In West Omaha, women are hitting up a different kind of bar. From pointing toes to lifting weights, it started with a dream for Barre Code Omaha West owner Bonnie Eisenhart.
"There's enough exterior kind of negativity that we face every day as women, and there's so much body issues. There's now all the political junk that's happening," Eisenhart said. "What if there was a place where you could go where we only talked positively about ourselves?"
Five weeks ago, that dream came full circle when Eisenhart opened her studio off 168th and Burke Streets. Most barre-based classes the ones at Barre Code is one use postures inspired by ballet, dance, yoga and pilates. The bar, spelled "b-a-r-r-e" is used to balance while doing exercises where you hold your body still while contracting a specific set of muscles. It's low impact and can be modified, but it's not easy. The reason - a combo of high reps of small range-of-motion movements hits muscles that you may not target at the gym. During our try at a class, it wasn't the no pain no gain thing. Women were cheering on each other, and stricking up conversations. It's more of a pact to bring ladies together. For example, Sara Kohll, owns another Barre Code location in Dundee. But during the class, she was right there along for the ride. She's says there's no caddy competition between the locations. On the contrary-
"We work together. We communicate all the time. That is what makes us a community," she said. So at this bar, sure there are no shots. There are no prima ballerinas either, just friends.
