Get the Shape You've Always Wanted!

The BEST Kept Barre Secret is now HERE!

Are you ready to feel fabulous, lose inches in all the right places, and finally tighten up your belly while toning and strengthening your whole body?  If so..."The Original" Barre class was designed for YOU!

Why "The Original" Barre?

Because it WORKS!!!  

It will not only transform the shape of your body but it is a highly conditioning workout that will make you so strong.  Like T-Tapp, it is a series of movements that work deep intrinsic muscles in ways we don’t normally work.  The workout is challenging but when you are done, you feel so good.

Even if you've taken other barre classes, you haven't experienced The Original! What are you waiting for?  

It's time to stop, grab a barre or chair and do the workout that began it all!

What is "The Original" Barre?

It is the method that actually began the Barre movement! 

It was created by Lotte Berk in England back in the late 50’s. Lotte was a modern dancer in Germany during World War 2. She escaped Germany and went to England.  

She started teaching dance and exercise to people there. While working with a client, she moved wrong and slipped a disc.  She created the moves in this workout (along with her Doctor) to help rehab her back and keep her body in shape.  

She began teaching these moves to her clients and they got phenomenal results.  Word of mouth spread about this new workout that transformed bodies. Before you know it, the studio was full of celebrities.  Even members of the Royal family were known to show up there.

People came to Lotte’s studio from all over the world to learn this method, including people from the US.  One woman, Lydia Bach, came and was so impressed she bought the rights to the Lotte Berk name and brought it to the US. 

She changed and tweaked the technique in her US studios.  It became very successful in the US and began our Barre industry.  But it is NOT the same technique as was taught by Lotte.  

Esther Fairfax is Lotte’s daughter. Esther watched as women came and transformed their bodies. So 58 years ago, she decided to teach this method too.  

Esther is now 86 and still teaches to this day.  She is a living inspiration and has clients that have been with her for decades that are in as great a shape as she is.  Esther is committed to getting this method out to as many people as possible to keep it's genius alive.  

Course curriculum

  • 1

    Welcome to The Original Barre Class!

    • How to get the most out of this class package!
  • 2

    Form tips!

    • How to do the tilt and the extensions!

    • Form tips for not over using your head and neck during the ab work!

    • Original Form Tips Class!!! Recorded on 1/11

    • Pluto Snuffles Form Tip video - got requests for help with this move. NOTE: this move isn't great for everyone. Watch and do it with me and if it still doesn't feel good, don't do it. Do back extension instead.
  • 3

    Warm Up

    • The warm up! This is a wonderful 7 minute warm up that will get your whole body ready to work. I actually will do it during the day when I just need to move and don't have much time!!!
  • 4

    Full Classes

    • 40 min original - warm up,lift band stretch, good dog peeing (back of legs) inside out for sides, genie with hands on chair, plie with calves, serious thighs (feet in v),feet on chair for abs,back extensions and hip stretch!

    • 43 min - warm up, lift bend stretch, using a chair for leg back and sides (new), stretch, plies with calves, serious thighs in a v, stretch, feet on chair for abs and feet on floor for more abs, tummy time, somatic childs pose and leg out st

    • 40 min WITH MUSIC! warm up, leg lift with bend stretch, back of thigh on diagonal, big reach out with hip for sides, short genies, pelvic floor play, calf stretches, serious thighs in v, stretch out, abs with feet on chair (extra form tips),

    • 42 minute- warm up,top leg (open close bend stretch), tushie (straight back), Side leg, top of thighs (genie with chair), stretch, calves to series thigh with knees together, stretch, feet on chair for abs, banana, pluto,final stretch

    • 40 min original - warm up, bend leg5x and bend stretch, feet in 5th position straight back, kneeling by seat for sides, Genie, stretch, calves, serious thighs, leg stretches, feet on chair for abs, 1/2 banana, pluto, final stretches

    • 43 min Original - Warm up, bend straighten, hamstring/tushie (straight back),side leg with waist, quick leg stretch and up for calf and then serious thigh, leg stretches, floor for legs up on chair ab work, pluto snuffles and final stretch!

    • 51 minutes -The Original Barre Class! Enjoy!

    • 35 min Original - warm up, leg -knee up/out/straighten, back leg for diagonal lift/bend/straighten/floor, Big side stretch out,genies, leg stretch, leg on chair for ab series, on belly for extensions, pluto snuffles and final stretches

    • 38 min. Original class - warm up, bend straighten for top of legs, back of legs, side legs, top of thighs, pelvic floor work and then onto back with ball between knees for more core, move for waist whittling, bear stretch, final stretches a

    • 40 min "original" workout - new warm up, front of legs with more detailed form tips, back of thigh/tushie, top of leg genie, leg stretch/pelvic floor, backside/waist/1/2 banana, pluto snuffles, cat cow, final leg and back stretches!

    • NEW! 1 15 54 min - fun class - did a hip opening top of leg, wrap around leg for tushie, a few new ab moves, 1/2 banana again, pluto. This was a challenging class but the energy was high. Enjoy!
  • 5

    Quickies

    • Pelvic Floor 1 - sitting on floor crossed leg (can sit on a ball or yoga block to help feel it), listen to my cues as we connect to and work those pelvic floor muscles), lie on back with ball between knees and follow along as we sqeeze and releas

    • Pelvic Floor day 2 - pelvic floor play, ball between knees again for more squeezing, tilting and pressing!

    • Pelvic Floor day 3 with 1/2 banana! More strengthening moves on our backs with ball between legs and a fab move for cinching in top back of hips, waist and thighs called 1/2 banana!!!

    • 17 minute Ab quickie! Grab a chair and let's work those abs!!

    • 8 minute quickie for the booty! Grab a chair and work your booty!

    • 13 minutes of ab work - grab a chair and we do "lift and grips" for belly strengthening and toning. Ended with another round of the 1/2 banana. So powerful!

    • NEW! 8 minute ab quickie with feet on wall and ball between ankles!

    • NEW! 8 minute Bootie lifting and tightening! Woo Hoo! This is a good one!

    • NEW 1 14 Arm quickie with music! I use 2 cans of beans for weights (1 pounds each) but you don't have to use any weights or use up to 3 pounds of weight No more is needed to get leaned out arms!

  • 6

    Final Stretch

    • Final Stretch!!! You DID IT!

Instructor

CMO (Chief Movement Officer)

Renee McLaughlin

Renee McLaughlin has a Master of Science degree in Natural Health, teaches the “Original Barre” (Lotte Berk method), is a T-Tapp Master Trainer, Somatic Educator, Nia teacher and shares her joy of movement every day. A life-long student of fitness and health, Renee is constantly researching new tools to help her clients on their respective fitness and health journeys. In her three decades of working with hundreds of clients across every level of health and fitness, Renee knows life is movement and movement is life. When you stop moving, you stagnate at all levels (physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually), tighten up, dehydrate and increase the aging process. Movement is a powerful healer and when you add the element of joy you will be blown away by how it will transform you body, mind and spirit. Renee teaches a variety of movement programs to give her clients a well rounded, healthy, joyful body and life.