back to the bar

I just got back from my first The Bar Method workout, and my buns are burning.  As a former ballet dancer who has now embraced yoga due to injured and decrepit knees and ankles, I’m always eager to try any workout that has a foundation in dance technique.

What I found was that the class was less dance and more a special gym style sculpting class set in a high-end studio.  For me that was disappointing, but perhaps I went into it with an inflated expectation.  I do tend to do that sometimes.

In retrospect I see that my research (prompted by a Daily Candy shout-out) was focused more on the history of the method – developed by an injured German dancer, Lotte Berk, in 1957 to combine physical therapy and dance technique for strong and safe recovery.  Rather than on the actual description of the method which is indeed very accurate – “integrating the fat burning format of interval training, the muscle shaping technique of isometrics, the elongating principles of dance conditioning, and the science of physical therapy to create a revolutionary new workout that quickly and safely reshapes your entire body.”

Upon further research I discovered that The Bar Method in fact is not even Lotte Berk’s original technique but rather a different method created by Burr Leonard who is a former student of Berk’s.  It’s not clear if Leonard has any dance training at all, and I sort of doubt that she does.   A little misleading and weird.

I know I’ve gotten carried away with details that have no impact on the experience I had today.  So, let me remove my dancer’s expectations and take The Bar Method at face value.  When I do that I can say, without a doubt, it’s a damn good workout.  My upper body got much more strength training than it usually does in yoga, and my legs were pushed to shaky fatigue.  My abs are burning and my butt’s exhausted.

All in all, I’m indeed thrilled to have found a nice adjunct to (and respite from) yoga.  But, I’m still on the hunt for that extra ordinary class that reminds me of my graceful and powerful ballet training while still being kind to my injured and aging joints.