Dancers Shape: More Than Your Average Barre Studio

Dancers Shape: More Than Your Average Barre Studio

May 20, 2013 Laura Williams

A couple weeks ago I had the pleasure of trying out the Dancers Shape signature Shape class led by the studio’s owner, Jennifer McCamish. Having never taken a true barre class before, I found it challenging, well-taught and, well… challenging! As my legs shook and my muscles burned, I quickly realized that there are some areas of fitness that I need to work on!

After class, Jennifer and I got to talking, and she shared something that really clicked with me. She said, “While I was in New York, I was taking all sorts of classes: yoga, Pilates, barre and more. But none of the studios offered all of the classes I wanted to take in a single location, so I ended up with punch cards for a lot of different studios. Trying to juggle the cards, the locations and the expiration dates just became a hassle. That’s why I wanted to open a studio that offers all the types of classes that I want to take.”

I get that! I’ve got a little bit of exercise ADD going on, so I always find myself wanting to change up my workout routine and try new things. While I loved the Shape class more than I can say, I can’t imagine pigeonholing myself into a single form of exercise for weeks or months on end.

And that’s what makes Dancers Shape so cool.

Just this last week I went back and enjoyed the Groove and Power classes. While there’s a little bit of barre incorporated into each class, they have their own vibe and they focus on different components of fitness. Groove focuses on cardio achieved through varying styles of dance. Power focuses on high-intensity cardio, plyometrics and full-body strengthening exercises to really enhance total-body fitness.

With other classes to choose from, like Graceful, Advanced, Core and Yoga, you really can constantly mix up your routine and choose your workout based on whatever you’re feeling that day. That’s not something I’ve seen done at other barre studios. And as Jennifer pointed out, Dancers Shape has even more cool stuff in the works – like Pilates performed on Reformers.

About the Author

After receiving her bachelor’s degree in exercise and sport science from Texas State University, Laura Williams focused her career on aquatic and fitness management. Over the course of eight years she moved cross-country three times to take on progressively more difficult roles. She left management in 2010 to finish her master’s degree in exercise and sport science from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. She is now a writer, entrepreneur and the “Sporty Girl CEO” of Girls Gone Sporty. When she’s not working, Laura can be found running her dogs, trying new classes, lifting weights, attempting yoga or watching shamelessly trashy television. You can find Girls Gone Sporty on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.