Eileen Simon
What has JUST B METHOD & this experience meant to me? I hardly know where to begin. First of all, taking part as a cast member has given me the opportunity to revisit a long lost love. I started taking Ballet lessons at the age of 5 and continued to dance in some capacity until well into my 50’s. A foot problem forced me to retire from ballet, but with the addition of ATTITUDEBALLET & PILATES FUSION, I am strengthening my core and working on posture while enjoying dance again. As we age, posture is one of the things that deteriorates and clearly contributes to looking and feeling older. The experience has been physically and emotionally rewarding for me. The social component and wonderful new friends I have acquired has been extremely rewarding to me. It is also so much fun to watch the improvement in the other women who did not have the benefit of dance in their lives. We all carry our bodies with more strength, grace, and confidence because of training in the JUST B METHOD. Bernadette is a beautiful, amazing teacher who has inspired all of us. I am so grateful to her and my fellow cast members for allowing me to be a part of this adventure. 
I was born in Harrisburg, Pa & graduated from PennStateUniversity where I majored in Math and was a cheerleader. I am 63 yrs old &
will be married to my husband Louis for 40 years in October of 2007. I have two sons, Eric & Doug, who are married & have given me two wonderful daughters, Tracy & Jessica, all residing in Philadelphia. I also have two dogs, Bearded Collies named Gideon & Averill, to whom I am very devoted. We take long walks together every day, and I also enjoy competing in obedience at dog shows with them. I love golf, bridge & I also play tennis & ski when I have the opportunity. I love going to the ballet & theater. I have been a Docent at the Philadelphia Zoo for 21 years & love animals of all kinds. My favorite activity at the Zoo is the outreach program, “Zoo-2-U,” where we take animals to schools, hospitals & retirement communities. I was a professional calligrapher for 15 years & for the last six years I can be found working at Beifeld Jewelers in Jenkintown, Pa. My dogs are the official greeters at the store. My husband and I love to travel and our most recent trips were to Thailand & South Africa. I also love to relax with a good book and work on crosswords and crafts projects. Exercise has been a part of my life forever.


Louise Okin
I would like to thank Bernadette for including me in her cast of "bellas" over 50.  Bernadette's
JUST B MEETHOD & ATTITUDE BALLET & PILATES training  has been   a life altering experience for me. I survived various serious illnesses over the last several years including breast cancer. My balance, stamina, and sense of well being suffered. Bernadette came into my life and introduced me to her unique combination of Ballet and Pilates training and my life was changed for the better. Through her ATTITUDE workout Bernadette encouraged, motivated, and inspired me toward a greater sense of well being. The training offered me outstanding strategies and techniques I could use to work on improving my balance, coordination, and "core development." I gained an awareness of my body's strength and abilities in ways I never experienced with previous exercise programs.
Erma Bombeck said, "It takes a lot of courage to show your dreams to someone else." I would like to thank my amazing cast members in the DVD for their support, patience and encouragement to enable me to find the courage to follow my dreams! A special highlight for me was the bond of friendship that was formed in our creative journey.
In my professional life I am a licensed clinical psychologist, marriage and family therapist with certifications in Sex therapy and hypnosis. I have worked in private practice for the last twenty years. Also, I am a Board Member for The National Association of Mental Illness.
ATTITUDE BALLET & PILATES FUSION has offered me a renewed sense of energy that has enabled me to better enjoy my husband, my two sons, three step daughters, eight grandchildren and an assorted group of in-laws!!!!


Louanne Spielman
My introduction to Pilates training developed as an adjunct to Yoga classes that I had taken for many years. I began to hear and read about the advantages of adding Pilates to my fitness routine to strengthen my “core”. Since I had little to no core strength, I felt this would certainly be an asset for me to work towards. Pilates became popular as a dancer’s rehab regimen, so I felt that my body, in constant need of rehab, would be a fine test case. I met Bernadette, founder of the JUST B METHOD at my gym. She is a beautiful, talented, generous, multi-talented lady who is truly a “woman of substance.” It has been a dream of Bernadette’s, to create a workout for home use for women over 50 combining her formal Ballet training and her expertise as a Pilates instructor. When she approached me to join a select group of 50+ women to train for the making of the DVD, I felt like I had won the senior “Make a Wish Foundation” prize. Improved, posture, better balance, enhanced coordination, and increased muscle strength are the results we all received from our training sessions and taking the BALLET &PILATES FUSION class. During the nine months we trained, the “Bella-Ballerinas” developed a sincere respect for the stamina and fortitude of women and the aging process as well as the precious bond of women and friendship. This dynamic, caring, determined group of woman gave birth to a DVD that far exceeded our dreams!
I am 56 years old and have been married to my childhood sweetheart, Stephen, for 34 years. We have been blessed with three beautiful daughters: Elizabeth, Jacqueline, and Caroline, two fabulous sons in-law, one absolutely delicious grandson Jacob, and another grandson due in June, 2007. We share our home with a red standard poodle, Gingy, who is a certified therapy dog. Gingy and I participate in an active Animal Assisted Therapy Program at AbingtonMemorialHospital and ShrinersHospital for Children. I graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a Masters degree in Psychiatric Nursing and love playing Bridge and painting. Waking up at 5:30 AM to be on time for 7AM practice/class took real discipline, pushing our bodies to learn new muscle memory was humbling but, performing in a real studio before live HD cameras in magenta spandex- that’s PRICELESS! Bernadette and the JUST B METHOD enabled my girlhood dream come true - to be a ballerina for a day!


Renee Magida
Since beginning ATTITUDE BALLET & PILATES FUSION training, I have become more aware of my core and engaging my  entire body & mind while exercising. I feel that I carry myself more confidently and with improved posture and grace. People have said that I look taller and thinner even though I have not lost any weight! I also no longer have neck pain. Going to BALLET/FUSION Class and being a member of the cast of the DVD took me totally out of my comfort zone, but I loved the challenge! I did not realize how difficult it could be to coordinate upper and lower body movements. And I got great results without using heavy weights!
The camaraderie that developed amongst the women was special and we have a unique, special bond that is so difficult to form at our age! We all had a goal to improve in an area in which we had no prior training and to share the JUST B METHOD and BALLET & PILATES FUSION with others. We became very committed to the project and looked forward to our workouts which were squeezed in before work.
Since doing the video, I further challenged myself and have become certified in mat Pilates. I have come to realize that challenging oneself and being out of one's comfort zone can become a positive experience. With Bernadette's support and encouragement, I have come to experience a better connection with my mind/body and have conquered being able to go outside my comfort zone and succeed.
At the age of 46, I developed Type I Diabetes and wear an infusion pump. I have not let the disease rule me and continue both my exercise and work regime. I am now 52 years old and have been married to Ted for almost 25 years. We love to travel and take the four boys with us (two sets of twins!). I am a graduate of Connecticut College and have a Masters Degree in Occupational Therapy from ColumbiaUniversity. I continue to work in the field of O.T. doing home care and am also involved in several grant programs doing home modification assessments for senior citizens.

 Laura Lenet
While battling Breast Cancer, my older son Jason tragically died at the age of 23. I was devastated. I met Bernadette shortly after and was inspired and touched by her inspirational and spiritual nature. At the age of 56 I have always exercised, strength training had been my preferred choice because of its difficulties and results. Then I was introduced to Bernadette's JUST B METHOD and her Ballet based Pilates Program. Concentrating on alignment, core development, and the beauty of ballet, gave me an in inner peace as well as a new, challenging yet gentle way of working my body. The most exciting thing was the abdominal challenge. No other training could challenge my strong abs!                            
I was delighted to be asked to participate in the making of this DVD, a project that would encourage all women to take the time to better themselves through the JUST B METHOD, in the privacy of their own homes. I met an amazing group of women. Gently and unexpectedly we grew into a treasured friendship.  Completing this project gave me a purpose, a vision to follow and dragged me out of my darkness. Having been in production for several film projects, I was exhilarated at the prospect of this project.  When it was suggested that my son Shaun, a singer/ song writer, create the background music to accompany this DVD, I felt that this was truly meant to be. We shared an amazing experience producing this together. Thank you, Bernadette.                              
I grew up in Brooklyn, New York and San Juan, Puerto Rice. I graduated with a B.A. from New YorkUniversity. My first job was with the National Lampoon Magazine and from there became one of the original freelance photo stylists for many famous photographers. I met my wonderful husband while he was visiting Puerto Rico. While my life was a whirlwind in New York, my destiny would be in Philadelphia. 1976, Legionnaires Disease, Rocky, Three Mile Island and Me all arrived. I am deeply committed to continuing the legacy of my son Jason through his Fund at the Children's CrisisTreatmentCenter, helping families in crisis. My gifted and sensitive son Shaun, and my extraordinarily loving husband Mark, my dog Tammy, who does not know she is a dog, along with very special friends are what helps me wake up every morning. Rejoice and exercise!