Bernadette Mirentxu Torres

Fabulous People: Bernadette Mirentxu Torres

Bernadette Mirentxu Torres is a ballet coach and the founder and owner of Happy Hour Pilates and Wellness, a Chula Vista home studio known for providing the highest caliber Pilates instruction through the use of the BASI Pilates Method. Learn about Bernadette Mirentxu Torres…

Hometown: San Diego, CA

First job: Guest dancer for the Nutcracker in Mexico at age 15.

Favorite ways to spend your free time in CA: Definitely with friends! Living in San Diego, we have awesome weather year-round, so we naturally love going to the beach, exploring the many trails around the county, going dancing or eating at a new restaurant. However, since the start of the pandemic, my friends and I have used video chat to stay connected weekly.

Your biggest accomplishment and why: Professionally, I have two. Becoming a principal ballerina and becoming an entrepreneur and helping others through ballet and Pilates instruction. These two accomplishments are my biggest because they were both dreams that I turned into a reality.

The biggest obstacle you overcame: Mental and emotional bullying.

Someone who inspires you and why: Over the years, there have been many people who have inspired me in many ways. At this time, the person who inspires me the most is my Pilates mentor and friend, Sheri Long. Sheri knows how to push me and challenge me in a loving, supportive but firm way. She knows how to pull the best out of me like all great coaches.

Advice to someone pursuing a career path in what you do: Nike has a great slogan. “Just Do It.” Just do it. In business school, I had a professor who would say, “If you are going to fail, fail big and fail fast. That way you learn and you learn quickly.” In ballet, I had teacher tell me, “If you fall it means you are working hard.” At age 15, Alonso King of Lines Ballet told me, while in class, “Don’t be a follower, be a leader. You are naturally a leader.” So…in a nutshell…Just do it! Fail big and fast so you can learn quickly. Don’t be afraid of failure or making mistakes because you will, but with consistent hard work and support from mentors, friends and family, and belief in yourself, you will turn your dream into a reality!

Favorite quote: I have two quotes that I carry with me every day. “If you can imagine it, you can achieve it. If you can dream it, you can become it.”–William Arthur Ward

“To be a great teacher, you must continue to be a great student.” —Bernadette Mirentxu Torres

Something someone would be surprised to learn about you: Italy is my second home, especially since my husband is from there. I was fortunate enough to live there for several months and to perform with him in several international galas, receiving awards for my career in dance.

What makes someone fabulous: How they treat people and make them feel. “Be the person you needed when you were younger.”

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