The BE Difference

Patti, a retired social studies, writing and English teacher, has raised three kids in eight cities, thanks to her physician husband. Now they live in Mt. Pleasant with their trio of labs. She started with Barre Evolution the first week we opened.

Patti grew up taking ballet and says our classes “bring back good memories.” Previously, she took yoga and barre classes. Now she supplements BE sessions with long, fast walks accompanied by her dogs. Winters find her taming moguls and deep powder. She travels every three weeks to favorite destinations like Vail and Park City. “Barre Evolution’s workouts also remind me of skiing because they work the whole body from head-to-toe.” she says.

When speaking about the classes and their instructors, Patti says, “The variety is great, they keep it interesting. You never know what you’re going to get. I’ve been with most of the instructors," she continued. ”Each brings something different to the experience…personality, energy level, music selection… and I appreciate that.”

“Physically, it has completely changed me,” she explains. While she has always been thin, Patti says that Barre Evolution has tightened her up and shrunk her clothing size. She’s proud of her abs, her carved core and definition, “It’s transformed my body, made it more toned. I feel confident, healthier and more energetic.”

Coming to BE has also given Patti a sense of well-being. “It’s an hour to be in my own head, like meditation. It’s my Zen hour. You start to crave the classes.”

A transplant from the DC suburbs, a teacher and then “a starving artist,” Colleen works for an endodontist while she’s becoming a nurse.

She lost someone very special not long ago, which made her even more committed to fitness and a healthy lifestyle. That tragic event also inspired her to start nursing school.

“I want to be strong, to sleep well, and to maintain a healthy weight,” she says. As a lifelong athlete, soccer and volleyball are Colleen’s sports of choice: “I need the peer pressure to work out at my highest level.” But her friend Susan, visiting from DC and wanting to attend a barre class, “dragged me kicking and screaming” to her first Barre Evolution session. Colleen was “sore and irritated for three days afterward,” but she was also hooked. She attends BE classes three-four times a week now and is close to becoming a 500 visits member.

What Colleen likes best about BE are the results: “While my goal wasn’t weight loss, I did lose two dress sizes.” She adds, "I’ve never plateaued with barre. I keep getting stronger and tighter. It’s an hour of the day when I don’t have to think about anything else…it’s a blessing. I’m focused on my instructors, my form and rhythm.”

Speaking of BE instructors, she appreciates their unique styles, their abilities to make classes easier with comic relief or a smile when things are tough, and the personal attention. “They’ve helped me modify a lot of the moves based on past sports injuries…I think the instructors know every one I’ve ever had!”

Colleen also practices yoga, which she took up following a sports injury. She says that barre has helped with it, making her more able to get into the poses. She likes the zen of yoga, but the strength of barre. Asked what keeps her coming back to Barre Evolution, “It’s always different,” she answers, “plus the level of professionalism, from the instructors to the cleanliness of the studios.”