“Take-Away Romance” Celebrity Trainer Nancy Marie-Claire Preps Stars for the Big Screen
From A-listers to those whose names are lesser known, it’s not uncommon for an actor to work closely with an acting coach to help them nail those deep and challenging roles on screen. While an acting coach may guide the actor through processes that help them tap into their character’s emotions and reflect those in their performance, coaches like sought after celebrity trainer Nancy Marie-Claire comes on board to help performers up the ante when it comes to nailing the more physical aspects of their performance.
Amelle Chahbi, who tapped Nancy as her private coach and advisor for the popular French comedy film “Take-Away Romance,” says, “[Nancy] is persistent and generous, she allowed me in the moments of doubt, of stress due to my two caps, to hold the blow, to take the time, to let go, to decompress.”
As the film’s director and lead actor Amelle Chahbi, a celebrated star in France and abroad, carried an understandably demanding load that required her to be mentally and physically alert, and up to the task of both directing and performing at all times.
Amelle Chahbi says, “Nancy brought me such fitness on this feature film, that I had a lot less pain, back pain almost nonexistent… I felt stronger, less vulnerable. Instead of nerves, I experienced a release that allowed me for the first time to live an exceptional experience, my film was shot in conditions that I never imagined, less stress, less fatigue… It led me to adopt another pattern of thought and life.”
Today Nancy Marie-Claire is renowned for her ability to prepare film stars, as well as performers across various other platforms, to bring their A-game at showtime. Her skill as a celebrity trainer behind the scenes of big budget feature films and hit television series comes from decades of experience as a professional dancer, choreographer and all-around performer in her own right.
“My training began with dancing, an activity that allowed me to have a knowledge of the body in space, in motion and to create combinations,” says Nancy. “This allows me to approach the training sessions with originality and a playful side so the training is always different, varied and diversified.”
Over the years she’s been called in as the art director and choreographer for world famous artists such as Alpha Blondy, Shéryfa Luna and Anthony Kavanagh, where she’s trained the stars, their supporting talent and created the original dances used in their performances. As the artistic director on France’s hit TV series “The Voice” Nancy was the key figure responsible for choreographing and directing every single singing battle we saw between the show’s contestants over the course of the first season.
In addition to spending 30 years as a professional dancer, which has given her the ability to understand movement and create sequences in a way that few others are capable, Nancy’s training methods are uniquely revered due to the diverse array of other modalities that she brings to the table. As a certified sports coach and a Level I, II and III Pilates instructor, who is also certified in Cadillac (pilates) Level I and II, Nancy’s knows how to effectively train the physical body.
She explains, “My training as a certified sports coach has enriched my skills and my abilities in the field of the body, its understanding and its functioning… the work of Pilates involves engaging the deep muscles, the stabilizers that allow to be stronger and stronger at the motor muscles, in everyday life. We work the functional while strengthening the engine.”
When it really comes down to crunch time, and she needs to help a star get into shape in a short time, Nancy’s training in EMS (electrostimulation) has proven itself to be an invaluable tool. Using EMS Nancy is able to target all major muscle groups through a system that uses 10 pairs of electrodes and simultaneously activates the agonist and antagonist muscles.
She says, “A 20-minute session equals 4 hours of bodybuilding in the gym. With this complete method, the results are quickly visible and palpable, because it acts deep below the entire surface.”
Several years ago Nancy decided to combine all of her diverse training methods intermixed with her playful approach as a dancer into what is now referred to as the NeverGiveUpNancy method, and we needn’t look further than her work with Amelle Chahbi for proof of its power.
As Chahbi’s private coach and advisor on the 2014 “Take-Away Romance,” aka “Amour sur place ou à emporter,” Nancy was by the actor director’s side constantly throughout the preproduction and shooting of the film.
“As a personal trainer she re-educated me on how to play sports and gave me another approach to fitness. She was able to show me the importance of training for my physical and mental health, explain to me why I needed it and how to manage my professional life with more perspective and detachment thanks to a balanced diet and sports,” Chahbi explains.
“It made me discover a new method of training with the machine of electrostimulation, this technology is incredible; not only did I gain in tone, strength and stamina, but also in time. If the schedule changed, I could still do my session because with this machine the session was 20 minutes instead of one hour. Just magical and so effective.”
While Nancy’s years as a performer herself provides her with a rare insight into what the stars she trains are going through, and her diverse training has given her an unrivaled understanding of the physical body, as well its impact on her client’s mental state, much of what has made her such a unique force stems from her personal energy.
“With Nancy, we do not need to talk, it’s as if she anticipated our thoughts, she understands the hardness of our job and our daily life, which makes her an asset and an ally,” says Chahbi. “Every moment with her is both entertaining and professional. She gives you her joie de vivre, her love of work, her creativity. We are constantly in the sharing, which allows us to be in the best conditions to work.”
When it comes to performing in front of hundreds of thousands of people or taking to the silver screen in multi-million dollar films and television series there’s no doubt about the fact that a star needs to be mentally and physically prepared; and with Nancy on board, there’s never a question of whether they’ll be up to the challenge. The answer is a resounding ‘Yes.’
At the end of the day Nancy says, “My strength is my diversity. I try, I discover and then I imagine… I create in my own way whether in the artistic field or sports. I like being playful in what I bring. Then I would just say that I like people, I love life and I am lucky to be loved in return.
