3. "Noon on Monday"

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Cult of Body & Soul 51 min 15 speakers 8 chapters transcribed
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What is the main focus of the SoulCycle instructor training program?

Caitlin Whyte 0:00
Hi, I'm Ariana Grande. Hi, I'm Cynthia Erivo. And you're listening to the Broadway Podcast Network. Visit bpm.fm to discover more.
Hallie Becker 0:14
The community was wide, large, and varied. I mean, you had people who just came in. They didn't give a shit who was teaching. They just wanted to say that they went to SoulCycle, did their 45 minutes of cardio, and went home. You had people who would only ride with me. You had people who would only ride with Stacey. You had people who would only ride with Janet. Then you had relationships that would form, and people wanted to go out to dinner with the instructor. I mean, it was like any hero worship. And you had the whole front desk situation and, you know, somebody going, don't worry, I'll get you in. We made it this monster, this beautiful fucking monster of a whole bunch of bikes in a dark room with a bunch of people that just wanted to feel better.
Hallie Becker 0:58
And make no mistake, it was a magical time. But they're like anything. There's always, when you peek behind that curtain, Professor Oz, there's shit going on.

How did Hurricane Sandy affect SoulCycle sign-ups?

Jess Rothschild 1:18
This is The Cult of Body and Soul, episode three, noon on Monday. In this episode, we're taking a peek behind the curtain of instructor auditions and the elusive training program. Plus, the cult of personality the brand thrives on and the chaos it can breed.
Melanie 1:39
You know, at the time, getting picked to be an instructor was this holy grail kind of a thing, right? They were very, very particular about who got into the training program. And if you got a spot in that training program, like, you were it. Like, you were the shit.

What are the challenges of becoming a SoulCycle instructor?

Jess Rothschild 1:55
Chris's performing career had ended, and he was now running a dance company. This was his first class.
Melanie 2:01
And I was terrible at it. I was absolutely terrible at it. I kind of loved hated it because here is this thing where like the instructor looks so amazing and like they're riding to the rhythm and I'm a dancer and I'm like, I should be able to do this. Like, why can't I do this?
Jess Rothschild 2:20
Dancers tend to be perfectionists, so he could not handle being bad at this one thing.
Melanie 2:27
I went back because I just, I couldn't be bad at it. Like it wasn't an option. And to be honest with you, like I would have panic attacks on my way to the train. I was like, I don't know that I can physically do this. You know, I was used to pushing myself as a dancer, but again, like I was not in dancing shape. It wasn't like I was still performing and I would literally like have to talk myself into going to class. because I would start walking to the train and I'd be like, oh my God, I can't do this. I can't do this. I can't do this. I'm going to die on that bike.
Hallie Becker 2:59
And he called me one day and he said, Julie Rice is looking for crazy people to ride the bike. And I said, who is Julie Rice? And he said, are you fucking kidding me, Hallie? She and Elizabeth Cutler own SoulCycle.
Jess Rothschild 3:11
Unlike Chris, Halle Becker was already a sought-after personality, having taught yoga in Manhattan, at festivals, and retreats around the world. I go, what do they want me to do?
Hallie Becker 3:23
Teach yoga at SoulCycle? He's like, no, no, Halle. They want you to teach. I go, well, I can start teaching right now, but I have to ride that fucking bike. There's just no way this is happening. And that's exactly how I felt. I didn't even make it through the training. They were so... They were like... All right, just go. Just go here. Tuesday, Thursday, 12, 15 and 63rd.

How do relationships form in the SoulCycle community?

Hallie Becker 3:43
These are going to be your classes. Just go. I really did not ever complete the training.
Jess Rothschild 3:48
While Hallie was fast tracked, Chris had to will himself into performing the art of SoulCycle. He, of course, was eventually asked if he would like to audition. And so the auditions begin.
Melanie 4:03
There was a lot of nervous energy in the room. I remember we had to do like three songs. So we like got up on the bike. They would just like put the music on and we just had to go and teach. No direction, no like nothing. I don't know, 30 seconds or a minute to like teach their song and then they would switch the song and you'd have to switch your whole vibe immediately. You picked your own music.

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