Barre Fitness Classes: Strength, Grace, and Fun for Every Body

Meet Your Instructor: Stephanie Getman Gronholz

Stephanie brings exceptional qualifications and infectious enthusiasm to every barre class. In addition to co-owning Sandra’s Studio of Dance and overseeing the instruction of dancers 3-6 years old, she is certified in both Barre Above and Balletone methods and has completed a comprehensive 200-hour yoga teacher training. This unique combination of certifications allows her to create classes that are both safe and effective, drawing from the best elements of ballet, Pilates, and yoga.

Stephanie understands that adults come to fitness with different goals, abilities, and comfort levels. Her teaching philosophy centers on modification for every body and creating an atmosphere where students can work up a sweat to fun playlists while simply enjoying movement. Her approach ensures that everyone—from fitness newcomers to seasoned athletes—feels welcome, challenged, and successful.

The Amazing Benefits of Barre Fitness

Barre fitness isn't just trendy—it's one of the most effective and accessible forms of exercise you can do for your overall health and wellness:

Physical Fitness Benefits

• Full-Body Strength Building: Small, controlled movements target both major muscle groups and smaller stabilizing muscles that are often overlooked in traditional workouts

• Improved Core Stability: Every movement engages your core, leading to better posture, reduced back pain, and improved daily functional movement

• Enhanced Flexibility: The combination of strengthening and stretching increases range of motion and prevents muscle tightness

• Better Balance and Coordination: Barre work challenges your proprioception and stability, skills that are crucial for injury prevention and daily activities

• Low-Impact, Joint-Friendly Exercise: The controlled movements are easier on joints than high-impact workouts while still delivering excellent results

• Muscular Endurance: The high-repetition, low-weight format builds the type of strength that helps with everyday activities like carrying groceries or playing with grandchildren

Mental Health and Wellness Benefits

• Stress Relief: The mind-body connection required in barre creates a meditative quality that helps reduce anxiety and stress

• Increased Confidence: As you build strength and master new movements, you'll feel more confident in your body's abilities

• Better Body Awareness: Barre teaches you to understand how your body moves and works, leading to improved posture and movement patterns

• Social Connection: Join a supportive community of adults working toward their fitness goals in a fun, non-competitive environment

• Mental Focus: The concentration required for proper form and small movements provides a mental break from daily stresses

What Makes Our Barre Classes Special

The Perfect Fusion Format

Our barre classes uniquely combine three proven movement methods:

Ballet-Inspired Grace: Drawing from classical ballet positions and movements, you'll develop long, lean muscles and improved posture. Don't worry—no previous dance experience is required!

Pilates Core Strength: Incorporating Pilates principles of core engagement and controlled movement, every exercise builds the deep stability muscles that support your spine and improve daily function.

Yoga Flexibility and Mindfulness: The yoga elements ensure proper stretching and recovery while adding the mind-body awareness that makes exercise sustainable and enjoyable.

What to Expect in Class

Our barre fitness classes are carefully structured to provide a complete workout while ensuring safety and proper progression:

1. Warm-Up: We begin each class with gentle movements to prepare your body for exercise. This includes joint mobility work, light stretching, and cardiovascular activation exercises that wake up the core and smaller stabilizing muscles.

2. Upper Body Strengthening: Using light weights or just body weight, we work the arms, shoulders, and upper back with ballet-inspired movements. These exercises improve posture and build functional upper body strength for daily activities.

3. Barre Work: The signature portion of class! Using the ballet barre, we perform targeted exercises for the legs and glutes. These small, controlled movements are incredibly effective for building strength and endurance in the lower body.

4. Stretch and Dance: Just like in a traditional ballet class, we stretch at the barre before coming center to bring our heart rates back up with a dance-inspired cardio break. You get to choose your impact level!

5. Core work: Drawing from Pilates principles, we dedicate specific time to strengthening the deep core muscles, glutes and hips, that support your spine and improve overall stability. These exercises help prevent back pain and improve posture.

6. Flexibility and Cool-Down: We end each class with yoga-inspired stretches that maintain and improve flexibility while helping prevent soreness. This mindful cool-down helps you leave class feeling relaxed and rejuvenated.

Perfect for Every Body and Every Level

Complete Beginners

Never tried barre fitness? You're in the right place! We start with the fundamentals:

• Basic posture and alignment principles

• How to modify every exercise for your current fitness level

• Understanding the mind-muscle connection

• Building confidence in a supportive environment

You'll be amazed at how quickly you start feeling stronger and more aware of your body!

Returning to Fitness

If you're getting back into exercise after time away, barre is an ideal choice:

• Low-impact movements that are gentle on joints

• Gradual progression that respects your body's current abilities

• Focus on functional strength that helps with daily activities

• Supportive environment without intimidation or competition

Experienced Exercisers

Even if you're already active, barre offers unique benefits:

• Targets smaller stabilizing muscles often missed in other workouts

• Challenges strength endurance in new ways

• Improves flexibility and body awareness

• Provides active recovery from higher-impact activities

• Offers mental variety to prevent workout boredom

Modifications for Every Body

One of the most beautiful aspects of barre fitness is its adaptability. Stephanie ensures that every student can participate fully by offering:

Pregnancy-Safe Modifications: Expectant mothers can safely continue their fitness routine with appropriate adaptations

Injury Accommodations: Whether dealing with knee issues, back problems, or other physical challenges, exercises can be modified while maintaining effectiveness

Strength Variations: From beginner-friendly versions to advanced challenges, everyone works at their appropriate level

Equipment Alternatives: Don't want to use our weights, balls or resistance bands? No problem—we show you how to make every exercise work with just your body weight

What You'll Need

Comfortable Workout Clothes: Wear fitted athletic wear that allows you to move freely. Avoid very loose clothing that might get in your way during floor work.

Grip Socks or Bare Feet: For safety and stability, grip socks are ideal, but bare feet work perfectly too. Regular athletic shoes are actually not recommended for barre work, but you can wear a clean pair if you are working through any foot or ankle limitations.

Water Bottle: Stay hydrated throughout the workout—you'll definitely work up a sweat!

Yoga Mat: If you have one, bring it for floor exercises. If not, don't worry—we have extras available.

Open Mind: Come ready to try something new, challenge yourself, and maybe discover muscles you didn't know you had!

Why Choose Barre Fitness at Sandra's Studio of Dance?

Expert, Multi-Certified Instruction: Stephanie's certifications in Barre Above, Balletone, and 200-hour yoga training ensure you're learning safe, effective techniques from a true professional.

Welcoming, Non-Judgmental Environment: Our studio culture emphasizes personal growth, modification for every body.

Proven Results: The combination of strength training, flexibility work, and mindful movement delivers comprehensive fitness results that you'll feel in your daily life.

Fun Atmosphere: We work up a sweat to great playlists and don't take ourselves too seriously—fitness should be enjoyable!

Established Studio: Sandra's Studio of Dance has been part of the Spokane community for years, providing quality instruction in a professional, comfortable dance studio setting.

Addressing Common Concerns

"I'm not flexible enough." Flexibility is something you develop through practice, not a prerequisite for starting! Barre actually improves flexibility through the combination of strengthening and stretching.

"I've never done ballet." No dance experience required! While we use ballet-inspired movements, everything is taught from the beginning with fitness goals in mind, not dance technique.

"I'm not strong enough." Everyone starts somewhere, and every exercise can be modified for your current strength level. You'll build strength gradually and safely.

"I might feel out of place." Our classes attract people of all fitness levels, ages, and body types. The supportive atmosphere helps everyone feel welcome from day one.

"It might be too easy/too hard." The beauty of barre is that it's infinitely modifiable. Stephanie ensures everyone is appropriately challenged while working within their capabilities.

Transform Your Fitness Routine

If you're looking for a workout that strengthens your body, calms your mind, and actually feels enjoyable, barre fitness might be exactly what you've been searching for. It's exercise that enhances your daily activities, builds both physical and mental resilience, and connects you with a supportive community of like-minded individuals.

Join Stephanie Getman Gronholz for a fitness journey that honors your body's current abilities while gently challenging you to become stronger, more flexible, and more confident. Your body, mind, and spirit will thank you!

Ready to discover the transformative power of barre fitness? We're here to help you build strength, find flexibility, and have fun doing it! Register using the links at the top of the page, or please contact us at the phone number or email below.

Ready to discover a workout that combines the grace of ballet, the core strength of Pilates, and the flexibility of yoga? Join Stephanie Getman Gronholz for barre fitness classes designed to build muscular strength and endurance while enhancing your daily activities—all in a supportive environment where we don't take ourselves too seriously!

Whether you're a complete fitness beginner looking for a low-impact workout or someone wanting to add variety to your exercise routine, our barre fitness classes welcome every body type and fitness level. You'll discover that barre offers so much more than just a workout—it's a complete mind-body experience that will leave you feeling stronger, more flexible, and energized.