Passionate about pilates, this wellness entrepreneur nevertheless extends her vision well beyond core Strengthening

By Jennifer Vikse • Photos by Premier Digital

When Danielle Buccellato opened Renaissance Pilates in Hoboken more than ten years ago, she harnessed a passion for fitness and wellness, $10,000 of her own savings invested, the desire to help people, and the drive to succeed.

“I grew up in a health conscious family playing ball on the streets with my three sisters,” she recalled. “My father was always involved in coaching one of the girl’s teams that we were playing on, and my mother was the Jane Fonda devotee of her day. Outdoor adventure and travel was always on the summer agenda for us as a clan. This positive influence led me to incorporate fitness into my life. It’s part of what drove me to this path.”

While her first job out of Monmouth University was clerking in the New York Mercantile Exchange, then day trading next to some of the biggest wheels in that business, she knew it would only be a pit stop in her career. Ultimately, the dog-eat-dog pits gave her the life experience and the nerve needed to go out on her own.

“A first, I was intimidated working in the commodity pits in the city, then I became more comfortable and open to my surroundings. The experience gave me the bravery to understand that I wanted to do something for myself and for others,” said Buccellato.

At about the same time, the nation— the metro area in particular—was rocked by 9/11.

“I was living in Hoboken at the time. I felt like it needed a wellness sanctuary; there was so much hurt there. A place to escape and come and focus on their mind and body and heal themselves. Those were my initial thoughts and reasoning for Renaissance Pilates, Hoboken,” she said.

Since that Buccellato has built a community of “enthusiasts” who have incorporated mind-body wellness into their lives at the business. “It has become a place that Hobokenites can take an hour for themselves and forget about life for a little while,” she said. “It allows them to be a better person for their community, themselves, and their families.”

The studio is a space for Pilates, Yoga, Xtend Barre, bodyART, and cardio fusion classes, and caters not only to those looking for wellness, but fitness, too. It’s also a haven for those who have never exercised before, including athletes and others recovering from injury, a state Danielle knows only too well.

“As a teenager, I was involved in an unfortunate car accident,” she confided. “I had shattered femur bones, and went through multiple surgeries that involved a permanent steel bar in my right leg. I had to train my legs to walk again at an age when friends were getting ready to dance at the prom. The experience gave me a whole new look and approach to movement through rehabilitation.”

Buccellato’s business concept has been so successful that she brought it to her neighboring hometown of Red Bank. Her new 5,000-square-foot space includes elements from nature—including a front apparatus area drenched in sunlight and oversized art plant frames with living greenery. In addition, students are greeted by a sculptured piece of art, named “The Body.” In fact, the studios themselves are a work of art, from glass Murano-style chandeliers to the stone reception desks in both locations.

“When a student comes in, they fall in love with the feel and environment, and are equally impressed with the classes …that the experience matches the ambiance. I’ve always felt that superior instruction paired with exquisite ambiance fuels clients to move with purpose and helps them to realize they can feel just as graceful as their surroundings,” she said.

The owner is proud of how her vision has come to fruition and that it serves two communities. “I feel like we have developed both, that the studios are equally balanced,” she said.

Buccellato teaches a multitude of Pilates classes and workshops, Cardio fusion classes, and bodyART—a concept that is currently sweeping Europe. In fact, hers is one of the first locations in the area to offer some of these unique classes. The Red Bank studio alone also boasts 18 pieces of Pilates apparatus, and caters to small-group training at all levels. While the studio offers several core related programs, Buccellato was quick to mention another class.

“Our Red Bank Yoga program has been formulated from some of the best and best known instructors in the area,” she said.

The studios offer packages in which classes can be combined on a weekly or monthly basis to add variety, or as standalone options. Together, both studios offer no less than 660 group classes monthly.

Buccellato’s family has been a source of inspiration and constant support; her father has been a mentor in business and in life, helping behind the scenes to get “visions off the ground,” as she put it. In addition, her husband and four-year old daughter are bright lights.

The newest location opened in April has been most welcomed in Red Bank.

“I want people from all walks of life to benefit,” she said. “We can help in a variety of ways. All they need to do is drop in for a complimentary class [offered to all new members] and will immediately want to become a part of the mind-body movement and core inspired phenomena that has been created here.”

Renaissance Pilates
732.268.7730 / renaissancepilates.com / renaissancepilatesredbank.com