The First Pure Barre in Cincinnati: Pure Barre Ft. Wright
We have five Pure Barre locations in the tristate area; Oakley, Kenwood, Cinci West, Mason, and Ft. Wright. While the class formats are the same, each studio has their own feel and unique, tightknit community. The Ft. Wright location was the first location in Greater Cincinnati. We love the studio for its strong sense of community, non-judgmental vibe, and talented and enthusiastic instructors.
If you’re new to Pure Barre
The Tristate locations all offer three classes:
PB Classic: This is the classic barre class. The class uses small hand weights, the bar, and a mat to work all the major muscle groups through small isometric movements.
PB Foundation: This is a great place to start as a newcomer. It is a PB classic based class, but the class size is smaller, and the instructors offer more talks more hand on corrections.
PB Empower: Pure Empower is a spin on PB classic and incorporates cardio-centric circuits (still low impact) with barre and strength training. The class uses your own body weight, a 6-inch step-up platform and ankle weights (it took a hot minute for us to figure out how to put these on). It is challenging, but modifiable for all levels and a great complement to Pure Barre Classic.
The PB Ft. Wright Location
In September of 2011, Lori Gray and Kelly Dicken Newman decided to open the first Pure Barre location in Greater Cincinnati. Kelly originally took PB in Kentucky at from PB founder Carrie Dorr. She loved the workout, and one of her best friends who happened to be a PB studio owner in Lexington encouraged her to bring the workout to Cincinnati. A mutual friend introduced Lori and Kelly and suggested they partner on the endeavor. Kelly and Lori are now best pals. In fact, Lori actually introduced Kelly to her now husband, a part of the story we love.
Our Experience
Mol and I took the PB Empower class at PB Ft. Wright last week with studio manager and instructor, Katie. After class, we sat down with Lori and Katie to chat. The four of us sat in the front lobby as clients streamed by us for the next class. Lori and Katie legit knew every client’s name, and got up numerous times to give hugs to those they hadn’t seen in a while. The sense of community was palpable. We asked Lori and Katie to give us some advice for those brand new to PB.
Lori and Katie’s Advice for PB newcomers
Don’t judge a book by its cover. So many people come in for their first class feeling intimidated. They think, “I know I can’t do that,” or “there are only thin people here, I don’t fit in” or, “I’m not a dancer, and everyone here is in great shape.” Lori wants people to know that, while it does take effort to get in shape, anyone can do it, and literally no one is judging you in a PB class. Apparently, pretty much every client is clueless at their first class. Including, Katie. Katie, who actually is a dancer, said she didn’t get PB right off the bat, but she stuck with it because it was both challenging and fun.
Katie suggests definitely giving it a few classes. PB promises you will notice changes in your body within 10 class (3-4 times a week). Like Lori, Katie insisted no one is watching anyone else in class. There is so much going on, she said, that you don’t have time to pay attention to anyone else. If you can hold the barre, you can do it. A 30-day trial is $99.
What to Expect
Women that are dedicated to PB find that the workout helps burn fat, sculpt muscles, and create long, lean physiques–just like a ballerina. This workout might be good for you if you are looking for a low impact option that will lengthen and strengthen muscles. It’s can also be great for those with pre-existing injuries. In fact, I’ve been to physical therapy quite a few times (read: I’m accident prone) and a lot of the exercises in PB remind me of what I did at physical therapy but enhanced.
If it’s your lunch hour and you want a lower level of sweat, try PB Classic. If you’re looking for a great sweat and more high intensity class, go for PB Empower. The Ft. Wright location has plenty of parking. Wear socks, barre socks if you have them. Expect a great soundtrack, and for your legs to shake. You’ll hear the instructors say again and again, “shaking is good, that’s where change is created.”
Anyone can try their first Foundation class for free, and after that a 30-day trial is $99.
Pure Barre Ft. Wright is one of our Quidwell Partners and every week they give exclusive deals and promos to our members. Make sure to check out our membership program so you can get the hook-up!
