Barre-Burlesque Class Cabarret Is Coming to Philly Next Month

Ballerinas—and svelte ballerina bodies—are nothing new. And these days, there are plenty of barre studios where you can work on sculpting long, lean muscles of your own.

But here’s a new twist: Nicole LaBonde, a former professional dancer and choreographer, Pilates instructor and Eastern University alum, is bringing her brand of barre-burlesque fusion, cleverly named Cabarret, to Philly. (You guys get it right? A total play on words? CaBARREt?)

With 10 years of experience teaching both dance and Pilates as well as a background in theater, Nicole launched this new fitness program in Miami last April. It’s her answer to what she always thought was missing in a traditional barre class: actual dancing and choreography.

A typical one-hour Cabarret class consists of 30 minutes of ballet techniques, like muscle-sculpting resistance exercises at the barre, and 30 minutes of learning a cabaret-style dance sequence that gives you a nice cardio burn.

“This class is for people who were dancers and miss it, and for people who always wanted to dance. It’s confidence boosting, and you get a performance high that is beyond an exercise high,” Nicole says. Here’s a video so you can get a visual of how it usually goes down.

Cabarret classes are currently taught by Nicole in beautiful South Beach (so jealous), but Philly will see some barre-burlesque action in August, from the 9th through 11th, when Nicole will teach classes at a few local venues, including Trullo Pilates in Northern Liberties and Feet First Dance Center in Phoenixville. Check out the schedule here.

Nicole says she’s also planning on hosting Cabarret teacher training in Philly in October or November, adding that she wants the City of Brotherly Love to be the second home for her new fitness program. We can’t wait to check it out!