Finally made it to the 100 Club! And they rewarded me with special sticky socks! Woohoo!
I love PB Harvard Square. This studio, in particular, is open and bright. I have taken classes with Amanda, Michelle, Hilary, Angela, Liliana, Steph, Julien, Nada, Olivia, and Khrystyna. They are all very good instructors! Some instructors give more hands-on corrections than others, which is totally fine because some days I just won't want to work as hard.
The classes are costly. If you are a Harvard affiliate, the MAC/HEM also offers barre (under group fitness) classes for a much more affordable membership price. The link can be found here, https://recreation.gocrimson.com/fitness/schedules
The Harvard Barre classes are less intense and slower-paced when compared with Pure Barre. I went there for a year but ultimately started looking for specialty barre studios. I went to a class at Harvard Barre & Soul, the pace was good, but the studio was too stuffy/small to me. I also took an Intro class at The Bar Method. I didn't like how the music was more in the background, and the instructor calls out your name over the mic to give corrections. I also went to a Barre3 class but felt more like a yoga + cardio class than a barre exercise.
I have to say after 100 classes, there are some movements and forms that I am still trying to get used to. There are a couple of positions that I absolutely do not like (e.g., flat back chair pose) and try to cheat my way through. If you want to get a good idea of what to expect at Pure Barre, check out its Foundation class on YouTube. If you are new, just know that you will be sore everywhere on your body for 2 -3 days after your first barre class, the key is to go back and get used to the routine and exercise. Even though I have taken the Harvard Barre classes, it still took me about 3 or 4 sessions to fully get familiar with what to expect at the class here. I normally wear sticky stocks because it is highly recommended. I have also seen other people wearing normal socks and they seem to be okay.
There is no shower here (though I don't typically sweat too much after Barre classic, Barre Empower is a different story!), and only one changing room with one unisex bathroom.
I also like the Harvard Square studio better because it is comparably less crowded than its Boston location. There are classes here with 20+ people say for a weekend morning, but other lunchtime classes are usually around 5-10 people. I'd highly recommend this location if this is convenient to you! read more