At Pure Barre exercise studios, small movements add up to big changes, an ideal choice for those seeking physical fitness in the context of a supportive community. Pure Barre utilizes the ballet barre to perform small, isometric movements for a total-body workout, burning fat, sculpting muscles and creating lean physiques without any bodybuilder bulking. Founded in 2001 in Michigan by Carrie Rezabek Dorr, a renowned dancer and choreographer, Pure Barre now numbers more than 460 studios in North America, a testament to the technique’s effectiveness.
In Brentwood, Pure Barre is owned and operated by J. Burke, now in her ninth year. Along with several other expert instructors, J. leads clients in 45- to 50-minute routines such as Pure Barre Classic and Pure Reform, the former utilizing gear such as tubes and balls and the latter blending strength sculpting with balance training and resistance bands. Regardless of the type of course, however, expect an extremely effective workout in a high-intensity atmosphere set to motivating music with average class sizes of around 14 participants.
“It’s like a family,” says local April Bosse. “It’s empowering and rewarding. I just reached my 1,000th class a month ago.”
“It’s not yoga or Pilates,” J. says. “This workout is for everybody. We have people from 16 to 75, and you don’t have to have a dancer’s background.”
