Meet Karen Aspinal | Barre Trainer
“I first discovered barre back in 2013 when I was on a six week sabbatical travelling around north America and Canada. I came across a studio whilst in Canada advertising a free barre class with a newly qualified instructor and I hopped in there as quickly as I could. Keen to find out what this ‘barre exercise’ class was all about (if it wasn’t a ballet class) I was hooked from that moment! It was fun and dynamic, challenging and effective! It was clear that some elements derived from ballet, with a hint of ‘legs bums and tums’ thrown in, set to upbeat music and so enjoyable.”
“On returning back to the UK I looked up the nearest Barre class to me and back then there weren’t many choices, in fact it was a slim picking of three London based studios to try out. I soon began working for one which was a small boutique studio in the centre of Notting Hill called BarreToned. That is where my journey began; since then, I’ve co-taught and hosted several Barre teacher trainings.
I’ve witnessed personally how Barre can aid injury rehabilitation after suffering serious knee injury in a dance class which resulted in me needing to learn to walk again and I’ve discovered a whole new passion for it, having been able to practise both throughout and after my pregnancy, gaining even greater strength and energy than I ever had before!
The knee pains I once suffered from are no longer a part of my life and the previous addiction I had to over-stretching no longer feels necessary. My body feels stronger, pain-free and still supple. I haven’t seized up- far from it! I feel more powerful and more able than ever before and I’m super passionate about sharing all of that with you.”
Karen x
