Barre KZN

Petite, humble and passionate about dance and women’s health, Barre KZN founder Angela Smith is driven by the warm and welcoming fitness community she and the women she shares her space with, have created.
Angela is a qualified Cecchetti Ballet teacher who has run her ballet school in Umhlanga for more than 15 years. She is also a Barre instructor, and her Barre classes have been running at FITPOD at The Studios in Ballito for over two years. Angela was born and raised in Durban and has been a ballet dancer her whole life. She studied at a Cecchetti (an internationally recognised ballet form) ballet school.
Although she has always been a dancer, Angela says her fitness journey truly began when she attended her first Barre class while on holiday in Cape Town in 2018. She was hooked immediately. “I love the endorphin rush. Barre is more cardio-intense and high-energy than ballet, and the music is loud, fun and upbeat.” 
When Angela returned home and realised no Barre classes were available in Durban, she went back to Cape Town and completed her Barre qualification.
Angela started Barre KZN in Umhlanga in 2019. She was forced to close her studio for eight months due to the COVID lockdown but, during this time, she offered online classes and her following grew significantly. When she reopened, Angela was approached by several women to open a studio in Ballito. She started offering Barre classes at FITPOD two and a half years ago. “I love FITPOD because of its location at Ballito Lifestyle Centre. Ladies can easily grab a coffee with friends or shop after class.”
Angela has a special interest in women’s health and is a certified pre-and-post natal fitness instructor. Her classes are for women only, which she says helps her students relax, enjoy the class, and connect. “There is no pressure to look or act a certain way. It truly is a sisterhood.”
Angela’s Barre classes are set to upbeat music and incorporate different modalities such as Pilates, strength and resistance training, and cardio.
Comparing Barre classes to classic aerobics classes from the 1980s, Angela says it’s almost like a modern version of ‘Jane Fonda’! “The exercises are high energy and low impact and anyone can join, regardless of their fitness level. It’s not a ballet or dance class, and you don’t need any experience. You can just come along and enjoy the workout in a non-intimidating, welcoming environment.”