So you’re itching to get your body moving, you’re not afraid to break a sweat and maybe even lift a little weight, but take a barre class?? If you find yourself saying: “Not me-- I can’t dance!”- we want to bust that myth!
Rest assured, you won’t be doing leaps and pirouettes in our classes. Yes, the heart of barre as a workout comes from ballet movements, but it’s more about capitalizing on the small, repetitive movements that barre promotes and less about twirling (though if you wanna twirl- we ain’t gonna stop you!). That being said, what kind of movement can you expect to do in our class?
Barre has gained an enthusiastic following for its custom workout that promotes muscle development through a mixture of classical ballet movements (think more ‘holding a wall sit’ and less ‘double pirouettes’) and other movements drawn from yoga and pilates, designed to strengthen muscles with an emphasis on form, alignment, and core engagement.
During many of our classes, you’ll find yourself both at the ballet barre (for balance and to help stretch muscles) and out on the floor, holding positions for much longer than you’re used to while contracting specific, targeted muscles. Typically, barre involves using a student's own body weight as resistance to work against, and most barre classes focus on arms, core, legs, and glutes so you can expect a fairly well-rounded toning workout. Occasionally, you’ll be given the option of adding light weight, and there are many opportunities to modify movements to fit what is comfortable and safe for your body.
So don’t worry- though you won’t be memorizing tough dance choreography and catching fellow dancers as they leap, you WILL be sweating, feeling the burn, and guaranteed a fun and fantastic workout.