Melissa Feeney, Author at The Barre Blog

Jan 17

Stunning Barre Retreats Worth Registering For in 2024

By Melissa Feeney Barre Culture, Barre3, Lotte Berk, Pure Barre 5 Comments

Despite inflation, demand for travel is not slowing down. People are looking to get away, and many want to add wellness to their vacation. Whether you’re looking for a beach retreat or somewhere on land, somewhere abroad or something close by, all-inclusive or pay your own way, there’s a barre retreat for everybody on this list.

Here are some must-do barre retreats for 2024 and beyond.

Lab Studios’ Barre Training Retreat 2024

Host: Lab Studios

Location: Bali, Komune Resort, Keramas
Dates: July 19-25, 2024 (6 nights/7 days)
The accommodations: Komune Resort, Keramas
Price: Twin Room – $3088 each, single – $4188

What’s Included:

Welcome dinner on the first day
Breakfast on the last day
Daily barre classes
Delicious and hearty meals that cater to all dietary needs
Barre Lab Teacher Training course and manual
Post-training class observations and practice-teaching
Goodie bag
Use of resort facilities, including the gym and beach

What’s Not Included:

Airfare and airport transfers
Alcoholic drinks
Optional day trips, spa services, surfing
Extra meals and room service
Flights
Tips

What to expect:

If you’re going to take an instructional barre course, why not do it in an idyllic tropical setting. Singapore’s Barre Lab has assembled a retreat that marries the best of both worlds: instructor training and a fabulous getaway. You can expect daily barre classes in addition to the training, which includes post-training feedback and teaching practice. You’ll also receive a Barre Lab Teacher Training course, manual, and goodie bag.

Source: labstudios.com/barrelabacademy

Source: labstudios.com/barrelabacademy

The Barre + Yoga Experience Luxury Wellness Retreat

Host: The Barre + Yoga Experience

Location: Sapodilla Bay on Turks and Caicos Island
Dates: October 10-14, 2024 – 4 nights/5 days
The accommodations: La Mer Villas
Price: CAD $5,088.10 pp or approximately US $3,772

What’s Included:

Daily meals prepared by an in-house private chef
Daily wellness workshops
Daily barre, yoga and Pilates classes overlooking Sapodilla Bay with The Barre + Yoga Experience instructors.
Morning group meditations and journaling
OFYR Grill Dinner Soiree
Complimentary use of paddle boards and kayaks
Snacks and refreshments offered throughout the day
Round trip transfers from/to Providenciales Airport to/from La Mer Villas
Gratuities included

What’s Not Included:

Optional activities: half-day catamaran & snorkelling tour, bodywork session, wakeboard and waterskiing.

What to expect:

The Barre + Yoga Experience is back at it again with the 2024 version of their luxury retreat. The New England-based fitness brand, a Barre Fitness Alliance-recognized company, is pulling out all the stops for its guests. Leave your worries behind because this retreat takes care of just about everything for you, including gratuities.

The itinerary for the 2024 edition is very similar to last year’s, with the addition of Pilates classes.

Photo courtesy of retreat.thebarreandyogaexperience.com

Enjoy daily barre, yoga and Pilates classes overlooking Sapodilla Bay, wellness workshops, morning meditations, and other planned activities such as a grill night soiree. The villa even has a private in-house chef with Michelin Star restaurant experience. Last year’s retreat sold out, so reserve your spot early.

TLM Spring 2024 Long Beach Retreat

Host: theLONDONmethod

Location: Long Beach, California
Dates: April 21-26, with optional instructor training April 26-28
Price: TBD

Email hello@thelondonmethod.net with LB RETREAT as the subject line to reserve your spot. Registration opens in early February.

What to expect:

California’s theLONDONmethod has been hosting twice-annual retreats for a few years. Side note: I finally went on a retreat after many pandemic delays. I must say my expectations were quite high, thanks to years of built-up Instagram FOMO. It was even better than I had hoped, thanks to a great itinerary in the most idyllic country setting and an amazing group of women who felt like great gal pals after a few days.

Here’s some sad news: with the announced closure of their Hungerford outpost, it’s not known if future retreats will be held in the beautiful English countryside again. However, the tLm crew are hosting their inaugural Long Beach retreat, where their home studio is and who wouldn’t enjoy a few days in sunny California?

Though details about this retreat are still unknown, you can expect daily classes taught by theLONDONmethod instructors. Known for their teaching of the “original” Lotte Berk technique as taught to them by Lotte’s daughter, Esther, tLm is carrying on the Lotte/Esther legacy by sharing the origins of the barre workout with the world.

If you want to learn more about the theLONDONmethod, you can tack on an optional training weekend from April 26-28. Follow theLONDONmethod on Instagram for more updates.

The Barre Blog in front of theLondonMethod's Hungerford Studio

In front of tLm’s Hungerford studio.

Pure Barre at Sea: A Tropical Retreat

Host: Pure Barre (Xponential Fitness)

Location: Sailing to the private Bahamian resort of Princess Cays, St. Thomas, and San Juan, Puerto Rico, from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Dates: June 8-15, 2024 (8 days/7 nights)
The Accommodations: Princess Cruises’ Enchanted Princess cruise ship
Price: Prices range from double occupancy in an interior room for $1,554 to $2,152 for double occupancy in a Mini Suite.

A $100 deposit is required to reserve a spot. The final payment is due March 10th, 2024.

What’s Included:

Daily Pure Barre classes (Classic, Define and Pure Barre Align)
Excursion credit to use for on-shore experiences or your own adventure
Taxes and Port fees
Welcome event
Barre on the Beach
Pure Barre on the Piazza
Sunrise and sunset outdoor classes
Mixology and themed dining events
Other on and off-ship Pure Barre group activities

What’s Not Included:

Additional optional activities

What to expect:

Mega franchise Pure Barre is hosting its inaugural Pure Barre cruise, following the success of fellow Xponential Fitness brand Club Pilates’ first-ever branded cruise in 2023. This is also after the parent company announced a partnership with Princess Cruises in 2022, giving Princess Cruises an exclusive licensing arrangement for the use of their brands’ content aboard their fleet of ships.

Announcement video

The weeklong cruise will leave from Fort Lauderdale and travel to three ports, including the private Bahamian resort of Princess Cays, St. Thomas and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Guests can take daily Pure Barre classes that feature a mix of their branded offerings, including Classic, Define, and Pure Barre Align. When not doing these on-board low-impact, full-body workouts, other planned activities include Pure Barre-themed group events and excursions, Barre on the Beach, Pure Barre on the Piazza, sunrise and sunset outdoor classes, mixology and themed dining events.

Barre + Buti in Tulum

Host: Barre Centric

Location: Tulum, Mexico
Dates: November 13-17, 2024 (5 days/4 nights)
The Accommodations: Maya Tulum
Price: Prices range from $2150 per person for a triple room to $2950 for a single.

A $1000 non-refundable deposit is required to reserve a spot. The final payment is due no later than August 13, 2024.

What’s Included:

1-2 daily workout classes
Cenotes and ruins adventure day
Daily nutritious breakfast
Three group dinners plus one free night
Roundtrip transportation from Cancun (CUN) airport to/from the hotel
Daily resort and environmental fees are included

What’s Not Included:

Additional optional activities like the Temazcal ceremony or spa services
Offsite dinner at Kin-Toh

What to expect:

Buffalo-based businesses Barre Centric and Raw Renewal Yoga have been teaming up for a few years, retreating to sunny destinations like Costa Rica, Belize, the Bahamas and Spain. Now, they’re heading to the beachside town of Tulum, Mexico, for their 4-night/5-day 2024 retreat.

Women on the Barre + Buti retreat eating at a dining table.

Photo: ketangafitness.com

Women sipping drinks out of a pineapple on the beach.

Photo: ketangafitness.com

This retreat will balance physical activity with fun adventures, all while making sure you have time for relaxation and restoration. You can expect daily classes featuring a mix of barre and yoga. When you’re not in class, you can snorkel the turquoise waters, explore the local shops and cafes in Tulum, sign up for a spa treatment, or experience a traditional Temazcal ceremony. Planned excursions include visiting the well-preserved ancient ruins of Coba and swimming through natural sinkholes.

Barre Studio’s Key Largo Retreat

Host: barre.studio

Location: Key Largo, Florida
Dates: April 26-28, 2024 (3 days/2 nights)
The Accommodations: Reefhouse Resort & Marina
Price: TBD. Prices will be based on double occupancy.

Registration opens on January 24, 2024. Follow @barrestudio4u on Instagram for more updates.

What’s Included:

Daily barre classes
Beach walks
Digital “detox”
journalling and self-growth opportunities
Hawaiian “talk story time”
Core strength test paddle boarding
Full resort access
Daily breakfast

What’s Not Included:

Optional swim with dolphins activity

What to expect:

Here’s another inaugural retreat to tell you about. The business simply known as the Barre.Studio hosts barre and Pilates classes in two southwest Florida locations throughout the year, and now you can join them for a weekend retreat. The 3-day/2-night event will be just a few hours south of their home base, down in the beautiful Florida Keys.

There will be 10 spots available for the retreat, making it nice and intimate if that’s your jam. You’ll also do barre classes on the beach and by the pool with their new Sound Off Experience headsets. Since the owner Andrea is also trained in theLONDONmethod, she infuses the “original” Lotte Berk classes into her repertoire of offerings which means you always get the best of the American barre and original Lotte Berk/Esther Fairfax classes.

Photo: instagram.com/reefhousekeylargo

Escape to Tuscany with Barrefly London

Host: BarreFly London

Location: Tuscany, Italy
Dates: May 12-18, 2024 (7 days/6 nights)
The Accommodations: Villa Cecconi
Price: Standard single occupancy: £3200, shared: £2400, suite upgrade – single: £300, or shared: £150. All prices quoted are per person.

What’s Included:

Sunrise and sunset barre and yoga classes
Wine tour and tasting
Day trips to Siena and to Radda in Chianti
Daily continental breakfast with fresh juices and healthy smoothies
Meals and snacks throughout the day
Airport transfer – see website for details

What’s Not Included:

Optional personal training sessions with nutritional consultant Nesse

What to expect:

The sweeping hills of Tuscany are where you’ll find this retreat hosted by BarreFly London. If you like your fitness classes with savoury meals, wine, art, history and exploration that only a retreat in an Italian villa could bring, then this 5-star retreat is for you.

Photo: Villa Cecconi (via Barrefly London)

Photo: Villa Cecconi (via Barrefly London)

Photo: Villa Cecconi (via Barrefly London)

NRG Retreat

Host: NRG Barrebody

Location: El Goute, Marrakech
Dates: May 16-19, 2024 (4 days/3 nights)
The Accommodations: Villa El Goute
Price: TBD

Details are limited as of the time this post is being published, but you can email the owner through the website to get more information about registering. Also, visit their Instagram page to see what past retreats looked like.

What to expect:

UK-based Fitness trainer Nathalie Errandonea and her NRG Barrebody business are returning to Marrakech after a successful 2023 event. From the looks of it, last year’s event looked dreamy. The location, the home-cooked food, and not to mention the fitness. Also, look out for their Sevilla NRG Retreat, which will take place from October 7-10, 2024.

Photo: retreats.nrgbarrebody.com

More Upcoming Retreats

Barre3’s Annual Retreat

No details have been announced as of today, but check back in May for exciting updates on where they’re headed next.

Do you know of any barre retreats planned for 2024 that we don’t have on our radar? Drop a comment below to let us know.

Jul 14

Barbie Workout Outfits you can wear to the barre

Irresistibly Fun Barbie-inspired Outfits to Wear to Barre Class

By Melissa Feeney Barre-inspired fashion No Comments

It’s a Barbie™ world, and we’re just living in it. You would have to be living under a rock to not see the onslaught of hype and promotion around the new Greta Gerwig-directed movie Barbie which will inevitably be a summer blockbuster. There’s an explosion of excitement around the film, and the enthusiasm has spilled into all facets of pop culture, including fashion. Undoubtedly that means it’s infiltrating fitness fashion as well.

While Margot Robbie has fully leaned into replicating some iconic Barbie looks for the movie’s world press tour, this list is less cosplay and more of a curated collection of inspired looks, mostly in various shades of pink.

Pink and Barbie are so synonymous that it’s hard to walk down the aisles of a toy store without immediately recognizing the Barbie pink section. That doesn’t mean, however that we have to stay in the pink lane; there are many styles that Barbie wore that can be used as inspiration for your fitness wardrobe.

Blush Pink

Ah, blush pink, so soft and pretty. Somewhere in the middle of ballerina and bubblegum pink, we have this warm tone that pairs well with just about any other colour.

Blush Pink Workout Outfits

Berry Pink

With this look, we’re teetering on the edge of pink into lavender, mauve and lilac territory. Let’s just call it pink adjacent.

Purply pink, lilac and mauve workout outfits

Hot Pink

Hot pink is a look! It’s bold and alluring and not for the faint of heart. Why be dull and boring when you can be loud and proud.

Hot Pink Workout Wear

’80s Day Glo Aesthetic

We know that at least one of the looks that Barbie (played by Margot Robbie) sports is an iconic rollerblading ensemble that looks like it’s plucked right out of the ’80s. These pieces are an hommage to the ’80s day glo aesthetic.

Pearly Pink

There’s no denying the iridescent look is an eye-catcher. Here are a few standout outfits and some shimmery accessories.

Pearly pink workout outfits

Vibrant Pink

This aesthetic could have also easily been called electric pink because it just pops.

Vibrant Pink Workout Outfits

Soft Pink

In the movie, Barbie sports an adorable pink gingham ensemble, so this look is inspired by the timeless picnic pattern.

Soft pink workout outfits

Miscellaneous Pink

Well, some outstanding pieces didn’t fit into a category, so these are some additional miscellaneous favourites in various shades, from bubblegum pink to sorbet.

Pink workout outfits

Jun 22

Beyond Signature Classes: How Barre Franchises Are Expanding Their Offerings

By Melissa Feeney Barre News, Barre3, Pure Barre, The Bar Method 2 Comments

A few months ago, when taking a class at my local barre3 studio, I noticed heavier weights on the shelf. Now this franchise has, since its inception, been offering clients comparatively lighter weights for their signature barre classes. That’s because traditionally, barre classes use lighter weights to help you focus on toning the right muscle groups more precisely. We’re talking about in the two to 5-pound range generally.

Sitting on the shelf were 12 and 15-pound weights, a considerable jump from those lighter sets. I also started noticing specialty mats around the perimeter of the room. The owner announced over the speaker that they are getting ready to roll out a new class format and to stay tuned for more details. I couldn’t help but wonder what it might be.

It turns out that those heavier sets of weights are for a brand new class format called b3 Strength, and the company has been testing out the format through their online platform since 2021. According to the official class description, it is designed to build strength in mind and body while moving slowly and with intention.

Weights sit on a shelf at a barre3 studio.

It’s not just at barre3. Major players in the barre franchise world, like Pure Barre and The Bar Method, have been adopting new class formats that cater to strength, cardio, stretching and other modalities.

Even though fitness franchises like Orange Theory and F45 Training are in different lanes, there are many clients I know who complement their barre activities with an additional modality or two on the side, so it came as no surprise to me when I heard Pure Barre announce earlier this year a new strength-based barre class called Pure Barre Define™ was going to be joining the suite of offerings. Similarly, The Bar Method announced they would be rolling out Bar Strength, which according to their Brand President Stephanie Schon, is an amplification of their signature barre exercises with weight work and circuit training.

For reference, when I refer to signature classes, I’m talking about the classic barre classes. Some franchises like Pure Barre consider their suite of offerings to include 5 signature classes, with their classic barre class being one of them.

Photo credit: Jenn Byrne

The History of Expansion Barre Classes

Let’s dig a little deeper into how these barre brands began to offer more than just signature barre classes.

The Bar Method

The Bar Method has been around since 2001, and so has their signature Bar Method class, followed two years later by Bar Advanced. A decade later, Bar Move was introduced, designed to keep clients moving with larger ranges of motion. In recent years we’ve seen the introduction of Bar Restore (2018), a 30-60-minute Bar Method class followed by a 15-60-minute Restore class and Barre Flow (2022) that incorporates Vinyasa Flow sequences.

That brings us to 2023. After a 10-year run, Bar Move was replaced with Bar Method Cardio earlier in the year. This class is designed to increase your heart rate and calorie burn.

The newest class in The Bar Method family is Bar Strength, a circuit training class with weights. Some classes might consist of exercises like weighted planks, rows, shoulder walks and lat pulls. They let you know when to go with the lighter and heavier set of weights.

barre3

Launched in Portland, Oregon, barre3’s signature class has been their, shall you say, pièce de résistance since the beginning. The signature barre3 class has been combining strength conditioning, cardio and mindfulness into a full-body balanced workout since 2008.

barre3 is somewhat unique in that their core product has mostly carried them through its 15-year history, and they haven’t ventured far from the Signature class much, at least in terms of in-studio offerings.

With the recent announcement of b3 Strength and b3 Cardio, we’re seeing a new era of barre3. b3 Strength is intended to focus on slow, intentional movement to help move safely with heavier weights while b3 Cardio is designed to increase cardiovascular endurance while increasing stamina and improving overall heart health.

“We designed this class to be accessible and safe for all, focusing on working in the mid-range heart rate zones where most health benefits are realized,” said barre3’s Subject Matter Expert: Body Mechanics and Training, Lisa Schale-Drake. “In this class we focus on the importance of internal measures of breath vs. technology readouts and how to move safely with impact and speed.”

Photo credit: Jenn Byrne

Pure Barre

Pure Barre launched onto the scene around the same time as The Bar Method with their signature barre class, now simply referred to as Classic™. You can read all about it here.

In 2015 Pure Barre brought out the platform props to offer clients bigger ranges of motion with the added element of cardio. Pure Barre Platform lasted a couple of years before being shelved. It was eventually replaced with a new signature class called Pure Barre Empower™ which is still on the schedule today.

A few years later, Refom came on the scene with the use of sliders and resistance bands. Reform has disappeared from some locations’ schedules as of late, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it doesn’t return. It’s quite possible we may see their newest offering Pure Barre Define™ take its place since the classes have similar resistance training goals. Pure Barre declined to comment for this article when asked about Pure Barre Define™.

We can’t forget about Pure Barre Foundations™, which sounds like their classic class but is actually an introductory class that was brought in a few years ago to help new clients get familiar with the technique and is offered for free as a way of incentivizing people to try a Pure Barre class.

In the earlier part of 2022, they announced Pure Barre Align™ would be added to the roster. This was after they offered the stretch and restore-type format through special intensives, like pop-up classes. Pure Barre Align™ is an iteration of the Stretch and Restore classes.

That brings us to the latest Pure Barre offering, rolling out in the summer of 2023, Pure Barre Define™. This is their weight-based strength training class. Using heavier weights, clients will move through resistance training exercises using the principle of progressive overload.

What’s Behind the Evolution?

In my opinion, a few factors contribute to the diversity of classes. Firstly, client feedback plays an important part in dictating what gets on the schedule. Listening to clients was part of why you’re seeing new class offerings at barre3.

B3 Strength was an instant hit on our digital platform when it launched in 2021. Clients commented that b3 Strength was not only building their knowledge and confidence in lifting heavy weights but that they were feeling the results in their everyday lives. With excitement to try something new with a brand they trust, we knew that b3 Strength would be a success in the studio and an ideal complement to the barre3 Signature class.

– Lisa Schale-Drake, Subject Matter Expert: Body Mechanics and Training at barre3

The Bar Method was also paying close attention to what clients wanted. “Client feedback suggested that we needed to diversify our class format, so we introduced Bar Method Cardio,” said Brand President Stephanie Schon. “We learned from consumer data that our clients were unaware of the cardio workouts available to them in our barre programs. Despite offering Bar Move, we learned we needed to optimize the cardio class format to change this mindset.”

In my opinion, market trends also play a significant role in what gets rolled out. Stephanie Schon partially attributed market trends to why Bar Strength is now on their schedule. “Our market trend research led to the introduction of Bar Strength,” she said.

Exercise trends come and go; if clients can’t find what they’re looking for at your studio, they’ll go somewhere else. I believe we’re seeing more weight and resistance-training-infused barre classes because there is a lot of demand for those classes. In order to facilitate clients who might turn to other boutique studios for complimentary workouts, barre studios are trying to keep clients within their franchise by offering alternative classes to a straight-up classic barre class.

“Many clients informed us they had workout routines outside of The Bar Method and were looking for more variety in their classes.”

– Stephanie Schon, Brand President, The Bar Method

Photo courtesy of The Bar Method

How Do Signature Barre Classes Fit Into The Mix?

Don’t panic! When I spoke to representatives from The Bar Method and barre3, they assured me that signature classes aren’t going anywhere. After all, it’s their bread and butter. Lisa Schale-Drake had this to say. “While barre3 Signature is a mainstay class offered at every barre3 studio, b3 Strength and b3 Cardio are optional classes for studio owners to add to their schedule as desired by their specific client base.”

She also added that the Signature class is always evolving. “For the past 15 years, we have continued to evolve the Signature class to meet our client’s needs and implement the latest scientific research in body mechanics. Our objective has and will always be to pursue clients’ needs and not fitness trends.”

Stephanie Schon of The Bar Method commented about how important it is to root all their classes in barre. “While we offer a diverse range of class formats at The Bar Method, it’s imperative all our offerings have a foundation in barre. Barre is the basis of everything we do – we not only incorporate real elements of ballet, yoga, and Pilates into our workout techniques, but test our formats to ensure they’re both safe and effective before introducing them to clients.”

The Bar Method Charleston exterior

Final Impressions

Over the last few years, my observations have shown that the barre landscape is changing. Boutique studios that once had a narrow niche focus on one signature class or modality are branching out. Though we looked at the big three barre franchises in North America, if you look at other barre chains like The Barre Code, Neighborhood Barre and Physique 57, they’ve been offering classes like HIIT, Bootcamp and strength classes for years.

For the most part, these classes still incorporate barre exercises to some degree, maybe some more than others. The Barre Code’s Brawl class is a standalone cardio class that doesn’t have any barre elements in it.

I predict we will continue to see the landscape evolve and react to client feedback and market trends. I don’t believe signature classes are going anywhere. So long as there is demand for barre, studios will continue to offer their signature classes.

Do you think these barre franchises are heading in the right direction with these new class formats or will trying to appeal to everyone’s taste water down the brand? Are there any formats you miss that you wish would return from the barre class graveyard? Let me know in the comments.

Jan 03

A lift tone burn mural on the wall of Pure Barre Winter Garden

Pure Barre Introduces a New Stretch and Restore Class Format, Pure Barre Align™

By Melissa Feeney Barre News, Pure Barre No Comments

A new year brings a new class format to Pure Barre’s roster of signature classes. Pure Barre Align™, the stretch and restore-based class, is now a permanent fixture–or at least added indefinitely to the schedules of Pure Barre locations across North America heading into 2023.

The new class format is based on a pilot project class called Stretch and Restore that made waves in 2022. After a warm client reception, Pure Barre developed a more permanent version of the class to add to its lineup of signature class formats, which include the classic Pure Barre class, Reform, Empower and an introductory class called Foundations.

What is Pure Barre Align™?

The 50-minute class will employ elements of a classic Pure Barre class that focus on strength-building while delivering a restorative experience with flexibility and balance. The low-impact, full-body workout is designed to be accessible so that anyone, regardless of their fitness ability, will be able to join.

“We are thrilled to offer this one-of-a-kind workout experience that focuses on the restorative needs of our clients,” said Regan Stokes, President of Pure Barre. “This balances out our programming perfectly, providing a class format for everyone.”

If you think this will be a casual 50 minutes of stretching with light exercises, think again. When I took the Stretch and Restore class back in May 2022, I wrote about how it was no walk in the park. Despite the description, there is still a fair amount of strength training exercises that clients would recognize in a classic Pure Barre class. Some Reddit users have referred to the class as the inverse of a classic class.

A woman stretches during a Pure Barre Align class

Image courtesy of Pure Barre

Is Pure Barre Align™ a Rebrand of Stretch and Restore?

For those who enjoyed Stretch and Restore, representatives from Pure Barre confirmed that Align is a rebrand of the former class, so you can expect to see a near-identical version of a Stretch and Restore class.

How Pure Barre Align™ Fits With Other Classes

The addition of a stretch-based class is not surprising. In my opinion, it was only a matter of time before Pure Barre would add such a class to its roster, as restorative classes have been a growing gym trend for years.

I think having a moderate-intensity class that focuses on mobility, balance, and a mind-body connection is an excellent complement to the higher-intensity Empower class or the strength-based Reform class. Boutique studios have been branching out into hybrid classes that feature a mix of cardio and barre or yoga and barre for a few years now as more clients look to complement traditional barre classes with combination ones.

When will Pure Barre Align™ be available at my Pure Barre location?

Franchisees can begin offering the class as early as the first week of January, and most locations across North America have already added it to their schedule. The remaining studios will add it in the near future.

Get ready for more stretching and alignment in 2023! Have you tried the new Pure Barre Align™ yet? What do you think of it? Leave a comment below.

Nov 11

Barre Holiday Gift Guide 2021 Cover Image

The Holiday Gift Guide for the Barre Lover in Your Life

By Melissa Feeney Barre Culture, Barre-inspired fashion No Comments

The holidays are just weeks away and it’s time to update the annual barre gift guide. If you have every intention of getting your shopping done early, now is the time to take care of the barre fans in your life, or cough, cough, yourself.

Use this curated list below to get a head start on your shopping. Below you’ll find some of my favourite brands and some items that would make any barre fan pleased to receive this year.

Access to a video library or subscription to online classes

There are so many options to choose from that we thought it would be better to just let you see the options yourself. Check out the post on different virtual classes and subscriptions to find one that works for you.

Price: Prices vary

Countdown to Christmas with this TELETIES Advent Calendar

Advent calendars aren’t just for kids. This adorable 7-day countdown calendar has a variety of limited-edition holiday TELETIES items. Not to spoil the fun, but you’ll uncover hair ties, clips, brushes, headbands and more behind each of the 7 doors.

Price: $29.99

Image source: teleties.com

Bring the studio to your home with at-home barre options

If you’re interested in investing in an at-home barre solution, there are lots of options on the market, from portable and freestanding barres to wall-mounted options.

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution. For that, I don’t want to play favourites and would rather have you find a solution that works best for your budget and the amount of space you have in your home. Here’s a link to a recent article I posted that compares different options.

Price: Prices vary.

Festive cheer in the form of grip socks

This adorable Holiday Cheer Pack from Pointe Studio will get you in the holiday mood. It includes a mix of their full foot and ankle styles.

Price: $42.00

Pointe Studio Holiday Cheer Barre Socks pack

Image source: pointestudio.com

Keep your feet warm with this iconic barre symbol

When you’re not working your peach in class, keep your feet cozy and warm at home with a pair of these adorable peach slippers from Wilder Home. Available in shoe sizes 36-45, the slippers come in pink, orange, purple or navy. The Australian company ships worldwide.

Price: $37.00 AUD

Image credit: wilder-home.com

The bra that has us all-a-flutter

If you’re into fun details on your activewear, you’ll love the ruffle detail and cap sleeves on this Flutter Bra from Tavi Active which is both functional and flattering.

Price: $68.00

Image credit: taviactive.com

Brush up on your knowledge of barre

Maybe you love barre class so much that you want to know more about the mechanics behind what you’re doing in class. There are not too many public-facing manuals on the market that allow you to take a deep dive into the barre exercises. At least in my experience, if I ever wanted to get my hands on a Pure Barre or Bar Method training manual I would need to go through their proprietary training.

The good news is that Barre Variations offers a downloadable manual that anyone can access. This is not meant to replace teacher training but will help give you a better understanding of different exercises and modifications among other things. If you want to take your love of barre to the next level but are not ready or interested in becoming an instructor, this manual might be for you.

Price: $20.00

Source: https://barrevariations.com

A gift set for the barre lover

Go all out with this animal print gift set from MoveActive. The Barre Lover Pack includes a Black Cheetah Yoga Mat from the Varsity Collection, a pair of core sliders and a medium/heavy resistance band combo.

Price: $149.95 AUD or $100 USD

Image credit: moveactive.com.au/

Level up your barre workout with the addition of this barre ball

Another helpful addition to your at-home barre studio is the squishy playground ball, just like you would use in the studio. This pretty teal-coloured one from obé is 9 inches in diameter and no pump is required.

Price: $18.00 from shopobefitness.com

Source: shopobefitness.com

Aug 29

A Zoom call video screen featuring the Barre Fitness Alliance

What You Need to Know About the Barre Fitness Alliance

By Melissa Feeney Barre Culture, Barre News, Lotte Berk, Resources for Barre Instructors, Resources for Studio Owners, The Dailey Method No Comments

Pilates has the Pilates Method Alliance and yoga has the Yoga Alliance but up until now, there was no comparable alliance for the barre industry. Introducing the Barre Fitness Alliance.

Since barre went mainstream, anyone using a ballet barre as a prop was describing it as a “barre” class, although methods and choreography could be markedly different from one class to another. There was no oversight committee in the barre industry so anyone could put a certification course together and charge money to “certify” instructors.

It seemed fitting that someone or a collective group of people needed to come along and identify what barre is and isn’t and offer some oversight.

It has been a long time coming, according to BFA President, Lara Foldvari of Barre On the Go (formerly The Bog – Barre Over Garage.) She is joined by some industry heavyweights including Andrea Isabelle Lucas, Founder & CEO of Barre & Soul, Jennifer Maanavi, CEO and co-founder of Physique 57, Betsy Royster, co-owner of Bayou Barre and Jill Dailey, Founder of The Dailey Method. They are supported by barre pioneers Elisabeth Halfpapp and Fred DeVito of Core Barre Fit and also formerly of the Lotte Berk Method and Exhale.

In a nutshell, what is the Barre Fitness Alliance?

The BFA was hatched from a desire to assign a richer standard to barre certifications, classes and instructors.

“Our mission is to bring barre professionals together without bias to any one particular barre training,” says Lara. “We want to uphold the history of Lotte Berk both the human and the Lotte Berk Method studio in New York City and we want to ensure the quality of today’s instructors and really the integrity of the industry now and into the future. We want to ensure barre going forward remains not watered down for years to come.”

If you’re a barre teacher training organization, barre studio, instructor or even an enthusiast, the alliance is meant to be a resource for you.

What does the Barre Fitness Alliance consider to be the gold standard of barre?

If you’re familiar with the rich history of barre, then you know that there was Lotte Berk who famously invented the first iteration of what we know as barre today, and then everything that evolved from her original technique since. Considering barre fitness classes today are wildly different from what Lotte originally taught, there are actually two standards that the BFA uses as their bellwether. They are the teachings that came from the now-shuttered Lotte Berk Method in New York City, and Lotte Berk’s original technique as taught to Esther Fairfax her daughter and subsequently other trainees that carry on her legacy today like Long Beach’s theLONDONmethod.

“We’ve set the barre industry standards going back to the Lotte Berk Method in New York City for our members to uphold. Through these measures, the quality of barre instruction is maintained, which benefits those in our industry and the communities we serve,” says Lara.

A Barre Fitness Alliance Instagram post featuring Lara Foldvari, President of the BFA

What you receive when you become a member.

Members receive access to partner discounts on everything from retail to fitness equipment, certifications, apparel, AV equipment, liability insurance and more.
If you become a BFA-certified instructor, studio or training program, you can display the corresponding virtual badge on your website for everyone to see.
Anyone who visits the BFA website will be able to identify you in the public-facing directory.
You will be able to network with other highly qualified instructors through virtual and in-person workshops and events.
You will have a voice on what future industry standards should look like.

What you’ll get as a founding member.

All of the partner programs offer 20% off their training. There will be more opportunities for continuing education among partner certifications.

Pointe Studio offers product discounts. Vita Barre offers discounts on barres and other fitness equipment. AV Now offers discounts on audio-visual equipment.

An Instagram post from the Barre Fitness Alliance introducing Andrea Isabelle Lucas, VP of the BFA

How to apply to be a founding member.

You can apply on the website. To become a BFA-approved instructor, there is a one-time processing and registration fee of $140. An annual membership (at the time of writing) in subsequent years will cost you $130. To become a BFA-approved teacher training organization, membership and processing fees for the first year cost $599 and the limited founding teacher training organization rate is $549 for the first year.

If you have any questions, send an email to barrefitnessalliance@gmail.com or a direct Instagram message to instagram.com/barrefitnessalliance.

What are the requirements for a certification to become accepted by the BFA?

Certifications must be a minimum of 100 hours in training and cover:

The history of barre
Anatomy
Exercise science
Musicality
How to put a class together
Modifications/variations
Hands-on adjustments
Practice teaching
A written and practical exam
25 of the 28 exercises listed in the syllabus criteria.

You can see the full breakdown here.

A post from Jennifer Maanavi’s Instagram, Treasurer of the BFA

What you receive when you become a BFA-certified teacher training organization.

You’ll be able to display the BFA barre teacher-training badge on your website and be listed as an approved teacher training organization in the BFA directory.
You will have a voice in future industry standard discussions.
You’ll be able to offer discounts on training to other members.

Will in-house training programs from franchises like Pure Barre, The Bar Method or Barre3 be recognized?

Any certification program whether it is public-facing or not is invited to submit an application for review. Barre3, one of the world’s largest and most popular barre franchises for example auditions instructors before they go through their in-house training.

In order for a certification to be properly vetted by the board, the company hosting the training needs to provide a syllabus and training materials for review. Since some franchises are known to keep their training materials close to their chest it is yet to be seen if any of the franchises will be willing to disclose (at least to the board) their proprietary information.

If you’ve been trained through a franchise that isn’t already a BFA education partner, the BFA encourages you to speak with your managers or write to the heads of the company where you were trained to see if they would be interested in applying.

BFA Secretary and Bayou Barre’s Betsy Royster is introduced on the Barre Fitness Alliance’s Instagram account.

What are the requirements to become a BFA-certified studio?

To become a BFA-certified studio, you will need at least two of your instructors to be certified by a BFA-approved Barre Teacher Training Program. If not instructors, then a Director, Owner, Master Trainer or Manager of the studio. Also at least one of those instructors needs to be BFA approved, so they need to show proof of certification in the year they applied and with yearly renewals.

Is it necessary to join the Barre Fitness Alliance?

Like any exercise discipline with a professional association, you are not forced to join it in order to run classes. It all depends on what you’re looking to get out of becoming a barre teacher, opening a studio or offering a certification program. If you’re looking to build credibility among your clientele and peers, joining the alliance is a good way of establishing that.

If you’re a fitness instructor, having a BFA-approved certification behind your name can be an easy way to fast-track job offers, especially when busy studio owners don’t want to spend more time than they need trying to assess your skill level.

Both the Pilates Method Alliance and the Yoga Alliance weren’t built overnight. It will take time for the credibility of the BFA to grow and not everyone in the industry will be on board with this particular group of people deciding what should and should not count as barre. In my opinion, this is a remarkable who’s who of the industry. You have some of the most sought-after owners, teachers and business people on the board, and I believe they know what they’re talking about.

The Dailey Method’s Jill Dailey is introduced as BFA Director on their Instagram.

What does the future of the BFA look like?

In a Zoom call with members back in early August, the board of directors was pressed on whether certification criteria might evolve in the future to reflect the changing barre landscape. In response to that question, BFA Vice President Andrea Isabelle Lucas had this to say. “Yeah absolutely. We should all admit that we’ve all evolved the method. It will be a challenging and really productive exercise for us to start to evaluate more trainings that are maybe a little bit less similar.”

When speaking with Lara Foldvari in a separate follow-up call she seemed optimistic yet realistic about what the future could hold. She has hopes of growing the BFA base to rival industry counterparts like the yoga and Pilates alliances, while also knowing that the Yoga Alliance has 100,000 certified instructors in their base and barre does not have as much mainstream influence as yoga or Pilates. “We know how barre has evolved, we anticipate barre industry standards to evolve and grow as we do,” says Lara.

The BFA plans to host a mixture of in-person and virtual events throughout the year with the hopes of hosting at least one in-person event annually. I for one can’t wait to see what’s in store for the alliance and all involved.

Elisabeth Halfpapp and Fred DeVito of Core Barre Fit are Supporting Partners of the BFA.

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Level up your barre workout with the addition of this barre ball

In a nutshell, what is the Barre Fitness Alliance?

What does the Barre Fitness Alliance consider to be the gold standard of barre?

What you receive when you become a member.

What you’ll get as a founding member.

How to apply to be a founding member.

What are the requirements for a certification to become accepted by the BFA?

What you receive when you become a BFA-certified teacher training organization.

Will in-house training programs from franchises like Pure Barre, The Bar Method or Barre3 be recognized?

What are the requirements to become a BFA-certified studio?

Is it necessary to join the Barre Fitness Alliance?

What does the future of the BFA look like?

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