Barre 3 and the Linebacker Ballerina

About 2 weeks ago I was fiddle farting around online and saw that a Barre3 Studio was opening in Austin. Much to my surprise when I learned they were giving away a weeks’ worth of free classes. FREE CLASSES! What the Hay I thought! Might as well sign up! It says it was Ballet Barre work mixed with yoga and Pilates. I began praying that my tiny dancer self would remember how! They say our muscles will know and kick back in so I was just hoping for that.


I texted the only two people I thought might go and not completely laugh at me Abby and Jade. Fortunately/Un Abby was moving last week-YAY ABBY- a feel a new home post coming soon……. Jade and I signed up for last night’s class! After a mishap with me joining the 8:30am class I had to call and ask to please be put in the 6:00pm! Thanks Barre3 for letting me in! Jades my super runner friend! Its so nice to have her to talk to and ask about heath/run junk! I’m becoming more and more thankful for the people I have here, anyways back to class

After a day of paranoia I thought about texting at 5:15 and saying there’s no possible way I’m doing this.

I prayed all the way downtown.

I’m not a downtown driver so I wasn’t quite on time but still got there early. Watching the other ladies in the class before me made me feel like a giant.

We go in and get set up, breath, then class started.

It was great!

I shook, and sweat, and only had to stop a few times! Once my body just couldn’t do what they were doing because I have a few tons extra fat in the way but besides that I seemed to be able to do everything they were. I was the largest person in class but everyone was nice and very welcoming. I didn’t quite feel out of place. I felt like someone who was in a class the NEEDED to be in. I highly recommend Barre 3 Austin Downtown for anyone looking for a fun workout class! The staff was awesome and helpful. They made the experience so fun, especially for me the plus size giant in the room! There were women and a man, of all shapes , sizes, and ages!


I've always said I'm a tiny dancer trapted in a linebackers body.
When I was younger I loved dance so much. It was my time. I got to forget all the stress and worry for a few times a week. No matter how large I got, I was still graceful and could guide along the floor with the rest of them. The jokes started coming in about me wearing a 4x4 not a tutu because I was so big. It hurt but I didn’t care. Dance was mine. Dance was something that I could do, and do it well despite looking like linebacker. Looking at pictures from when I was little you could see me grow up, and gain more and more weight! About puberty the weight got worse but yet I still danced. Sure I had to be the guy during some lifts- and always be there to spot people. I spent many a time standing under molly ready to catch her if she were to come tumbling down but I didn’t care, it was fun to be a part. It was still dance. Sure I wasn’t about to do toe for more than a year because my ankles just couldn’t hold me up. I wanted to be a ballerina. I wanted to move to New York and sore through the air in Swan Lake, but I was too big. There were no fat, big boned, large ballerinas.

Even though it wasn’t technically a “dance” class I felt that way last night. I felt my muscles move the way they used to! I may be 25 and 100 lbs overweight but I will always be a dancer!