Did you ever wonder how a barre instructor becomes such a thing? Or, what sets one fitness studio apart from another?
Recently, we sat down with Amity Whalen to get the smarty scoop.
Amity is multifaceted and is one of the most high energy people we know. She is a Smarty mama. She was the reader-selected winner for 2015 CSP Smarty Award “Best Smarty Mompreneur”. She is also owner and chief-instructor-in-charge at a phenomenon called Carolina Barre & Core in Charlotte (and very soon in Raleigh)!
When dreaming of opening her own studio, she thought long and hard about how to create something special and different.
Carolina Barre & Core is unique and there are two things that make them somewhat of a unicorn in the local fitness studio landscape!
(1)CBC it is NOT a franchise because the owner and operator is Amity!
(2)CBC certifies their instructors through an extensive certification program offered by fitness studio powerhouse, Exhale (barre, yoga, spa).
Two of Exhale’s founders, Elisabeth Halfpapp “Lis” and Fred Devito, have been teaching barre since Moby was a minnow – for over 30 years! This legendary wife-and-husband team owned their first studio on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, The Lotte Berk Method studio, and have continued their legacy at Exhale.
You have probably heard of Exhale because they have 28 locations (3 in Atlanta) offering barre and yoga classes in a studio environment and it’s also a spa!
Exhale also offers barre certification to studios who want to set themselves apart. Carolina Barre & Core was the VERY FIRST studio (outside of Exhale’s own studios) to certify every one of its instructors using the Exhale certification program.
Lis and Fred developed, oversee, and operate Exhale’s in-depth barre teacher training program that develops quality teachers, not just instructors. Each training module is even approved by the National Academy of Sports Medicine for 1.9 Continuing Education Credits (CECs), so Exhale-certified instructors can keep their credentials in tact. In addition to the intensive training, there is also an exam that must be passed to be “Barre Certified by Exhale”.
Even better – certification is good for 24 months and then instructors must earn CECs through additional barre trainings to re-certify so that they keep their skills up and ensure they are offering the safest and most effective instruction.
Y’all know we are big on Carolina Barre & Core and for good reason! We feel good knowing that we are in the hands of instructors who correct our alignments, keep us safe, and best of all give us amazing results!
P.S. Bikini Bootcamp starts in T-minus 8 days on February 20th and runs for 1 month through March 19th. You get 1 month of unlimited classes for $160. #springbreak #getbikiniready
You can find Carolina Barre & Core at:
Carolina Barre & Core
2901 Selwyn Avenue
Charlotte, NC 28209
Phone: 980.207.1046
Email: info@carolinabarre.com
Facebook:www.facebook.com/CarolinaBarreandCore
Instagram: carol1nabarr3
Twitter: @CarolinaBarre1
