The Barre, Not Just for Ballet

The barre, a stationary handrail traditionally used in ballet, has made its way into the fitness world.

Several barre-inspired workout studios have recently come to the Emerald Coast, including Pure Barre.

The franchise, originally started by Carrie Rezabek Dorr in 2001, was brought to 30a in 2010 by

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Ashley Singleton and has recently expanded to Destin.

According to their website, “Pure Barre is a total body workout that utilizes the ballet barre to perform small, isometric movements, which burn fat, sculpt muscles and create long, lean physiques.”

I recently had the opportunity to stop into the studio on 30a to check out a class.

Not sure what to expect, I was pleasantly surprised.


Interested in Barre in Portsmouth, NH? Try Barre and Soul

Bedford COA Yoga Classes MA

The Bedford Council on Aging is offering yoga this fall, with gentle chair yoga class MA suited for those who may have difficulty kneeling and sitting on the floor and mat yoga for those who are more mobile.

Seniors who have been coming to yoga report more comfort and ease in their bodies, sometimes as quickly as the very first class. Yoga strengthens weak muscles, lubricates the joints, brings relief from the suffering of arthritis and low back pain, strengthens the immune system and releases energy into your body. Balance improves greatly with the practice of yoga as well, strengthening feet, legs, hip flexors and core muscles. Yoga also strengthens all the breathing muscles and increases the power of each breath. People with asthma have reported significant improvement with their breathing.

Chair yoga

This class is a gentle form of yoga. You will practice sitting in a chair or standing using the chair for support. Complicated maneuvers and complex movements are not present in this class. The chair is used due to the difficulty in getting down and up off the floor. The class is one hour followed by a half hour of relaxation and meditation. Mondays and Fridays, 9:30-11 a.m.

Mat yoga

Develop body awareness, learn basic postures and proper alignment. Learn yogic forms of breathing and how to sequence breath and movements together and become familiar with the connection to your physical and energetic body. This class combines postures and movements on all fours, seated, standing and lying down. This is a multi-level class. Though ideal for someone who has already taken some yoga classes, it is also well-suited to someone who is fairly mobile but has never practiced yoga before. Class always ends with a deep relaxation and meditation. Mondays, 1-2:30 p.m.; Thursdays, 9:15-10:45 a.m.

The cost for each class is $65 for eight weeks or $120 for two classes per week.

For information and registration: 781-275-6825. 

Barre & Soul studio combines yoga, ballet and more

 Andrea Isabelle Lucas is incorporating the centering mindfulness of yoga into her classes at her new Barre & Soul studio on Court Street.

"It's a new spin to barre classes," Lucas said.

At a glance

Barre & Soul

Owner: Andrea Isabelle Lucas

Address: 163 Court St., Portsmouth

Phone: 247-0987

E-mail: nh@barresoul.com

Online:www.barresoul.com/portsmouth

Lucas did her research and found that while the Portsmouth area offered many yoga classes and other exercise options, she found that many people didn't know about barre classes.

"I've always been inspired by yoga, but missed the head-to-toe workout from a barre class," she said.

Lucas has been a barre teacher since 2006 and formerly led the mind-body fitness program at Exhale Mind Body Spa in Boston.

She founded Barre & Soul in 2012 and opened studios in Lexington and Melrose, Mass.

An Ogunquit, Maine, native, Lucas is passionate about bringing her successful method to the Seacoast. The Barre & Soul method is based on the tradition of Lotte Berk barre classes that has become one of the hottest rising trends in mainstream fitness.

Berk, a professional ballerina, combined her dance training with orthopedic exercises to rehabilitate her body after an injury. The method she created is safe, challenging and effective. In addition to her barre training, Lucas completed her 200-hour yoga teacher training in Prana-Vauy yoga (a flowing yoga style) with founder David Magone. She holds a bachelor's degree in women's studies from Lesley University.

She has also traveled to Haiti to study the use of yoga to heal trauma and has studied aerial yoga and performed in the Iron Heart Circus, based in Dover.

"I follow the typical format of barre exercises, but with the grounding of yoga," Lucas said. "When students arrive,

Barre & Soul

instead of the traditional marching in place, I ask them to sit for a moment and 'land' in the space."

During the class, the instructor takes the students mindfully through the poses and exercises at their own level.

"We give positive messages throughout the class," Lucas said.

The classes use yoga props like mats, ties and blocks and incorporate the barre and small hand weights for ballet conditioning, interval cardio, Pilates and yoga.

"About half of the class is done on your feet, which is good for building bone density," Lucas said. "I am also helping participants build their arm balance by combining some of the yoga poses."

After the class, the students participate in a savasana, or yogic total body relaxation. Lucas said the grounding helps participants reduce their stress levels.

Lucas found the 850-square-foot space at 163 Court St. that is just above the new hair salon, Oomph. It has beautiful light from two walls of windows and the barres can accommodate up to 20 participants for a class.

There are currently six instructors who have been hired and trained by Lucas. Instructor Lindsey James will be the manager of the Portsmouth location.

A soft opening with classes is set for Saturday, Aug. 16, and a larger grand opening will be held in September.

"We're hoping to do the grand opening in conjunction with Oomph," Lucas said.

Barre & Soul will offer a lunchtime class from 12:10 to 1 p.m. and classes in the early morning and early evening.

A schedule can be found on the studio's Web site.

Yoga Studio looks to follow Old House Mercantile at Proctor District Location

When Old House Mercantile moves from its current location in Tacoma’s Proctor District to a new site across the street, neighbors can expect that a yoga studio will take over the former retail space.

Lisa Palace said Friday that she and her husband, Patrick, will open Yoga Palace once the space is remodeled. Although the formal papers have not been signed, Old House owner Ann Evans said Friday that she would welcome the new business.

The yoga studio will offer scheduled classes in basic to advanced meditation and Vinyasa Yoga instruction. Read more here

Barre and Soul is a Melrose Yoga Studio specializing in signature Barre and Yoga Classes.

Fluidity Studio Barre Makes Commercial Debut

It’s no secret that as more women (and men!) lift, tone and tuck at their local barre studio, it’s traditional fitness facilities who feel the burn. The Fluidity Studio Barre debuts just in time to give those fitness facilities a big advantage – in a product so functional and beautifully designed, it’s already being described by industry insiders as a “piece of art.”

The Fluidity Studio Barre debuted to instructors and personal trainers attending the IDEA World Fitness Convention in Anaheim and if first impressions are lasting impressions, the Fluidity Studio Barre is poised to become a permanent fixture in the commercial fitness space atop a category that is the fastest growing in the group fitness industry.

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For Barre training, visit Barre and Soul, Melrose & Lexington, MA and Portsmouth, NH. The Portsmouth, NH location is 163 Court St., Portsmouth, NH.