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Dance and Ballet-Inspired Workouts Hit Brooklyn Heights

By Nikhita Venugopal | February 5, 2014 4:34pm
 Xtend Barre opened its Brooklyn Heights location last weekend at 147 Remsen St.
Xtend Barre Brooklyn Heights
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BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — Dance-inspired workouts are taking Brooklyn Heights to the ballet — every time they go to the gym.

Xtend Barre, a new boutique fitness studio that celebrated its grand opening Monday at 147 Remsen St., offers exercise classes that incorporate dance movements, Pilates and the ballet barre.

Like other studios that use the ballet barre, Xtend Barre focuses on conditioning and strength training for different muscle groups, such as arms, thighs and glutes, during each session.

But the “Xtend Barre Workout,” which was created by professional dancer Andrea Rogers, adds a healthy dose of dance cardio that’s choreographed to fast-paced music, said studio owner Kristine Storie.

With the tagline, “Pilates and dance amplified,” the Xtend Barre system sculpts and challenges each part of the body proportionately with an intense, fun workout, Storie said.

“It’s kind of like interval training,” she said.

Pure Barre, another barre ballet studio, opened its first Brooklyn location in Cobble Hill last December.

Instructors commonly use ballet terms, like “arabesque” and “plie,” during classes to help fitness enthusiasts can become accustomed to the workout’s dependence on dance.

Customers of all experience levels are welcome to try the Xtend Barre workouts, said Storie, who added that the exercise classes were geared toward fitness and not teaching people how to dance.

The studio also offers Pilates classes and hope to begin sessions specifically for dance and yoga in the next few months.

To sign up for classes, visit this website.