Authentic: Marie Cleaves Rothacker

FOR MOST PEOPLE, the first words that come to mind when thinking about ballet or dance are things like “beauty”, “grace”, or “elegance”. But Marie Cleaves Rothacker, founder of Move It Studio, wants us to rethink those concepts and trade them in for words like “empowerment”, “strength”, and “confidence”. To her, movement is about so much more than just appearances. It’s about capturing the movement of your spirit–not just the muscles in your body. It’s unearthing the power of your potential.

Marie has been a dancer her entire life, but after discovering the more unsavory aspects of its professional industry, she knew she had to find a different avenue of pirouetting to her passion. That’s how she eventually developed “Move It Barre”, a class focused on ballet-based movements and fused with pilates. Then, she opened up Move It Studio; a beautiful and safe space to put the program into practice, while serving the community she called home.

And now, as of January 2020, a second Move It location has returned Downtown directly next to Central Market. Offerings include Move It Barre, dance classes for adults, and family based specialty workshops. But unlike many boutique fitness spaces, you won’t see either studio boasting its “weight blasting” or “quick slimming” benefits.

“We exist to empower and uplift through movement, rather than judge,” explains Marie. Instead, the benefits you will see when you consistently attend class include improved coordination, focus, and even grit. She continues, “If a woman truly believes she is good enough, anything is possible.

Marie is currently offering virtual classes. Visit moveitstudio.com for class schedules and more information.