PIROUETTE YOURSELF FIT
Shanthini Naidoo pliés herself into the ballet barre exercise trend
ELECTRONIC dance music might not be the obvious choice for a ballet-based exercise class, but energetic barre training would not work to Strauss or Bach.
The women in Sally Ross’s Booty Barre class may be doing elegant plié, battement tendu and jeté — but there is an element of sweat and burn. Ross describes the exercise as a “combination of ballet and physio, including Pilates”.
“It is bio-mechanically correct because it started out with former ballet dancers in mind. Many are injured and have back issues,” Ross said.
The Booty Barre workout was developed by Tracey Mallett, a former professional dancer and master Pilates instructor from the UK, said Ross.
“Barre is about toning, lengthening and balance, without adding bulk. It elongates the body shape, making the muscles smaller and longer. Barre is for anyone wanting to develop their core muscles, and there are cardio blasts to elevate your heart rate,” she said.
Virgin Active’s version, Barre 180, was developed by UK fitness professional Jayne Nicholls as a fusion concept.
“The ballet barre craze kind of crept up on me during 2015. I made a list of the things I felt worked and those small elements that would see it trail off after its initial buzz,” she said. She tweaked the class to include the barre, or not.
“This is still a fitness class and people come to have fun and interact. The traditional barre is great for supported high kicks; front, side and back. Our barres can be vertical, makeshift or imaginary: each option having its own fitness benefit of balance, stability and co-ordination.”
Local physiotherapist and instructor Martine Human leads the Barre 180 class at a gym in Johannesburg. It is intense but includes yoga and some mild cardio.
Barre is for the coordinated, or those who start off looking like an awkward frog in the ballet stances.
The age group varies from 20somethings to the elderly.
“It is a good non-impact code and it creates sense of awareness of the body,” said Human. She uses a stand-up bar or exercise dowel as the barre in the gym classes, but keeps the graceful, fluid movements and an aerobic element that Nicholls included in the programme.
Barre fan Lorraine Kebbie said she enjoyed the slow muscle stretches and toning effects.
For Stella Oliwumi, it is the romance of barre that she enjoys. “It is a good workout but I like that it uses ballet, for the form it gives you, ladylike movements and balance.”