Black-Owned Barre Businesses and Influencers You Should Start Following Today (if you aren’t already)

We’ve all seen the wave of anti-racism and anti-police brutality protests in recent weeks, which have spurred efforts – in the United States and elsewhere – to increasingly support Black communities and the Black Lives Matter movement. I’m committed to making a positive impact in this community and beyond. If you’d like to read about what I plan to do, you can read the open letter I wrote to the community here.

Over the last couple of days, I’ve done more in-depth research into Black-owned businesses that I hadn’t covered to this extent in the past. I’ve put together a (by no means exhaustive) list of Black-owned barre brands and influencers who you should have on your radar if you aren’t following already.

 

 

Nadia Murdock

Mindset & movement expert | health and wellness coach | media personality
Instagram: @nadiamurdock

Nadia’s approach to health and wellness focuses as much on the mind as the body. Meditation is woven into all of her workouts, which she offers through nadiamurdockfit.com, among other platforms. When she’s not recording episodes for her podcast, the NMFIT Mind & Body podcast, you can catch her being frequently cited in major outlets like E!, Life & Style, SELF.com and NBC.

 

 

Halicia (Hallie) Loren

Barre instructor | Self-improvement expert | YouTube + media personality
Instagram: @halliegal

Hailing from sunny San Diego by way of the Bay Area, this Studio Barre instructor and media personality is a ray of sunshine, just like the state she lives in. Her infectious energy is often captured for Studio Barre’s Mission Hills and Bird Rock accounts, where she divides her time. When she’s not at the barre, Hallie, who has a background in dance creates content for her YouTube account Balance Belle, where she talks about everything from DIY projects to balancing your time, and healthy habits, among other things.

 

 

Lauren Leavell

Personal Trainer | Barre & HIIT instructor | Inclusive fitness | Motivational Coach
Instagram: @laurenleavellfitness

Hailing from Philadelphia, Lauren loves helping people get physically and financially fit. When she’s not helping clients organize their finances through her coaching services, she can be found teaching a variety of barre and HIIT classes, as well as bootcamps. She is also an advocate for accessible fitness options. Check out the database of anti-oppressive virtual fitness resources on her website.

 

 

Sidebarre

Instagram: @sidebarredc

Owner Jillian Carter who is a former pointe ballerina saw a gap in the market when she started taking barre classes in the DC area. Picking up on the fact that she didn’t see much in the way of diversity among clientele and instructors at mainstream studios, she decided to open up Sidebarre, a Black-owned barre company that hosts classes all around DC and Maryland.

They’re currently hosting live stream classes in lieu of being able to hold classes in person.

 

 

Jess Perkins

Barre studio owner | Personal Trainer | Pre and Postnatal Instructor
Instagram: @badtothebarre

Cambridge-based Personal Trainer Jess Perkins has one of the best-sounding and punniest barre studio names around. Bad to the Barre has a number of full-body workouts with a special focus on pre and postnatal workouts. Her extensive training includes an Exhale Barre Certification under the direction of Fred Devito, AFFA, IDEA and ACE designations, as well as being certified in Zumba, Pound, Pre and Postnatal fitness and Basi Mat Pilates among other accomplishments. Oh yeah, she’s also an Exercise Science major!

 

 

Chiara Lucchetta

Dance artist | Fitness instructor | Creator
Instagram: @chilucchetta

Self-proclaimed modern bohemian Chiara Lucchetta is an artist in every sense of the word. Her dance training was the catalyst for her artistic endeavours which include: instructing barre and other fitness classes, interviewing and collaborating with Toronto’s artistic movers and shakers and co-founding Purple Glow Mag, an online space for artists to connect and collaborate with one another.

 

 

 

Nude Barre

Clothing brand
Instagram: @nudebarre

Eye-catching name isn’t it? Nude Barre was created when founder Erin Carpenter couldn’t find flesh tone hosiery in her shade.  A former New York Knicks dancer, she spent hours spray painting and dying beige leggings and shoes to match her skin colour. Out of frustration for not being able to find darker-coloured items on the market, she decided to create her own label of eco-friendly intimates, made in 12 shades of nude to match every skin tone.

Leah Tubbs

Dancer | Choreographer | Fitness Instructor | Founding Artistic Director
Instagram: @leahsmileytubbs

Leah is a dancer, fitness instructor and founding artistic director of ModArts Dance Collective (MADC), which celebrates female choreographers of colour while building a safe, sustainable community of artists. She also happened to be my instructor when I went to Physique 57 for the first time.

 

 

Tiffany Marie

Fitness instructor | CEO & Co-founder
Instagram: @theetiffmarie

Tiffany is an expert in all things bounce fitness, as Founder and Owner of TrampolineTRIM, a virtual training program for high-intensity, low-impact trampoline workouts. Catch her live workout classes on both the TrampolineTRIM’s online portal and on her personal Instagram.

 

 

Teressa Cee

Fitness Instructor | Former NBA Miami HEAT Dancer
Instagram: @teressacee

You’ll find this fitness phenom instructing barre at Exhale in Miami or at Rise Nation Miami where she is the lead instructor.  From her days as a Miami HEAT dancer to her time as a backup dancer, her exciting dance career has taken her all over the world. Check out her Instagram highlights for a sample of her work at home and abroad.

 

 

Shadae from @yogawithshadae / @sweatwithshadae

Yoga & Barre Teacher | Dance Instructor | Registered Nurse
Instagram: @yogawithshadae (private) @sweatwithshadae (public)

Shadae is a yoga and barre teacher at Exhale in Bermuda, which is located within the idyllic Hamilton Princess & Beach Club hotel. She’s also a 305 Fitness-certified dance instructor. I love watching her impressive moves on Instagram, which include power flow movements, barre exercises, and balancing on her hands, among other things.

 

 

Ciji (Tatum) Townsend

Barre instructor | podcast host | Licensed psychologist
Instagram: @balancednotbusy

Ciji believes in balance over being busy and talks about time management on both her blog and podcast, Being Balanced. When she’s not coaching clients or hosting workshops, you’ll find her at Pure Barre where she is an instructor.

 

 

Britany Williams

Barre instructor | Content creator
Instagram: @britandbarre

Beloved Pure Barre Portland instructor Britany Williams has amassed a following for her in-depth knowledge of barre and personable updates that give us insight into what it’s like to teach at a Pure Barre. She frequently updates her Instagram account with technique tips, and motivational updates to help inspire others to keep pushing forward in their own fitness journey.

 

Pulse Barre + Fitness

Instagram: @pulsebarreandfitness

This Ohio-based barre studio was created with the goal of providing clients with an inclusive space where they can feel empowered. Owner, Rodrianna Alsip and her team offer primarily barre workouts with a mix of HIIT.

 

 

 

Briana Jessica Milton

Co-founder/Owner | Educator | Fitness instructor | Podcaster
Instagram: @barre_bri

Bri, a Co-Owner/Founder of Mind Over Muscle Fitness loves meeting her inspiring clientele. When she’s not teaching, she can be found podcasting at The Wellness Hive Podcast.

 

 

Erica McCray

Instagram: @brownbarrebelle

Erica hails from Gainesville, Florida by way of the Tampa Bay area, where she was born and raised. She is currently an instructor at AUXO Fitness. When she’s not at the barre, you can find her on the University of Florida campus, where she is an Associate Professor & School Director of Special Education.

 

 

 

Sasha C

Barre instructor | Speech-Language Pathologist
Instagram: @barrewithsass

Sasha is a Florida native who fell in love with barre after taking classes at AUXO Fitness, where she is now an instructor. You can tell she loves the community aspect of the barre studio where she teaches. She is often seen celebrating her clients’ class milestones and birthdays via her Instagram.  Outside of the studio, she works as a Speech-Language Pathologist.

 

 

Melanie Smith

Fitness Instructor
Instagram: @moveswithmelanie

You can catch Melanie, a busy group fitness instructor on the mic at Washington Sports Clubs, among other venues. She is a highly trained health and wellness advocate and avid Pure Barre lover (350 classes in), who is often seen teaching among other things, Zumba and cycling (spinning). When she’s not teaching classes, you’ll often find her documenting her own fitness journey. Give her a follow on Instagram so you can see all of the rad lifestyle-related content that she frequently posts about.

Rachel Primé

Yoga teacher | Barre instructor | Blogger
Instagram: @rachprime

Just like the relevé is an exercise that means to rise to your tiptoes, Rachel helps clients rise to their fullest potential through movement. You can catch her teach IRL at a number of studios and gyms throughout Boston, and online through her Instagram.

 

 

 

Axela Brand

Clothing brand
Instagram: @axelabrand

Axela Brand founder Daniella LeCointe is no stranger to this blog. She wrote about her fitness journey to 100 barre classes awhile back. She is now venturing into the apparel market with a brand new venture called Axela Brand, a plus-size activewear line, that is surely to make an impact in the field. Follow her Instagram for updates on the brand’s journey, and sign up for email alerts on the website to be informed of when it launches!

 

 

Soul Theory Collective

Website | Blog | Online courses/classes | Shop
Instagram: @jacqueline_marrow

Faith-based fitness instructor, artist and blogger Jacqueline Marrow provides dance classes via her site Soul Theory. These classes incorporate Hip Hop, House, and Afro-Latin dance moves to create a fun cardio workout that focuses on flexibility and muscle endurance training. Jacqueline is also a talented artist. Check out her online store that sells items featuring her beautiful illustrations.

 

Portia Boston

Studio Manager | Fitness instructor | Nutrition coach
Instagram: @portia.boston

Portia fell in love with teaching fitness after she graduated from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts in musical theatre. She is now Studio Manager of New York’s community-minded yoga-barre SHAKTIBARRE. Among other tasks, she’s currently working on a SWOT analysis of the brand’s cultural sensitivity so that the findings can eventually be used for a course called “Empowered Inclusion for Boutique Fitness Studios.” Cool!

 

 

Whitley Miller

Barre Fitness and Meditation Coach
Instagram: @healing_barre

Whitley, a multi-certified fitness and meditation coach is the founder of Healing Barre – a barre fitness brand that combines fitness with meditation and other holistic remedies to heal the mind, body, spirit and soul. Thanks to her 16 years of ballet training, she uses her knowledge of dance with her training in pilates, yoga and weight training to create the perfect barre fitness workout for her clients.

 

If you know of someone who should be on this list, write a comment below.