North Plainfield, NJ Indoor Activities

Having garnered a black belt under the Brazilian tutelage of Renzo Gracie and his family, professional mixed-martial-arts fighter Jamal Patterson mentors students in "The Gentle Art" of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, as well as other martial-arts forms. Whether he and AllStar's coaches are leading women's self-defense seminars, children's anti-bullying classes, or advanced Brazilian jiu-jitsu sessions, they focus on self-reliance and body awareness through the use of fluid motions and poise. Participants in various classes learn movements that stave off attacks without the need for weapons, name-calling, or balloons filled with spoiled milk.

Director Theresa Rowland dedicated herself to yoga after being introduced to it by her mother, learning Iyengar yoga from BKS Iyengar himself and pursuing studies in therapeutic recreation and movement therapy. Employing an extensive roster of instructors, Theresa's studio hosts eclectic classes for all levels of students and trains aspiring Iyengar yoga instructors. In addition to meditation and yoga sessions, which promote self-awareness, the studio also offers fitness-oriented workouts, such as Pilates and Zumba. During class, Studio Yoga's childcare services can keep an eye on students' toddlers or needy house plants.

A mural of Buddha greets guests at Baker Street Yoga, its warm smile perhaps a hint at the elevated temperatures that await students inside. The studio teaches Vinyasa-style yoga, which shuttles practitioners through a flowing series of poses that pair with deep, timed breathing. This combination helps the body build strength and balance, while the heated classroom induces sweat. Instructors at Baker Street Yoga can modify any pose based on a student’s abilities or number of metal-hook hands, a practice which opens each class on the schedule to all ages, body types, and levels of experience. They hope not only to improve students’ physical health, but their spiritual strength as well.

The walls of Bhakti Barn Yoga bloom with poppy-red and robin's-egg blue, reflecting nature's outer beauty in a space teeming with natural light. Ganesha, the Hindu god of wisdom, dances above yogis in a vibrant mural, waving his arms in encouragement as students stretch theirs skyward to slap him a high-five. Experienced instructors guide students of all levels through meditative Kundalini routines and flowing Vinyasa sequences. Cores grow during Bhakti Basics sessions, which teem with fundamental poses, deep-breathing exercises, and alignment pointers. To promote community and keep stress at bay, teachers pepper classes with calming tea breaks.

Debbie Coury was a child when she began dancing at Yvette Dance Studio. The passion cultivated in that community-focused studio catapulted her career, as she went on to dance on Broadway and in Atlantic City. Though she had a taste for the glamour of a big production, she was thrilled to return back to Yvette studio, which began as a focused training program in 1954, as head instructor. She has recruited professional dancers and certified-fitness instructors, along with guest Broadway dancers and choreographers to train children aged 3 or older and adults alike in dance fundamentals. Whether classical and barre ballet, tap, or jazz-funk hip-hop, they frequently incorporate character and lyrical work to familiarize students with all the elements of performing onstage and stomping out Morse-code commands to the band conductor.

In lieu of recitals, instructors dance alongside their youngest students in dance demonstrations, where students show their parents what they've learned without the pressure of performance or lights and makeup. Older children work out new techniques in front of judges for regular testing and receive specific feedback to foster a sense of accomplishment. With instruction spanning nearly 60 years, many former dancers now bring their own children to studio classes held in the original private home, a building that now hosts three private studios. Additionally, many former dancers have employed their movement skills to join companies such as the Rockettes, Alvin Ailey, and Geoffrey Ballet.