Connect
DOES THE BARRE REALLY MATTER? (HINT: EVEN MORE THAN YOU THINK)
Anniversaries have a way of making us look back—not just to reminisce, but also to reassess. What would we have changed? What did we get just right? Would we do it all over again?
As we approach our 10-year anniversary as a company, we’re doing exactly that: looking back at our evolution over the past decade. Who were we in 2008, when Sadie and Chris Lincoln opened the first studio in Portland, Oregon? Who are we now? What hurdles did we leap over along the way—and which ones did we trip over?
One of the things we’re most proud of is that we’ve continued to evolve, every step of the way. And while that means several things have changed, it also means that when we decide to keep something the same, it’s because we choose it, time and time again.
The barre is the perfect example. When we opened in 2008, barre as a fitness category was just beginning to take hold in the industry. But as we’ve evolved and continued to charter our own course, we’ve differentiated ourselves from the rest of the category. Why, some ask, have we kept the barre? The reason is more nuanced than you might think.
For us, the barre continues to be a prop, just like the ball or band, but it is also deeply connected to our heritage and continues to be honored in our philosophy. Both literally and symbolically, the barre demonstrates our belief in providing support; it’s there if you need to hold on and remains a constant when you’re ready to let go. It is the connective thread to everybody in the room. The barre offers a way to turn inward, away from the group, to focus on individual work, or to form a circle facing one another. But no matter how we connect with the barre, it connects us all.
In other words, the barre represents who we are as a company. It provides the opportunity to look within, but it also connects you to your community. We committed to it on day one, and we’re so proud to commit to it again, ten years later.
Anniversaries have a way of making us look back—not just to reminisce, but also to reassess. What would we have changed? What did we get just right? Would we do it all over again?
As we approach our 10-year anniversary as a company, we’re doing exactly that: looking back at our evolution over the past decade. Who were we in 2008, when Sadie and Chris Lincoln opened the first studio in Portland, Oregon? Who are we now? What hurdles did we leap over along the way—and which ones did we trip over?
One of the things we’re most proud of is that we’ve continued to evolve, every step of the way. And while that means several things have changed, it also means that when we decide to keep something the same, it’s because we choose it, time and time again.
The barre is the perfect example. When we opened in 2008, barre as a fitness category was just beginning to take hold in the industry. But as we’ve evolved and continued to charter our own course, we’ve differentiated ourselves from the rest of the category. Why, some ask, have we kept the barre? The reason is more nuanced than you might think.
For us, the barre continues to be a prop, just like the ball or band, but it is also deeply connected to our heritage and continues to be honored in our philosophy. Both literally and symbolically, the barre demonstrates our belief in providing support; it’s there if you need to hold on and remains a constant when you’re ready to let go. It is the connective thread to everybody in the room. The barre offers a way to turn inward, away from the group, to focus on individual work, or to form a circle facing one another. But no matter how we connect with the barre, it connects us all.
In other words, the barre represents who we are as a company. It provides the opportunity to look within, but it also connects you to your community. We committed to it on day one, and we’re so proud to commit to it again, ten years later.
