What: bAAAre
When: Tuesdays @ 6 p.m.
Where: Barreworks (625 Queen St. West, 3rd Floor)
Who: Gerry King
A very, very long time ago a little place called Barreworks opened shop on Queen St. West and hasn’t looked back since. I did visit Barreworks those many, many months ago (more like a year ago now) and really enjoyed what the studio had to offer. As the newest and coolest dance-infused work out, all of a sudden anyone could achieve the benefits of a dancer’s body without having to be a dancer! How great does that sound? No wonder their classes are full beyond capacity each and every day! Which was exactly the case Tuesday evening when I visited the studio for a second time.
Getting ready for some bAAArre action!
Today, Barreworks offers more classes than ever before, has a second (but smaller) studio, and opened a second location on Yonge St. With all these grand expansions, they still carry the same pleasantness as the day I last visited. After figuring out a minor issue of me attending the class — I was not registered and the class was full. Yikes! But Jasmine took good care of me and made sure I got into the class I wanted to take. bAAArre. And yes that’s how it’s spelled. With capital AAA. Which stand for Arms, Abs, and Ass! And holy smokes, my arms, abs, and ass are killing me today.
Barreworks were kind enough to invite Erin and myself to this new class of theirs, but Erin didn’t come with me. Thankfully, my friend and Barreworks advocate, Tiffany Astle, came instead (hi, Tiffany!). She’s been raving about this bAAArre class every time I’d see her. It was time to see for myself what triple A torture this class would put me through.
After a studio walkabout with Jasmine, I was introduced to Gerry (our teacher for the class). Gerry was energetic and excited — I can totally relate! — and made me really excited for class. This class was busy and right away the beats were blaring and our bodies were bumping. The intensity was high, and as I scoped out the room there were ladies in the class who’ve clearly been there before, there were you amateur Barre-ers, and newbies just like me! But regardless of your fitness level, stamina, or physical strength bAAArre is accessible to everyone. Don’t be fooled by the dance theme of Barreworks, bAAArre did not involve dancing of any sort. Okay, maybe we dance around a little bit, but it was nothing even I couldn’t handle.
Barreworks even offers SpinBarre! That’s spinning & barre.
Gerry kept everyone entertained, working hard, and he kicked all our butts at the same time. His energy was hilarious and amazing. The class had just the right amount of variety, we touched on all the major points in the body we needed to without going overboard. I left wanting more. Gerry, I would come back to your class in a heartbeat.
Barreworks only downer is the cost. It is expensive to join: a drop in class is $21 plus tax and packages range from $95 to $750 depending on how many classes you buy, but, this would be a workout worth committing to. The basic exercises do not require a lot of things (you could do this on your own) but the dynamic class energy would be extremely hard to mimic. The studio environment would make each visit a good experience even if you didn’t want to be there. I would think this specific workout would require at least a 3 times per week commitment to see optimal results, but who am I to say. Therefore, I am saying, investing in an unlimited month membership would be you’re best bet. At least for a month and see for yourself.
Take this class if: You want the results of a tough workout without having to do any thinking.