In this series of posts, our Southern US Editor Jennifer Mathieu Henshall shares her POV while on her journey to getting certified by theLONDONmethod in the original Lotte Berk Technique.
What goes around, comes back around in style
Scrunchies, fanny packs and high-waisted jeans. My mom was certainly spot-on when she wisely told me that everything eventually comes back in style.
And, as I currently have multiple bins overflowing with these now-trendy hairpieces (thankfully, I have two daughters to share them with), this author, who came of age in the 90s, was thrilled to learn that if something works, it will eventually reappear.
This year marks the fifth anniversary of the founding of The London Method, the first studio in the United States to bring The Lotte Berk Technique in its ORIGINAL form to American exercise enthusiasts.
Prior to Kelly Wackerman and Pam Kennedy’s amazing discovery in the heart of Hungerford, England, Lydia Bach’s The Lotte Berk Method was the only version of Lotte’s work that had been taught predominantly throughout the United States.
Like all good stories, some of the ORIGINAL work got lost in translation until Esther Fairfax shared the intricacies of her mother’s Technique, which took London by storm in the 1960s, 70s and 80s, with Kelly and Pam. And, since 2015, The London Method has made it their mission to share the exact moves that were passed down from Lotte to her daughter – the founders of today’s modern barre methods.
Digging into the backstory to get the most out of my training
One of the reasons why I was so intrigued by The ORIGINAL Lotte Berk Technique when I first discovered it was its history – the story behind the Technique goes beyond exercise variations and class format. It is rooted in one woman’s desire to heal her body after an injury, the development of this revolutionary approach to exercise and the complex relationship between a mother and her daughter.
And I felt that in order to get the most out of my training with The London Method, I needed to know as much of the backstory and history of the Technique as possible. So, prior to beginning my training with Kelly and Pam, I read Esther’s most recent book, How to Live and Die, and began her first tell-all book, My Improper Mother and Me.
As a fellow author and trained exercise professional, it was essential that I understood Esther on a more personal level and felt that reading her books would give me even greater insight into the Technique.
Never before had I been so compelled to learn as much about the history of an exercise modality, along with the women behind the modality, as I did leading up to and during my training. And I honestly feel that taking the time to truly understand the narrative behind the Technique enabled me to pass my test out video and to become a Certified Instructor in The ORIGINAL Lotte Berk Technique on my very first try! (More to come on what I did to prepare for my test out video and tips on how I passed my certification will be included in my next blog post.)
What happens next?
With The London Method’s stamp of approval, I plan on using my newfound knowledge of this classic Technique to contribute to its time-honored story. As soon as I received word that I had officially become a member of The London Method family, I launched The Barre Library.
Via The Barre Library, I intend to add to the Technique’s current body of literature, to share its body-shaping exercises through my own classes and to ensure that the Technique, one that is gaining momentum as Kelly and Pam work to train instructors and teach classes, remains on the leading forefront of exercise trends.
As someone who appreciates the minutiae of a good story, I’m excited to announce that Esther will be offering even more insight into The ORIGINAL Technique during an exclusive interview with Kelly Wackerman that will be posted to The London Method’s Instagram page on Sunday, October 25, 2020, at 3 p.m. PST. Tune in as Esther shares even more details on her books, the differences between The Lotte Berk Technique and The Lotte Berk Method, a few secrets about when Lotte first created the Technique and more!
Much like The ORIGINAL Technique, my penchant for scrunchies (and all things from the nostalgic 90s) never really did go away. In fact, I heeded my mother’s sage wisdom and kept a scrunchy or two hidden in the back of a drawer until the time was right to bring them back out again.
Esther expresses similar thoughts in her book, How to Live and Die, regarding the Technique’s longevity, “[Lotte’s] exercise technique was created from her desire to express her feeling for her need for love and fun, which may well be the reason they’re so popular with her followers who experience the fun, warmth and joy of life.” Feelings that, in this author’s opinion, will always be on point.
See you at the barre!
About the Author
Jennifer is a barre instructor, personal trainer, clinical aromatherapist and author who discovered barre — her soul-mate workout — while training for the 2016 Boston Marathon. As a long-time runner, former bodybuilder, and melanoma skin cancer survivor, Jennifer’s recent battle with autoimmune disease has changed her fitness focus to one that incorporates more mindful, purposeful and low-impact movements.
A former communication professor and mother of two daughters, Jennifer is excited to share her thoughts and experiences on ways to create and maintain a strong connection between the mind and body through barre.
