Presented in partnership with TheLONDONmethod
If you’ve ever stepped foot inside a barre studio, you’ve no doubt heard phrases like “tuck” and “keep a heavy tailbone” or have done an exercise called the “pretzel.” Did you know many popular barre exercises today can be traced back to the original Lotte Berk Technique?
Who is Lotte Berk? Lotte was more than just a German-born dancer who came up with a method of exercise, she was a trailblazer. If you want to know more about why she is considered the founder of barre, read this.
With the help of our friends at TheLONDONmethod, who are experts in all things Lotte Berk, and Esther Fairfax (Lotte Berk’s daughter) we break down 5 exercises that have roots in the original technique.
What you probably know as: Pretzel
What it was originally called by Lotte Berk: Hello Sailor
What you probably know as: Thigh Dancing
What it was originally called by Lotte Berk: Burnt Thighs
What you probably know as: Round Back
What it was originally called by Lotte Berk: Escapes
What you probably know as: Flat Back
What it was originally called by Lotte Berk: No Escapes
What you probably know as: Curl
What it was originally called by Lotte Berk: Sardines
Thanks to our friends Kelly Wackerman and Pamela Kennedy at TheLONDONmethod and Esther Fairfax (Lotte’s daughter) for helping us with this piece. If you want to really dive deeper into the history of the method, check out their newly-launched online video series.
About TheLONDONmethod
TheLONDONmethod was created as a place to house the ORIGINAL class by Lotte Berk. Lotte’s daughter, Esther Fairfax has been teaching this class in the countryside of England for 50 + Years. When tLM ladies found her in 2015 & learned how different the exercises were from what had been brought to America in the 70’s they knew they had to share them with the world. The tLM online program is a way you can access these exercises that have been helping, healing, streamlining, & toning the women in Esther’s classes for decades. Go to www.theLONDONmethod.tv to start practicing them today!
*New Videos are added each month to the program from the Ladies of TheLONDONmethod as well as from Esther Fairfax herself!
