plaza on Salem Street right at the Lynnfield/Wakefield line. The business is on the lower level of the building, which can be accessed from a staircase in front of the tanning salon and Venezia Day Spa.

Danielle Roback, the owner of Studio Poise, has been a dancer and athlete since childhood. As a 9-year-old growing up in Lynn, Roback was a member of a cheerleading squad that went to California and won a national championship. From there, she went on to play soccer and softball, while also taking figure skating lessons during her middle school years and participating in dance and cheerleading as well. She played soccer for a traveling team in Lynn and is a graduate of Bishop Fenwick High School in Peabody.

However, during her college years at Merrimack, Roback found herself at something of a crossroads. There, she was not involved in cheering or dance, but she was as committed as ever to staying active and in shape.

"I kind of found myself at the gym at school wondering, what am I going to do to keep myself physically active?" she said. From there, she soon discovered Zumba and also fell "absolutely in love with pilates." Along with her new business, Roback is also currently the coach of the Beverly High School cheering squad, a position she has held since 2009. She has been teaching fitness for about four years now.

Roback has created a 30-minute hip hop cardio class that she expects to demonstrate during next weekend's grand opening. Another class offered by Roback is Poise, which mixes elements of pilates with conditioning exercises often used in dance and cheerleading. Roback explains that this lighter training regimen is aimed at matching one's breath to one's movement. During the three days of the grand opening, various demo classes will be offered for free. Otherwise, participants typically pay $15 for one, or they can purchase blocks of classes at a discount.

As an instructor, Roback has certifications in pilates, all aspects of zumba, and also in TRX suspension training - something that she offers private lessons in on the shore of Lake Quannapowitt in Wakefield. Looking back, she recalls how even fairly recently in life, she was not particularly into group fitness training. However, one day she saw an ad for Zumba while at the Beverly Athletic Club and was intrigued that it involved dance and music. From there, she got certified - and the timing was pretty good. "Within that year (Zumba) just blew up," recalled Roback.

As the fitness studio goes forward, Roback reports that she hopes to bring instructors on board for yoga sessions, and she will also focus more on classes for children and young people. One such program, "Twinkle Toes," focuses on entry-level ballet movement for ages 3 and 4.  Roback has already lined up a couple of instructors for these kids' classes, one of whom is on the Endicott College dance team and another who coaches the dance team at Boston University. In the fall, Roback says that the business may offer conditioning classes for teen athletes and dancers, as well as a teen yoga program.

"I think it's hard for teenagers, especially in the age of social media, to find self confidence in themselves," said Roback. "I find just movement alone can help them." Roback also emphasizes that clients of all ages can feel considerable benefits from getting more physically active, citing the small, supportive group atmosphere of her classes.

To learn more about Studio Poise, visit its Facebook page here. The page has a function where clients can book training sessions with Roback or another instructor.  She also has her own fitness and choreography page that can be viewed here, as well as a DanielleRoback.com web page that features blog posts with fitness tips.