The Lotte Berk Method Archives

Dec 16

Barre Crawl: A Review of Exhale

By Melissa Feeney Barre Crawl, exhale, Studio Spotlight No Comments

Studio name: exhale

Locations: New York City, Hamptons, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Bermuda, Boston, Chicago, Stamford, Miami, Atlantic City, Turks + Caicos.

Cost per single class: Varies by the city but starts at $25 in cities like Stamford, Atlanta and Boston and can go for as much as $37 USD in New York and $40 in the Hamptons.

I had always wanted to try an exhale Barre class after I discovered this brand a few years ago. I was immediately impressed with the sleekness of their site, the appearance of their seemingly posh interiors, their connection with luxury hoteliers, and the list goes on.

Knowing I was going to be in New York for a short trip, I immediately looked up the schedule of classes offered at all of their New York City locations.

Timing wise, I found a class at 11:00 am on a Monday morning near the location of our lunch reservation. Coincidentally and fortunately for me, the class was going to be taught by none other than exhale Barre co-creator and exhale co-founder Fred DeVito!

Exhale Central Park South location exterior

Exhale and Its Interesting Past

Fred got his start in fitness at an early age but it wasn’t until his wife started teaching at the famed Lotte Berk Method in New York that Fred would be introduced to the barre workout and the many physical benefits it had on clientele.

He became the first male instructor at the studio and has been instrumental in making sure the Lotte Berk Method legacy lives on. The doors to the popular studio eventually closed and left many students and teachers wondering where they were going to practice barre next.

This created opportunity for some followers of the method. In fact, that studio produced a number of familiar franchises we now know and love today. You might be familiar with Tanya Becker and Jennifer Maanavi. They were also followers of the Lotte Berk Method and would go on to create Physique 57. Meanwhile, after spending 16 years teaching the Lottel Ber Method in New York, Fred, along with his partner and two other colleagues went on to create the mind/body/spa company exhale.

Exhale in its Current Form

Exhale is unique in that it is part fitness studio, part spa, offering both boutique fitness classes and spa therapies at any of their 21 locations around the United States and the Carribean. They’re now known as just exhale, (they dropped ‘spa’ from their name recently). Side note: they’ve also recently partnered with World of Hyatt to offer guests a reward program.

First Impressions

I must say, the studio is among the nicest I’ve ever stepped into. It didn’t hurt that the location I went to had a glamorous Central Park South address. Upon entering, there was an entire retail shop to pass through featuring both exhale branded and non-branded merch.

I was greeted by a friendly face at the front desk who directed me to the studio. Though I didn’t get to explore the entire facility because I wasn’t there for any spa treatments, I could smell the delightful scents from the treatment room and yoga studio as I walked down the hallway.

The washroom and changing areas were first class. It is a spa after all. Among the usual staples like showers, lockers and bathrooms were vanities outfitted with top-notch products to help you freshen up.

The studio was a beautiful, naturally-lit, carpeted room with ample space for everyone to comfortably work out. I actually couldn’t believe I got to take a class in that nice of a setting. I can only imagine what it would be like to have it as your regular spot.

The Workout

There was some familiarity with the exercises during class, such as knee lifts, reverse push-ups, forearm and sidearm planks etc., but there was much to discover with this exhale Barre format. For one, I considered it to be one of the most challenging classes I have ever taken. That’s a good thing!

Fred had us working our tails off for the entire hour, with little rest, but just enough time to stretch out after certain sections of the class.

Here’s how an exhale Barre class is typically formatted:

Warm-up
Planks and push-ups
Upper body (arms)
Thighs
Seat
Abs and core
Prone and pelvic tilt (back and thigh dancing)
Final stretch (savasana)

The Final Verdict

If I lived in New York or any other city with an exhale, I could see myself going regularly. I loved the class format, the pace, the attention Fred was giving to all of the students in the room and the general ambiance of the place.

Though it was a tough workout, I felt accomplished (and completely exhausted) when class finished. I consider that to be a good thing.

If you’re interested in learning more about exhale or their exhale Barre class specifically, they have a brand new subscription-based streaming service so you can take classes on demand.

Posing with the founder of Core Fusion Barre and Exhale Spa, Fred DeVito.

Posing for a photo with exhale co-founder and exhale Barre co-creator, Fred DeVito.

exhale Barre review card

Have you ever tried an exhale Barre class? What did you think? Leave a comment below.

Oct 22

Who is Lotte Berk and Why is She Considered the Barre Originator?

By Melissa Feeney Barre Culture No Comments

You may have heard of The Lotte Berk Technique but who is the woman behind the workout? Lotte Berk, born Liselotte Heymansohn in Cologne, Germany is considered to be the originator of barre. She was a renowned European ballet dancer until she suffered a severe spinal injury.

After the accident, Lotte began working with an orthopedic surgeon. It was during her recovery that she designed a series of exercises to strengthen the spine and core to assist. After making a full recovery, Lotte Berk began sharing her method with others.

Why might Lotte Berk be considered the founder of barre?

Even though Lotte trained as a modern dancer, her exercises are specially designed for non-dancers. She also incorporated use of floor and bar work into her routines.

Lotte Berk’s influence on modern barre

In the early 70s, a woman named Lydia Bach opened The Lotte Berk Method in New York. Inspired by Lotte’s workout, Lydia purchased the rights to use her name in North America and opened studios in her name, first in Manhatten, followed by Bridgehampton, Los Angeles and eventually via franchise locations throughout Connecticut.

Burr Leonard was a student and eventual owner of those franchise locations throughout Connecticut. After a decade of teaching the Lotte Berk Method, she and her partner decided that the technique they were teaching had diverged so much from the original that they decided to branch out on their own and hence The Bar Method opened their flagship studio in 2000 in San Francisco.

Physique 57’s Jennifer Vaughan Maanavi and Tanya Becker were a teacher and student duo that met while Tanya was teaching at The Lotte Berk Method’s New York City studio. Saddened by the sudden closure of the studio, the pair decided to go into business together. Today you’ll see Lotte’s influence in Tanya’s choreography, which is set to energetic and motivating music. Tanya incorporated cardio, strength training and soothing stretches to the routine, which build off of the Lotte Berk technique she once taught.

The cover of Lydia Bach’s 1971 book about The Lotte Berk Method.

In some way or another, every modern barre class today has either been directly or indirectly influenced by Ms. Berk’s technique. The results that studios hope their clients achieve are really just the same as they were a few decades ago. The goal of a Lotte Berk class is to firm, lengthen and shape the muscles to their optimal form. Today’s classes use the foundation that Lotte created, with a few more gimmicks. Equipment like step-up platforms, straps and balls were never part of the original technique.

You’ll see Lotte’s influence manifest in many different forms in today’s classes. For instance, many franchises including Pure Barre do not allow their clients to wear midriff-baring tops. Exposed skin to cool air make the muscles more prone to injury. Lotte Berk was a big advocate for injury prevention since her methods were created to facilitate her own recovery.

Speaking of injury prevention, the popular “tuck” that we hear so often referred to in class, was simply a pelvic tilt in the early days. It was an exercise based on dance that was meant to protect the spine.

Interested in taking a true Lotte Berk Technique class?

If you want the authentic experience, head to a studio that offers the closest thing to the original technique. If you find yourself in Hungerford, England, you can take a class at the studio owned by Lotte’s daughter, Esther Fairfax. If you happen to find yourself in Switzerland, take a class with Tina Graf, if you’re in the UK stop into Disco Barre Studio or if you’re in the United States, theLONDONmethod in California, LONDON BARRE in New York or Barre Bayou in Louisiana. The Good Barre also offers online classes.