01 Nov 3 Great Moves to Get Ready for Barre Class
A Barre class is a combination of beautiful Ballet barre elements for alignment and stability, with Pilates fundamentals for orthopedic stretching and lengthening. It’s a great choice to get fit, strong, and elongated. For any woman looking to improve her posture and have firmer extremities, this is one of the best classes in our class catalog. It’s also an excellent preparation for Ballet class (for any level), with challenging, but still feminine combinations.
This low-impact class is perfect for dancers of all levels looking to strengthen, tone and define key muscle groups, while creating a leaner body and building stability. Set to a fun fusion of modern-day beats and our classical music ballet repertoire, the class is a challenging, muscle-burning visit to the barre (and center) with combinations that evoke the artistry of ballet moves, with intense resistance training. This class is sure to strengthen your core, thighs, and glutes while lengthening from head to toe. You’ll feel leaner and stronger the more you Barre! If you want to the ready for class, or if you want some homework after your virtual session, here are some great moves to try at home:
Fold-Over
Fold-over not only sculpts your working side glutes, but it also builds strength and definition in the supporting leg while challenging your stamina. Stand a full arm’s length away from your support (substitute a barre using a steady chair or tabletop) and place your hands gently on top of it. Open your feet to hip-width apart and parallel. Soften your knees. Hinge over at your hips until your torso is almost horizontal to the floor. Place your right foot on the floor behind you and exhale for a few breaths to engage your abdominals. Lift your leg up ideally in line with your glutes. Drop your shoulders and aim the elbows diagonally down towards the floor. Lift your leg up one inch and down one inch. Do this about 20 times. Lift your leg more quickly but still in a one-inch range of motion. Finish with 30 reps. Repeat on the other side.
Reverse Pushups
Sit on the floor and bend your legs in front of you. Open your feet to hip-width apart and parallel and place your feet on the floor. Align your hands under your shoulders and turn your fingertips forward and slightly out. Lift your seat off of the floor, shift back until your ribcage starts to round between your upper arms, and tuck your hips slightly. Bend forward at your waist. Bend your elbows down an inch and up an inch. Continue for about 30 to 40 reps to sculpt your triceps, which will create more defined arms.
Leg Lifts
Stand profile to your support (substitute a barre using a steady chair or tabletop). Put your one hand on your support and the other on your low waist. Open your feet to hip-width apart and parallel. Soften your knees. Put one foot on the floor in front of you. Using your quads, the muscles that run along the top of your thigh, lift your leg up to a height that is comfortable yet challenging for you. Lift your leg up and inch and down an inch about 10 to 15 times. Lower your leg for a reset. Raise your leg back up and lift a little more quickly to finish for about 20 to 30 reps.