BARREtoned

I went to BARREtoned yesterday evening with a little trepidation and nerves. I have not done ballet since I was 5, I have horrible balance and am not in the best shape but, I figured there is only one way to change all of the above. When I arrived I was greeted at the front desk and given a tour of the studio, and then met by my instructor Sonia. The facilities are very clean and modern, with locker rooms and showers. Upstairs the class started and it was honestly FANTASTIC. Sonia helped me way more than anyone as I was clearly a newbie, and I cant tell you how much I appreciated it. The workout was intense at times to the point of very shaky legs, but then you would counter it with deep stretches. It has strong ballet and pilates roots and although I have the grace of a baby giraffe, I felt as though I could join the Bolshoi afterwards. Barre works just about every big muscle group, but also stretches. Although I am sore today it is not an awful cant sit down sore, like I have had with other workouts. They made a very concerted effort to know everyone’s name in order to help and it also made it much more welcoming too. I cant wait to go back, think I have found my new favorite workout class in London.

I’ve visited BARREtoned on a few occasions now, and only recently started barre classes! A colleague of mine, who used to teach barre, recommended I visit and take Esther’s class. So I did — What a great instructor! She’s fun, knows her stuff and works you hard. The classes aren’t too big so the instructors are very focused on individuals (which is important when you’re relatively new to it, like me!), the studio is beautiful and the staff are all very friendly and make you feel welcome. I can’t wait to come back again! Thank you BARREtoned for giving me such lovely barre experiences! I’ll be back. :)

At one time I was a dedicated disciple of the Barre Code while living in the Midwestern United States. I travel often for work and have trouble finding a studio either at home or away that I can snag a spot in a class on short notice, so I was thrilled to see that BARREtoned had a FREE Saturday morning class (with spots!)!
After a slight hesitation, as I had only landed in London a few hours before the 9:45am class, I decided to go forth on my quest to 1) beat my jet lag and 2) try out a new studio halfway ’round the world and 3) prove to myself that years of barre workouts weren’t all in vain.
I easily found the studio once I hopped off of the bus — great location and both the girl working the front desk and Qin, my instructor, were super friendly and welcoming when I arrived. I received a tour of the place and was really impressed with the amenities and locker room.
Once class started, we really got down to business. As fellow reviewer, Lynn N., said it was a little more form focused than what I was accustomed to (never a bad thing!) and the instructor led more verbally than actively. Qin was very hands on and she was great with helping me to correct my form. It also helped that another teacher was taking the class and I was able to eye up her form and follow along if I felt I needed help (and I did, so thank you to the ex-​Pat instructor for your help! I was clearly out of practice although my barre socks would beg to differ). You definitely need to be open to having the instructor know your name and call you out in front of the class to help you tweak what you need work on.
Overall, I really enjoyed my quick morning workout in Notting Hill and hopefully I’ll be able to work something out for when I’m back in London. The biggest downside for me happens to be the price for a drop-​in class (£28.00) which is roughly $ 42US. Although packages are offered (and I would love to purchase one), I’m not in London nearly enough to be faithful to the studio on a regular basis.

As other reviewers have noted this studio’s method is most similar to Bar Method in the US. If you’re not a fan of Bar Method, you probably won’t like this studio as much.
It’s a bit slower pace and more focused on form, which I respect but you can focus on form and still get a harder workout… and it’s not just about pushing yourself. The types of exercises and pace were just a bit too slow for me… and that’s just a personal preference. I may go every once in awhile, but the search continues for ‘my’ barre studio.
Other than that, the studio was clean and nice, as to be expected. The teacher made the effort to know people by name, calling out corrections… however I’m used to teachers who are much more active in terms of doing the exercises with the class. Obviously they can’t do everything or they’d be out of breath with the count, but I do like when the instructor is with you instead of just giving guidance. It gives me more confidence that the instructor is just as fit or trying to be as the students.
Make sure to bring and wear socks!

The co-​owner and instructor is a rude condescending woman that treats you like a child. If you don’t follow her instructions exactly, even if these are small modifications due to lower back pain, she embarrasses you in front of the entire class and announces on the loud speaker that she wants you to leave! — To add insult to injury, they also deny any form of refund despite making it impossible to use their «service».

I cannot rave enough about Barretoned and all the fantastic, encouraging, supportive trainers who work there. It has changed my mind as much as my body, reducing stress and increasing strength. Anyone who feels, like I did, that exercise is never going to be anything but a huge chore giving barely noticeable results, I urge you to give Barre a go. There really is something out there which actually does what it says it will (ie pretty quickly gives you the body you want) and honestly becomes something to look forward to rather than dread. I finally have a body that doesn’t depress me at the thought of bikini season and I’m no longer the girl at the back of the class, desperately counting down the minutes until I can escape the gym. Truly, this works.

Like another Unilocal poster here, I used to take Bar Method classes in the U.S. When I moved to London recently, I was thrilled to find BARREtoned. The instructors are all high-​caliber, and really care about students’ form and progress. The studio is a very friendly and social environment. Yes, the classes are challenging, but if you follow the instructors’ advice and attend multiple classes a week, you’ll see results very quickly. It’s made a huge difference in my posture and core strength (not to mention flatter abs) after only three weeks of regular attendance at the studio.
Another plus is the relatively small class size, which is capped at 18. The U.S. bar studio classes pack in way more people than that, so it’s easy to get lost in the shuffle. As to the poster who had a bad experience in her first class, I haven’t witnessed anything like that. I’ve seen instructors go out of their way to make sure new joiners were doing the exercises correctly, felt welcome, and were getting the most that they could from the class.
In short, if you’re interested, try it! You’ll be a believer.

I was an avid Bar Method student in the us. When I moved to London 2 years ago, I couldn’t find anything like it. I tried various other barre classes around the city at specialized studios, gyms, etc to try and find something like it.
Last September, I came across Barretoned. From the first class, I was completely hooked. The instructors are highly skilled and give lots if corrections to make sure that you get the most of your workout, stay in perfect form and work in safe positions. (As someone who grew up dancing, receiving a correction is a compliment — it means they believe in you)
Over the course of just a few weeks and regular attendance, I noticed changes in my body — definition in my arms, slimming of my hips, and a leaner look. Suddenly, I could boldly wear skinny jeans.
Best if all are the community of people here. The instructors, and all of the students are so supportive if one another.

I have done countless barre classes in the US and decided to try this one. The workout itself was great and very similar to what I have done. However, one of the owners and instructor were incredibly unpleasant. They spent the entire class reprimanding the students. At one point the owner came up to my mother and made her spit her gum out into her hand and then stormed off with said gum. She aggressively manhandled me as I was doing a different stretch from the rest of the class to stretch my (scoliosis) back. I have never been treated like this is an exercise class. Maybe this was an off day but I won’t be going back to find out. For £28 a class I’d like a pleasant experience as well as a good workout.