My little studio is just a little over a year and half old and I’m still having the greatest time running it. Don’t get me wrong, the fun is balanced by lots of hard work and some very unglamorous chores, but on balance it’s all been great. Besides working with all my wonderful students, I’ve met and gotten to know a wonderful group of instructors who all add something unique to AD&F.

There isn’t much time to socialize with the instructors, since we are all so busy. But from time to time I get to have a cup of tea with Tenicia (T.) Trask, who teaches some wonderful ball and Pilates classes. You never know what will come out of one of those “Tea with T” meetings. Of course we always cover updates about our families and I’m embarrassed to admit that we also share a little gossip now and then. But the main topic of discussion is our fitness classes and how we can improve them for our students. I always leave our get-togethers energized and ready to tackle new ideas.

A few months ago while sipping our tea, T mentioned barre classes. For those who don’t know, barre classes have been around a while, but it isn’t something we offer at Albany Dance & Fitness. Some of T’s friends were interested in doing this type of workout class and we thought it would be a popular class to offer.

Well, that’s all it took. The next thing I knew we started researching barre classes and were surprised to find that there are many types offered. All of the workouts have the word “barre” in the name and use the ballet barre for at least part of the class. Some types do require a license or franchise for you to teach, but many are not trade marked.

We both agreed that we wanted to offer a class that would challenge our students, yet offer enough variety to keep them interested. So, why not create our own version? With over five decades of dance experience, ten years of personal training and Pilates, plus seven years of teaching Balletone, we knew we had enough experience to create a challenging workout.

I’m proud to tell you that we’ve created a class we are calling Barre Blast, a workout that we designed to sculpt and tone your whole body, make you feel stronger, more energized, and increase your flexibility.

So, now what’s a Barre Blast class like? It’s a dance-inspired barre workout that flows from one exercise to another to give you a cardio workout. We spice it up with strength training, yoga, and Pilates exercises to round out the total body workout. We’ll keep you guessing from class to class by mixing in weights, bands, balls, or mats to enhance the exercises and never let you get bored!

We’re very excited about the new class format and hope that you will try it out. Classes begin in March. At first we’ll offer a few classes per week. If the class takes off, look for more times!

Are you ready for Barre Blast?