‘VIP First Look’ at Halo Studios on Grove Street [SLIDESHOW]

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The Pryority staff—L-R: Shonah Drakos, Robin Keban, Julie Pryor, Kally Trapp, Charlotte Zabrodsky (missing Alison DeNicola)—at a “VIP First Look” event at Halo Studios, held Feb. 12, 2015. Pryority owner and New Canaan resident Julie Pryor said: “We are a wellness center and we are known to help people choose a lifestyle of optimal health, happiness and joy. And we do that through movement, so we have personal training. And it’s holistic. So we do a lot of integration of different therapies. We have a power plate that we use, it’s a vibration plate. We do Pilates. We do all kinds of massage therapy and integrated body work: reflexology, aromatherapy. We are big into nutrition, so we have a kitchen and will be doing programming … We think about the pyramid of health, so we try to meet people not only at the physical level. A lot of people come in for body work but also emotional, mental and spiritual. What we say is: ‘Make yourself a priority and be amazing.’ ” Credit: Michael Dinan

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Sung Pak, owner of Bodymechanics at a “VIP First Look” event at Halo Studios, held Feb. 12, 2015: “This is a suspension-based rehab exercise tool. We utilize gravity and body weight and that’s it. It is great for working with clients of all different ages, because when you are working out, if you want to make it easier, you step forward. If you want to make it harder, you step backwards. So I can have people of all ages and abilities in here doing the same exact move, but they adjust their own movement. And what you’ll see with the differential in this body system is that if you dominate with one side, it’s about triggering the brain to teach the brain to correct that. It’s not about teaching the muscle, it’s about teaching your brain to create this neural loop. This constant neural loop, so that you can straighten out. It’s great for athletes, repetitive injuries—tennis players, golfers—and also any elderly people who cannot do a plank, this is a plank. Because of the suspension bungee system, the bungee takes all of the impact, so you don’t have a joint impact like you would with a plank on the floor.” Credit: Michael Dinan

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Michaela Motta, program coordinator for integrative medicine at Norwalk Hospital, and Stephanie Meyers, also of Norwalk Hospital, at a “VIP First Look” event at Halo Studios, held Feb. 12, 2015. Said Meyers: “We offer hospital-quality physical therapy in a beautiful, convenient setting. It is easy to get in and get out.” Motta said: “For our new space here, I’ll be coordinating for our new services—acupuncture, Reki, massage therapy and reflexology. So we will ahve those services listed here. We have our group acupuncture as well which si a good option for people. All of our services go through a vetting process, so they are all evidence-based, they’re hospital-approved. All of our services, we have three acupuncturists on staff, about six licensed massage therapists and three Reki masters. So we will see patients here, and we will also see patients at Norwalk Hospital.” Credit: Michael Dinan

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Nancy Lochtefeld, owner of Nearwater Pilates at a “VIP First Look” event at Halo Studios, held Feb. 12, 2015: “I am a woman who has reinvented herself a number of times over. I worked on Wall Street, I have run a paper company and then I got certified as a personal trainer in Pilates. Personal training has always been a passion for me. I’ve always loved the idea of working with people, exercise. And I had an injury a number of years ago where I ruptured my Achilles and the only thing I could do was Pilates. So I worked hard to get back into shape, I became certified as an instructor and then I built a clientele and a business and here I am. So I enjoy working with people’s bodies. I like to help them recover from injury, get them strong, get them lean. They come here for different reasons. I think I’m fun to work with. I’m tough. If you only have 60 percent that you can bring me that day, you better bring me the 60. I don’t want the 40 percent. I want it all. I sort of force my clients to work at that level, and they seem to have fun doing it. So, tough and fun.” Credit: Michael Dinan

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Grass Rxoots Executive Chef Miles Reaves (L) and CEO Rhoby Schempp at a “VIP First Look” event at Halo Studios, held Feb. 12, 2015. Schempp said: “Our juices are FDA-approved. They’ve been through HACCP certification, they’ve been HPP-processed. I can’t say that there is another juice company that’s at that level at this point in the industry. Certainly not in Fairfield County. What’s special about us is we are physician-approved. Health and wellness is our main concept. Now being under this umbrella of Halo it’s completely synergistic for us. And this is not just for New Canaan, but it’s a niche for us to be under a health and wellness umbrella.” Credit: Michael Dinan

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Ernest Toussant, owner of The Ernest Way, “embodiment of comprehensive fitness” during a “VIP First Look” event at Halo Studios, held Feb. 12, 2015: “My unique approach to personal training is the education about form and technique, which are essential to a commitment to fitness.” Credit: Michael Dinan

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Teri Nugent, an instructor, and Charles Micha, a director at Walter Schalk School of Dance (Schalk’s own cousin) for more than 50 years at a “VIP First Look” event at Halo Studios, held Feb. 12, 2015. Micha said” “We teach children from three years old through twelfth grade. In the past more than 40 years awe have been using East Elementary School and now we are over at Halo, which we love. We rotate the classes. We are here Wednesday at night with about nine classes.” Credit: Michael Dinan

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Sophia Rwambuya (L) and Sadie Curcio with Bill Curcio, owner of Curcio Training at a “VIP First Look” event at Halo Studios, held Feb. 12, 2015: “I have a passion for what I do and I have been doing it for a long time. I just try to bring workouts that are diverse, fun, intense and just keep people active.” Credit: Michael Dinan

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New Canaanite and marketing consultant Cobie Graber at a “VIP First Look” event at Halo Studios, held Feb. 12, 2015: “I’m thrilled to be part of a project that’s going to elevate the health and wellness of our community, and bring some interesting people, best-in-class services and things that we haven’t seen before in New Canaan.” Credit: Michael Dinan

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Rebekah Jacobs, owner of Sama Yoga Center, at a “VIP First Look” event at Halo Studios, held Feb. 12, 2015: “I’m so happy to be here. I’m a Connecticut native and I’m so happy to be bringing yoga to this community that is open to all levels, accessible for all abilities, offering classes that range from gentle to Vinyasa, from chair to Kundalini, so we have many different styles where again, all are welcome.” Credit: Michael Dinan

Halo Studios LLC on Thursday evening hosted a “VIP First Look” event at its new health and wellness hub on Grove Street, attended by dozens of professionals across a wide spectrum of health-related fields, local community and business leaders, media members, prospective clients and more.

With its mission of improving the collective health of greater New Canaan, Halo features open studios, suites and kiosks occupied by permanent as well as “fractional” tenants that share space (scroll through photo gallery above to meet some in each category). Encouraging socialization as well as support to pursue a healthier lifestyle, Halo offers services on an á la carte basis including a boutique fitness center, personal training, free weights and locker rooms and experts in yoga, Pilates, massage, nutrition, physical therapy.

Standing near the organic café and water fountain that greet visitors entering Halo from the covered parking area at the Racquet Club building, owner Peter Lane of NCLC said “the great thing as you look around is that it’s really the wellness experts that are going to occupy the studios.”

“That’s where it’s very impressive,” Lane said. “Their businesses are all going to be here in collaboration with each other and all in the name of wellness, and that to me is powerful. That’s why the concept is unique.”

Though several tenants are operating out of Halo already—including Pryority, Sama Yoga Center, Bodymechanics, Grass Rxoots and Nearwater Pilates—others are preparing to start offering services over the next few weeks, officials say.