Member Article

Transfer of ownership 'raises The Barre' for fitness studio

A popular ballet-based fitness studio located on Newcastle’s Quayside has been taken under new ownership in a move that will see the studio expand its offering to include additional classes and programmes as well as new services including sports massage, corporate wellbeing and eventually, Reformer Pilates.

North Shields based Sarah Steel-Hoath is the new owner of The Barre, which was the first ballet-based fitness studio to open in the UK, and is set to launch a series of new programmes and services, broadening the offering of the ballet-inspired studio.

The Barre is located within Adderstone Group’s Quayside Lofts on The Close on Newcastle’s Quayside and has been established for almost 10 years. The studio offers classes for all levels of competency, from beginner to advanced, hosting intimate classes which are based on small, very controlled isometric movements which offer a full body workout. The ballet-inspired workouts have been a fitness phenomenon in recent years attracting interest from celebrities and fitness influencers.

New owner, Sarah Steel-Hoath, a STOTT trained Pilates instructor, qualified Sports Massage Therapist and former competition rider, recently took control of the studio having been a Barre convert for a number of years. In addition, she continues to run her own sports massage business, Body Therapology.

Sarah is bringing a new range of services to The Barre including sports massage which will be available from a new treatment room. Additional services include corporate wellbeing, with businesses being able to book Sarah or a member of her team to visit their workplace offering wellbeing treatments such as sports massage, physiotherapy, injury rehab, and relaxation therapy, a service that has been particularly well received by an award-winning North-East Contact Centre.

Sarah said: “I fell in love with the concept of The Barre when I first started training here almost 10 years ago. I am passionate about the strength, flexibility and core benefits that our classes deliver and also the way that our clients feel part of our community.

“Our classes are open to everyone, from beginners to the most advanced, and the new services and programmes, including early morning, lunch time and more after work sessions, are designed to make the studio more accessible for everyone, whether male or female. Whilst it is predominantly females that visit us, we are seeing a shift and getting more and more men through the doors looking to build core strength and flexibility and I expect this to increase even more when we begin offering Pilates, followed by Reformer Pilates later in the year.”

Amy Riley, Commercial Estates Manager at Adderstone Group said: “We are delighted to have Sarah on board. Her enthusiasm, knowledge and passion for her product are evident from the moment that you meet her. We’ve heard of the plans she has in place for the studio and are certain that the new services will enable her to appeal to an even wider audience.”

The Barre is celebrating its 10th birthday on Saturday 6th July with free taster sessions at the studio and also a 20-minute demo Barre class on the Millennium Bridge which will be a fantastic spectacle. Anyone interested in participating in the event should contact the studio on info@the-barre.com

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Nicola Hughes .