Welcome! I am Niamh Condron, your instructor today, and I’m going to tell you about your new course! Here you have five classes of Ballet Barre Pilates, a unique fusion that will work out your body in ways that few other exercise classes can. Each class is one hour long, combing Pilates, Ballet Barre and a little cardio, to make up a well rounded, body sculpting, fitness course. The classes will lift your energy levels and increase your range of motion while giving you a beautiful posture. These 5 lessons are low-impact exercise classes, meaning they are easy to follow and suitable for all levels and ages. To start, you will need a chair in the place of a Ballet Barre, and a Pilates or Yoga mat to sit and lie on. Don’t worry if you have never done Ballet before in your life! We are working out using manageable, yet highly effective, ballet exercises that you can follow and benefit from. Wear comfortable clothes and make sure you have enough space to stretch out. You are going to feel lean, long and strong! We begin each class warming up the entire body and loosening away any tensions. Using the back of the chair as a Ballet barre, we learn Ballet technique sequences that engage your core, legs, back and arms. These sequences are low-impact strengthening exercises that lead you to becoming centered, balanced and agile. A variety of the Ballet sequences we are learning are rhythmical and musical, and always clearly developed. This rhythmical repetition of movement helps with weight loss and also results in a calming of the mind and an increased body-breath awareness. This also feels quite like fun and raises your vibration! Opening the shoulders and correcting postural habits is a priority in this course, especially considering that we are all spending way too much time on our phones these days! I’ll be teaching you how to relax and let go of any stress that may be lingering anywhere around the face or upper body. When you learn to let go of unnecessary tensions, you will feel lighter and your movements will become more and more graceful. Just like a dancer! The incorporated Pilates work builds your abdominals and creates a healthy spine and neck. We are learning how to tone the upper arms, wrists, and upper back. We are stretching out the lower back area and sides while creating strength around the waist. With this development of strength you will be finding more possibility in your body to access a fuller range of mobility that will assist your Ballet work. Plus, you will feel freer in your daily activities as you go about the rest of your day, and week. By training in Pilates, we tone the essential body areas needed to be able to free and lift the chest area, and relax the neck and shoulders. Your energy will rise and your unique essence will start to shine through your skin. When we think of Ballet, we think of the hips! Yes, there are plenty of deep squats and inner leg stretches! We are opening the hips and loosening the top of the legs in an effort to move towards increased flexibility. Also building strength in the inner thighs, calves and ankles to prepare for a little jumping. Warning! There is a little cardio and endurance work in each class! Just a little and it’s totally manageable. Hooray! During your Ballet Barre Pilates course, you will work out your feet, discover the possible range of movement they have and you will learn how to stretch your toes. We are creating stability from the ground up. Happy feet! You will feel taller by the end of the course, strong and lengthened, with your feet standing firmly on the ground! Enjoy and have fun while learning! See you there- Niamh
