THOSE PRETTY TUTUS, dainty shoes and long locks wrapped up in buns inspire little girls to get giddy about the idea of being a ballerina. But it's the lean legs, the toned arms and the other kind of buns that are driving women back to the barre.

Instead of twirling en pointe, the rage is incorporating that long wooden rod into a routine based on the work of dancer Lotte Berk, the late fitness guru who championed core exercise back in the 1960s. Her disciples around the globe have riffed on her theories to create their own methods, including the hugely trendy Core Fusion, which launched in New York in 2003. This summer, D.C. finally got one of these spin-offs: Pure Barre.

"It's hard to explain exactly what it is," said 54-year-old Linda Bachrack, who became a Pure Barre apostle in Michigan and debuted it in Washington this June at Inspired Yoga. But basically, it's a fusion class aimed at strengthening core muscles by combining Pilates, yoga and barre work.

The barre, in particular, allows you to target specific areas that can be tricky to reach with other kinds of exercises. While standing on tiptoe and gripping the barre, you sink your knees into a squat and then slowly (but repeatedly) tuck your tush in for a kick in the butt. Or, sit beneath the barre and push up with your hands while sliding your toes back and forth to feel the burn in your tummy.

Only about half the class is done at the barre. The rest of the exercises, like laying on your stomach and lifting your arms and legs to pretend you're swimming, are performed on Pilates mats.

Moves are done slowly and deliberately, and they tend to be tight and controlled. But they are in no way easy. "I like that it's small movements. It feels like I'm isolating muscles instead of flailing," explained student Gayle Wald.

Another new devotee, Keri Douglas, described the workout as "efficient." The former runner had been looking for a way to get the benefits of jogging without the bodily damage, and she found that with Pure Barre.

Every move has a purpose as the class switches its focus from arms to thighs to abs to back, so a whole session is necessary for a full-body experience. But in her spare time, including waiting at the airport, Douglas squeezes in whatever she can. "There's one when we put the leg back slightly, just moving the muscle connecting your thigh to your seat," she said. "No one even notices I'm doing it."

Bachrack believes the main appeal of Pure Barre is that women (and a handful of men) feel the results after their first session, and see them in their bodies a few weeks later. Many of her students are like Olivia Gifford, who stumbled across the class last week, took it on a whim and has already been back three times. "I felt a difference after the first day," she gushed.

Students also rave about the variety of moves that prevent muscle boredom and the use of energizing music — like Natasha Bedingfield's "Unwritten" — which is rare in a yoga or Pilates class.

But the best part is definitely how Pure Barre makes them look in tights.

HOW TO GET PURE
» Pure Barre classes are held at Inspired Yoga (1115 U St. NW). The first class is free, then classes are $17 to $22 depending on which package you buy. Classes take place Mon.-Fri. at 5:15 p.m.; Tues., Wed. and Thurs. at 9:30 a.m.; Wed. at 6:30 a.m.; Sat. at 7:45 a.m. and 4 p.m.; and Sun. at 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. For more info, call 800-790-3517.

Photo by Michelle Repiso/Express

Posted by Vicky Hallett at 10:33 AM on September 12, 2006
Tagged in Fit