“Are you ready to feel the barre?” — These are the words that greet you as you enter the doors of the new loft-like Barre Studio. Wondering what barre is? The term describes the horizontal bar that ballet dancers train with. This barre is used in many classes at the Feel the Barre studio. The classes are designed as full-body and muscle endurance training and are intended to strengthen the body in a way that few workouts can. Benefits include muscle strengthening, core stability, increased flexibility and endurance, improved posture, and much more. And though the association with ballet may sound demanding, barre is quite beginner-friendly and can be adapted to different ability levels. If you’re still not sure whether barre is for you, then I can only advise you to give it a try at this studio. It was founded by Michael Byrne, originally from London, and his partner Fabian, from Berlin.
Michael is a trained dancer and has worked in show business for many years, including ten years as dance captain for Starlight Express and as a choreographer for Helene Fischer. He then decided to study again and is now an ICF-accredited business coach. Fabian is also a trained dancer and worked as a coach at Flying Steps for ten years. Together, the two have built a community of almost 12,000 members worldwide during the pandemic with online HIIT and barre classes. With the end of the pandemic, the desire to offer a real place to find community became even greater, and this became possible in November 2023 with Feel the Barre Studio. I tried out the Signature Class, which combines all courses into one, and it was an excellent experience. Michael and Fabian take what they do very seriously, without taking themselves too seriously! In other words, you can expect to be challenged and encouraged, but at the same time made to feel welcome and hopefully, like me, have a lot of fun! If you’d like to take part in a barre class, you can take advantage of the 2-for-1 welcome offer. On to the barre!
Text & Photos: Luna Schaffron
Feel the Barre, Bötzowstr.26, 10407 Berlin–Prenzlauer Berg; map
@feelthebarre
