INB Ballet Barre Core Conditioning Class

Our INB Barre Core Conditioning Class consists of one hour and fifteen minutes focused on strengthening your glutes, quads, inner and outer thighs, abdominals and lower back, as well as many other muscles in your body. This is accomplished through traditional ballet barre exercises, intense floor work for the core, and a ballet and yoga relaxation and stretch phase. Each class incorporates slightly different exercises, so the body never quite adapts, but instead continues to be challenged.

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

How to get the most out out of your barre class...:)

1. Arrive about 5 minutes early, so you can choose your barre, and prepare for class. It takes about 15-20 minutes for your body to switch from burning blood sugar to burning fat, so if you arrive late, by the time you get to fat burning mode, we are putting the barres away. In addition, if you are going to make the effort to get dressed and get to class, you may as well take advantage of the entire 75 minutes whenever possible! Another note: If you arrive late, you may end up getting the last spot, at the front of the class! If you rather not be up front, you may wish to arrive on time…:)

2. Focus on the purpose of each barre exercise. Each exercise serves a specific purpose, so focusing on that purpose will allow you to get the most benefit. For instance, we perform deep lunges to strengthen the glutes. By focusing on feeling the deep gluteals as you press up, you will be better able to contract them.

3. Focus on correct technique. For instance, by focusing on keeping the knees over and slightly behind the knees in both plies and lunges, you will protect your knees from injury, and you know that we must be nice to our knees! For core work, correct technique means the difference between "pretend core work" and "real core work and the benefits that ensue". Crunches in core work may be easily faked, but abs are not…:)

4. Stretch in between each exercise for the full length of the time between. This makes the most of your 75 minutes, so you are always either strengthening or stretching, never just standing around.

5. That said, drink water in between exercises. If you are creative, you can drink while stretching…:)

6. Constantly test your progress. Try adding weight to your lunges on occasion, take your push ups a little lower, hold your plank a little longer before you modify, lift the shoulder blades a little higher in crunches. If you don't test yourself, how will you ever know you are progressing? Seeing that constant progress is FUN and rewarding…:)

7. Be consistent in your attendance. We all know how hard it is to get back into barre once you are away, even for a week, if you are not convinced ask Terri about her "Post Palm Springs Soreness"…:). Consistent attendance = results = MORE FUN!

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

New session has just begun!

Details on our 8 week sessions - You may sign up for one, two, three or four days a week. The classes are 75 minutes long and are held Mon., Tues., Thurs. and Fri. at 5:45 a.m.

Tuition just attending once a week is $75 (8 classes), twice a week is $100 (16 classes), three times a week is $125 (24 classes) and four days a week is $150 (32 classes).

The classes are similar in difficulty, but Monday is a bit easier than the others, and is a great place to begin!

The class involves a forty minute barre workout which focuses on quads, hams and glutes, as well as a bit of calves and inner and outer thigh work. Then we move on to about fifteen minutes of core, always a variety of ab, lower back and some "fun" planking exercises. Then we take about fifteen minutes to flow through a relaxing stretch sequence, incorporating ballet, pilates, and yoga poses. Some participants need to leave early to get to work/home, which is perfectly fine. They simply slip out quietly.

Please ask if you have questions, or would like a registration form e-mailed to you…:)

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Good morning barre babes!

What fabulous energy we have had in class lately! Each day we are greeted with the sun, rising a couple minutes earlier during every single class. The sun's energy awakens our bodies and recharges us to go forth into our busy days feeling refreshed and peaceful. Let the sun bathe your body with warmth, and leave class with a renewed enthusiasm, knowing whatever comes your way today, you CAN handle it all…:)

Thursday, January 1, 2015

Time to reassess your goals? Beyond the simple setting of goals: planting the roots for true success!

Sure we all set goals, but if the foundation to achieve those goals is not solid, the goals go unrealized, often year after year. A goal not worked for is simply a wish. So, how can you realize what foundation is necessary in order to stop wishing and actually achieve your goals? There are many ways, but my favorite way is to create a tree. It can simply be a drawing, or you can get creative and use scraps of colorful paper to create your own tree. This tree represents your life. Through your daily actions you will create a strong healthy vibrant flowering tree, or a wind blown, shriveled up, gnarled tree, you choose…:)

Part one: List all goals - First, make a list of everything that you want in life, now and in the future. Eventually all of those desires/goals will be written on a blossom, but for now, make a list. Your list may include "strong family relationships", "financial security", "to go on pointe", "professional advancement", or simply "eat two vegetables a day for one month".

Part two: Sort life into different areas - Then, write out all the various areas of your life: Those areas may include relationships, career, athletics or dance, house maintenance, your finances, education, etc. Make certain every area is included, leave nothing out. Each area will probably have subcategories, so list those too. Relationships is one area, but may have subcategories such as significant other/spouse, children, friends, family, co-workers, etc.

Part three: Assess the state of each area, and reevaluate goals - Now assess the current state of each of those areas. Akin to our president's annual "state of the union", you need to regularly assess the "state of your life". Are you content with the state of each of those areas, and if not, what improvements would you like to see over the next week/month/year? This is where you reevaluate your goals for the future.

Part four: Figure out what conditions need to exist for success - Going further, ask yourself, what has stopped you from achieving the desired state of your life in the past? Are you disorganized, watch too much tv when you could be exercising, spend too much money on lattes, neglect the core work needed to dance on pointe, eat for your emotions, rather than for nutrition? Decide what conditions need to exist for you to achieve your goals, and then list those conditions. They may include discipline in your nutrition, discipline in finances, organization in your daily schedule, commitment to core work 5 days a week outside of ballet class, prioritizing your activities, etc.

Part five: Create your "life tree", and begin by planning a fertile soil - Draw or paste together a picture, beginning with the soil in the ground. Write all of the conditions you discovered above that need to exist in the soil before your goals are realized. Organization in your daily schedule? Discipline in your finances? Write them all down in the soil.

Part six: Develop strong roots - Moving up to the roots, write the different areas of your life, up to 10 or so areas that we spoke about above. You can write the subcategories in parentheses. Then look down from each root/area, are the conditions in the soil supporting these areas of life? For instance, with finances being one area, are there conditions such as "discipline", "commitment to savings", etc. that will support this root/area?

Part seven: Fill in the blossoms - Now back to the blossoms, remember your list of goals? Write each goal on a blossom, along with your deadline for that specific goal. If you wrote patience on one of your blossoms, how will you achieve that patience? For me that is often some form of exercise. So I may write patience on a blossom and "because I ran today" in parentheses.

Part eight: Evaluate: Do your blossoms have strong roots and fertile soil? - Now it is time to evaluate and see if your blossoms have strong roots to support them, and fertile soil to nurture that blossom. For example, while winning the lottery is not really a recommended goal, it illustrates my point well. If on a blossom you have written "to win the lottery", but down in the soil you don't buy lotto tickets, then your soil conditions are not conducive to this goal. You either need to be realistic and change this goal to something more achievable, or change the conditions of the soil. If your goal is "to go on pointe", then down in the soil should be the condition "doing core work 5 days a week outside of ballet class". If you have chosen not to do the work, re-evaluate your goal, knowing it may not be an achievable one. > Now give yourself a big orange sun in the corner of your tree picture, with the sun representing your attitude. A sunny attitude shines down upon all that you do, and helps your tree to flourish. Step back and take a look at the beautiful tree you have created. Remember though, that the tree and roots needs to be constantly watered, and of course the soil needs tilling now and then. Dead foliage need to be raked away so that fresh leaves and blossoms may appear. That means coming back and re-evaluating the growth, and asking " is my soil still fertile"? "Does my tree receive constant sunshine"? "Does the tree need anything else that I had not considered before"? "Am I doing the actual work to keep my goals realistic, or am I simply wishing? Keep returning to your tree, assessing it's growth, making changes when necessary, and your tree will grow strong and vibrant. Happy gardening!

Thursday, May 1, 2014

New session begins on May 12th, and continues right up to July 3rd. Classes will be held on Mon. Tues. Thurs. and Fri. at 5:45 a.m. E-mail us at inlandnwballet@aol.com or stop by the studio for a registration form...:) We are taking registration now, and will close each class as they fill. Want to try a class out before you sign up? Free passes are available for classes held next week only, just e-mail, call or stop by to request a pass!

Please note that we will not hold class on July 4th, but will hold class on Wed. July 2nd instead.

Thursday, March 6, 2014

New Session Beginning March 17th!

New session info - Ballet Core Conditioning Class…:)

Our new 8 week session will begin on March 17, running Mon., Tues., Thurs. and Fri. at 5:45 a.m. Registration will be accepted on a first come first served basis. Once a class fills, no more registrations will be accepted for that class, and new registrations are accepted for classes with openings only. So, if you are set on a certain day, please get your registration in ASAP so you are certain to nab that day...)

Cost of 8 week session 75.00 for 1 day per week, (choose 1 specific day) = approximately 9.00 per class 100.00 for 2 days (choose & sign up for 2 specific days) = approximately 6.00 per class 125.00 for 3 days, (choose & sign up for 3 specific days) + approximately 5.00 per class 150.00 for all 4 days, (choose & sign up for 4 specific days) = approximately 4.00 per class

The way registration works is officially as follows: You choose the days that you want to attend, and you only attend those days. If you miss a class, you forfeit that class, we are not able to offer make up classes on other days, as those classes are most likely full, and we do not have enough balls, mats, or barre space for make ups. The reason we offer such a discount for those paying for the session, is that your place is saved for you, and even if you miss a class here or there, you still pay less than the individual class fee of $12. Note: Though the above is our "official" policy, if you know you will be gone and inquire in advance about attending a make-up class on a day that we are not full, we may allow you to do so. We just don't want anyone to count on being able to do this, since when classes are full we cannot add any more participants.

To register for the first time, please ask for and fill out a registration form and waiver, and return to the studio, as both are required for participation. If you are a current registrant, you simply need to send in your check with a note regarding "barre class" , and a spot will be saved for you. Thank you!

Check in with our facebook page, for updates and details on new sessions and dates...:) We look forward to spending our spring mornings with this fabulous group of women...:)

Saturday, January 4, 2014

Remember, as you journey into the new year, striving to bettering yourself through goals, resolutions or however you choose to create a better life... "If you are tired of starting over (on the same goal), then STOP quitting". Pretty much nails it right there. Be patient with yourself, and continue the baby steps towards your new and improved self...:) Happy striving! :)