Barre Is Coming to West End

Fitness fanatics of Brisbane, it's time to add a tutu to your workout kit. Think ballet without the performance, and a style of exercise that fuses yoga, pilates and dance conditioning routines. Think barre.

You've probably already heard about the workout that celebrities seem to swear by, given that it's been around since German dancer Lotte Berk came up with it in London in the late 1950s. Trying it; well, that's another matter. While the UK and the US have been barre-crazy for decades, it didn't catch on quite so quickly here. A few gyms around town offer classes, Spring Hill already boasts its own studio and another is coming to the CBD — but you can never have too much of a good thing.

At Barre Brisbane, director Ash Daniec wants to get the city excited about the exercise trend she discovered 18 months ago while preparing for an overseas trip. For the uninitiated, barre focuses on flexibility and strength, asking participants to use their own body weight in isometric — or small, one-inch-increment — movements. It might not sound like it, but the technique really gets the muscles firing, with sculpting and creating length among its key outcomes.

Daniec's new venture will offer 23 classes over 6 days each week, as available via memberships and casual passes ranging from $25 per class to $35 for a three-class-per-week package. West End is her first stop, with plans to open more studios in Teneriffe, on the northside and in Noosa, and add week- and weekend-long retreats to the mix as well.

When it comes to the classes themselves, Barre Brisbane is designed to appeal to newcomers and health-nuts alike, as well as anyone keen for a cardio boost and those who want to (literally) stretch themselves. Plus, it just might help you fulfil a childhood dream. Let's face it: for most of us, it's as close to being a ballerina as we're ever going to get.

Find Barre Brisbane at 347 Montague Road, West End from February 25. For more information, visit their website.