The 5 Best Alternative Workouts in Brooklyn
Pure Barre: We’re going to be upfront here and admit that we use any opportunity possible to bring out our inner ballerina. Which is definitely one of the reasons why we love doing ballet barre classes so much. But even if we hadn’t worn out our VHS copy of The Red Shoes when we were children (“A dancer who relies upon the doubtful comforts of human love will never be a great dancer. Never.” Aahhhh!!!), we’d still love the classes at Pure Barre because they employ the kind of small muscle, isometric movements that lead to long, lean limbs. At the end of the class, you will feel every muscle in your body…including those you didn’t even know you had.
Something else to look forward to for Brooklyn-based, ballet barre-enthusiasts is the soon to open Brooklyn Heights outpost of Xtend Barre. The 3,000 square foot studio is due to open mid-January and is the first New York City location of this international brand. I’m lucky enough to have taken a class led by Kristine Storie, the owner of this locale (plus a Brooklyn native!), and had the sort of transformative exercise experience that led me to talk about nothing else other than this ballet and Pilates inspired class for days. And also, I’ve been using my best ballet arms ever since, which certainly makes me feel much more graceful and longer-limbed, even if I’m only maybe looking a little bit more graceful, and have the same limbs I’ve always had. But I swear they’re longer now! At least, that’s how I feel after Xtend Barre. You could feel that way too.
Another great barre workout is actually in Manhattan(!), but we pretty much have to tell you about it because it is an intense, transformative experience that had us shaking as we held poses, light-headed as we practiced our pliés, and determined to take as many classes as we possibly could because of how incredible it made us feel after. That class? It’s the Vertical Ballet Barre class at Chelsea’s Body and Pole studio (where you can also take other, awesome alternative workout classes with hoops and fabrics), and, no, it’s not a pole dancing class. What it is instead is a ballet-based class that left us feeling simultaneously stronger and more graceful than we ever had before. It was amazing.
266 Court Street, Cobble Hill purebarre.com
147 Remsen Street 2nd floor, Brooklyn Heights xtendbarrebh.com
115 W. 27th Street, Chelsea bodyandpole.com