Written by Flik Swan, Co-Founders of Sleek Technique
Well known as the creators of the Sleek Technique method and establishing it as the first online dance fitness business in the UK, Victoria and Flik have a wealth of expertise in the health and fitness industry. Seamlessly blending the benefits of ballet with mainstream fitness they help women across the globe achieve their fitness goals.
With so many niche fitness methods on the market, choosing the right one for you and your goals can be confusing and time consuming. Here, Flik Swan, professional dancer, top personal trainer and cofounder of the renowned British fitness brand, Sleek Ballet Fitness, takes away the legwork and tells you the key differences between two of the most sought after dance based methods on the scene, barre and ballet fitness.
What is barre fitness?
Barre Fitness is a fusion of tried and tested movement methods, with ballet at its heart. At Sleek Ballet Fitness, our barre workouts are intentionally designed to have a higher content of genuine ballet barre moves, to ensure each barre fitness class is a challenging, fun and highly effective full ballet body workout, suitable for all levels and abilities. Blending authentic ballet movements with pilates, yoga and the latest fitness techniques, means you get a barre fitness class that includes mobility, light resistance and strength training. In return, barre fitness lovers receive the multiple benefits of ballet positions and ballet moves which sculpt and tone the body as well as low impact exercises to improve balance, core strength, help prevent injury and keep the body flexible. This is all while getting that recognisable ballerina posture.
What is a barre fitness class?
Barre fitness tends to fall into two camps. Most barre fitness classes are low-impact workouts that are also intensely focused on strengthening the muscles in the lower body and core for defined, lean legs and a strong core. Most Barre fitness classes focus on performing small, isometric movements and lunges which give you a burn and even a shake as you move through each target area. These barre moves are challenging and increase muscular endurance but they tend to leave out cardiovascular work or include exercises with big ranges of motion. This means that they do not truly mimic the authentic ballet positions found in adult ballet classes and ballet fitness workouts. So our barre fitness classes go a step beyond this. Barre fitness classes with Sleek Ballet fitness are based around the specific ballet barre moves that dancers do daily to sculpt and tone their dancer bodies. This type of barre class allows the body to move with greater mobility and range of motion. During a Sleek Barre Fitness class, the lower and upper body are worked simultaneously, raising the heart rate, for an all encompassing, full body workout.
Barre fitness classes include the use of a piece of equipment called a ballet barre. Dancers use a ballet barre for support as they work through ballet positions and ballet exercises. In a barre fitness class, the ballet barre is also used to support you as you sculpt and tone your body, achieve ballerina posture and become flexible, like a dancer.
A barre fitness class is challenging, packed with ballet positions and barre moves that have multiple physical and mental benefits. Barre Fitness is not meant to be effortless but it is suitable for all ages and you don't have to have any ballet or barre fitness experience to take part.
Online barre fitness classes
At Sleek Ballet Fitness our Online Barre Fitness classes follow the same ballet moves and ballet poses as an adult ballet class. You will work through the ballet positions of the feet and also the arms for a full body workout that will increase stamina and flexibility while strengthening and defining the big muscle groups in the lower body: the quads, hamstrings and glutes. You need minimal space and a chair to use as a light support if you don't have a portable ballet fitness barre.
Studio barre fitness classes
If you prefer to go to an in studio barre fitness class, ballet barres will be provided. You may have some hands on corrections and tips from your instructor who will help guide you in the right direction with your ballet technique.
What are the benefits of barre?
The physical and mental benefits are abundant with a regular barre fitness class. Expect to:
Build muscular strength and endurance
Burn fat
Improve posture
Increase flexibility and range of motion
Strengthen the core and spine, lowering the risk injury
Improve mobility and help ease common issues including lower back and joint pain
Help with overall feelings of well-being and decrease stress levels
Do you need any equipment for a barre fitness class?
Aside from a barre itself (more on that in a moment), there is minimal equipment required for a barre fitness class. Unlike many fitness methods, no weights are required during a ballet barre workout as natural body resistance is used to create refined, ballerina posture. A yoga mat is suggested to make the mat work and stretching sequences that help us become flexible more comfortable when on the floor.
Although barre fitness classes require a ballet barre, a professional barre is not necessary. A chair, shelf or even ironing board is just as suitable, as long as it sits no higher than your shoulder. Wear what you feel comfortable to move in and what makes you feel good. Bare feet is the norm and helps you to feel and use the floor better, improving the ballet positions of the feet.
How do I use a ballet barre?
If you find you are regularly taking part in online barre fitness workouts you may wish to purchase a portable ballet barre to use at home. This is usually a simple 3 part piece of equipment that you can you can put up and take down to suit your space. A ballet barre does not need to be heavy because you should not be putting a lot of weight on it while you practice your barre moves, it is there for light support which is why a chair will also be a good substitute. At Sleek we use free standing barres for all our online barre workouts but if you have a dedicated workout space, you may also prefer to attach a portable barre to a wall for greater barre stability.
What is ballet fitness?
Ballet fitness is a total body fusion of ballet poses, barre moves and dance and fitness techniques. At Sleek Ballet Fitness, we have created an artistic fusion of authentic ballet positions and proven fitness exercises for a full body workout that is accessible for anybody to do. Our ballet fitness method has been designed to create the long, lean body sculpture of a dancer, without the need for any previous ballet or barre experience. As well as a barre routine, ballet fitness also includes mat work, centre practice and intermittent stretching so you feel like you are actually dancing as you become flexible, sculpt and tone a ballerina posture, improve balance and co-ordination and increase muscular and cardiovascular endurance.
Is barre fitness the same as ballet fitness?
Barre is an integral part of ballet fitness because it includes the basic ballet positions and exercises that dancers practice daily to hone and strengthen their strong, fit, athletic physiques. Without the inclusion of a regular barre routine within ballet fitness, basic ballet techniques would be left out and progression in centre work (ballet fitness exercises done without the support of a ballet barre) would likely feel much harder! That's why Sleek has an extensive range of online barre workouts alongside our large library of ballet fitness workouts to choose from. A combination of barre fitness and ballet fitness will achieve better overall results for anyone wishing to take up a barre class.
How does barre compare to other workouts?
A barre routine on its own is effective in many areas but if you include your barre workout alongside an artistic exercise regime like ballet fitness you will notice greater physical and mental benefits too. One of the most wonderful benefits of combining ballet and barre fitness is that it significantly improves cognitive well being.
During a single ballet fitness class, exercises to improve balance, co-ordination, rhythm and memory are included. In Ballet fitness, each ballet move is always completed equally on both sides at the barre and in the center.
Repeating ballet barre moves and recalling different patterns, not only improves muscle symmetry in the legs, arms and core but also acts as an effective mental exercise. Exercise is brain boosting and dancing releases feel good endorphins which in turn reduces stress, decreasing the symptoms of anxiety and depression and boosting self-esteem. Our Sleek Ballet Fitness method is artistic so all of our ballet barre workouts are practiced to music. This stimulates a rhythmic and musical response which in turn challenges the areas of the brain that deal with memory, organization and co-ordination.
What are some of the key barre exercises?
A good barre class will use the correct names of ballet positions included throughout the class. They describe some of the key barre moves found in a ballet barre routine. The most effective and widely practiced barre exercises in a barre fitness class are below. These exercises are :
Plié – (to bend) bending and straightening the legs in the 5 different ballet positions of the feet
Tendu – (to stretch) extending the leg along the floor until the toe is pointed
Fondu – (to melt) bending of one leg while the other is lifted or extended
Battement – throwing the leg with control into the air and lowering back into position
Port de Bras – (carriage of the arms) moving the arms from one ballet position to another
How many times a week should I hit the barre?
To get the benefits of barre fitness, practice two or three times a week. To achieve greater physical and mental benefits for your body, combine barre with another exercise method like ballet fitness which also includes greater resistance and cardio exercise and aim to workout three to six times a week for stunning results.
Does barre help you lose weight?
Yes but with a caveat. Practiced on its own, without cardiovascular training and muscular conditioning, a barre fitness class is not likely to help with significant weight loss. However, adding your barre workouts alongside weekly ballet fitness workouts including Sleek's most popular, at home, weight loss workouts – Sleek Ballet Bootcamp TM and Cardio Ballet Blast will significantly help with weight loss. This is because these ballet fitness workouts also include exercises with small and big ranges of motion, designed to lift the heart rate, burn fat, all while building and strengthening the muscles in a highly effective, dancer-like way.
Can I try barre fitness and ballet fitness at home?
Barre Fitness is for everyone and no previous dance experience should be required for you to take part and try out some ballet fitness workouts for yourself. At Sleek Ballet Fitness, we suggest everyone who tries out our online ballet barre workouts starts with our Sleek Starter 28 Day Program. This is a fusion of all levels and beginner ballet barre workouts, fully programmed for you to follow along with over a period of 28 days with the added bonus of ballet fitness workouts too. It has an accompanying PDF which you can choose to download and includes a detailed breakdown of your ballet fitness workouts and ballerina diet recipes, as well as additional ballet tips too. We know that this will start you off on a body sculpture journey that will see you achieve all the benefits that ballet fitness has to give.
Flik Swan,Co-Founders of Sleek Technique
After 20 years at the top of the professional dance world, Victoria and Flik brought their combined expertise in dance and fitness together and pioneered the first online dance fitness business in the UK. Laying the groundwork for many others to follow, they continue to bring creative, effective fitness to women everywhere regardless of location.
