Julie Granger: Gentleness as a Discipline

A former classical dancer trained at the Boston Ballet and the Joffrey Ballet, Julie Granger has built her career at the intersection of movement and entrepreneurship. In 2020, she founded The Studio Paris and created Brooklyn Barre®, her signature method that blends classical dance, yoga, and fitness.

An author and coach, she now works with women around the world, both through her online platform, The Studio+, and at luxury hotels across the globe. Behind this international expansion lies a simple belief: move to feel good, not to perform. A philosophy of the body that, naturally, extends to the way she cares for her skin.

What kind of relationship do you have with your skin?

It took me a while to get there, honestly. In the world of classical dance, you learn very early on to look at your body critically—to focus on what’s wrong rather than taking care of what’s already there. A serious injury at age 28 forced me to slow everything down, and that’s when I began to develop a gentler relationship with my body, including my skin. Today, I listen to it rather than fight it.

You help women navigate their relationship with their bodies on a daily basis. Has that changed the way you take care of yourself—and especially your skin?

Absolutely. When you help women navigate their relationship with their bodies every day, you eventually internalize what you’re teaching. I often tell my clients that exercise is, above all, about feeling good (not about looking like some ideal—especially one that changes every week!). I apply this philosophy to myself as well, including when it comes to my skin. I take care of myself to feel good, not to project a certain image. And that’s exactly what drew me to PERS: the idea that taking care of your skin is also about taking care of yourself.

What's your current skincare routine?

In the morning, I’ve started using PERS’s Vitamin C Serum: I love the idea of an effective active ingredient that doesn’t irritate the skin. And I always finish with their SPF 50+ gel. The scent and texture won me over right from the start—which is rare for an SPF. Usually, I find them too heavy, too white… But with this one, I really look forward to applying it, and that’s all it takes to stick with a routine over the long term—just like with exercise! 

We imagine your days are physically demanding. How does your skin react to the exertion, and how do you adapt?

What I've learned: never let sweat build up, wash up as soon as possible after class, and moisturize generously. And above all, I never go out without SPF—that's a rule I won't compromise on. I’ve switched to PERS SPF 50 gel because it doesn’t leave a film, even when I sweat. That’s the detail that makes all the difference.

What does "feeling good about yourself" mean to you?

This is a question that goes far beyond appearances. For me, feeling good about yourself means being in alignment—between what you feel, what you do, and who you truly are. That’s the state I try to create in my classes: a moment when my students stop thinking about what’s wrong, when they’re just there, in the movement, in the present. It has nothing to do with a reflection in the mirror. That’s why I love what PERS does—they come from the same place: no performance, just self-care.