Okay, so you probably don’t need an instruction manual for dancing and shopping. But just in case you’re rusty…there’s this.
Wellth series: Resolutions Refined 3rd annual wellth series at the Refinery Hotel.
It’s a hotel. It’s a shop. It’s a workout. It’s everything.
Resolutions Refined featured a full daily schedule of Elements signature Barre and Dance Fusion classes, instructed by founder and director, Andrea Fornarola Hunsberger, and a curated luxury retail collective by PopUpSummer and founder Susan Sandler, a leader in high-end retail and brand activations, featuring designers Tess Giberson, Jes Wade, Linn Lomo, OAO, KonDor, Indigo Jane, Arete and more.
The Lotte Berk inspired method fuses isometric exercises and interval training with ballet conditioning, the principals of Pilates core work and Yoga type stretching. We took the Barre class which in essence was Physique57’s brother from another mother.
We started with a serious warm-up consisting of knee lifts, planking, pushups, etc. Next up was the dance choreography, leg werk at the barre that felt like someone put a lit match to my quads. The band work we did for the upper body was a nice change from the usual weighted exercises I could do by now in my sleep. By the time we hit the floor for the glute and ab work i was in a full sweat.
But this isn’t the first time we’ve seen fashion merging with fitness. After all, shopping is a form of movement, and fashion is increasingly inspired by movement. What’s more interesting, is how the fusion parallels the growing trend of fitness as an experience. Working up a sweat isn’t just about showing up, or taking a class. Now, each workout is an event, full of music, athliesure and yes, lots and lots of sweat. Fashion is another tool the fitness world uses to create a completly immersive experience.
The result is an added, dynamic layer for botique studios like Elements Fitness. When upscale spots like The Hatbox it’s in part to set a specific vibe, as well as showcase emergining designers.
All of this continues to show that studios and athletic wear aren’t just becoming brands and events that set new fitness trends, rather, they are becoming outlets that inspire multiple facets of our lives.