Georgie's offers core barre, mat pilates, and reformer classes. I've only taken core barre (which incorporates some mat pilates) and most of those classes were with Courtney.
The place: Georgie's is in the heart of Old Town Alexandria. I love and hate this about it. First, unless you live in Alex (which I do not) it is not terribly convenient. It is a little less than a mile (8/10 of a miles to be specific) from the metro, which is fine during the week, but I don't actually believe in the metro on the weekend. It's like Santa Claus. Ask me in December, and I believe in the old guy - January through November, however, not so much. Why? Because Santa is practically non-existent January through November, much like the metro on the weekends. Anyway, I like Old Town and I enjoy walking through the Farmers Market after class at Georgie's. I don't like driving to Old Town and trying to find parking and then paying for the parking I do find.
The instructor: I like Courtney. I find her to be upbeat and challenging. I like that she moves around on the bar so everyone can see her and that she comes by and adjusts and offers tips. I honestly have no complaints about the instructor. The first class I took was with someone else who is no longer on their schedule (and whose name both Chesti and I have forgotten). I liked her too, but I like Courtney better.
The class: I also like the core barre class a lot. It's a combo of ballerina-type bar, light weights, and mat. The bar stuff incorporates a lot of relevés (moves done on the tips of your toes), which helped a lot in building up strength in my weak ankle.
The space: This, in my mind, is where Georgie's really fails. The studio itself is not very big and the space reserved for the barre and mat classes is TINY. The class is full at 6 people, too full at 8, and busting at the seams at 10. Unfortunately, the classes are usually about 10 people. On the bar it can be pretty bad. If you do any sort of bending move your nose is in someone else's...well, it is somewhere no one is happy about. And, I mentioned that Courtney will hop on the bar to demonstrate moves - which is great - but it makes it even that much more crowded. On top of the proximity issues, the wood flooring isn't laid correctly and if you have a spot in the corner by the bar and the wall, you will be working around gaps in the floor boards. It is really uncomfortable and unprofessional (and potentially dangerous). Click HERE for a look at Georgie's photo gallery on their website. If you click on a thumbnail it will bring up a larger picture that is numbered at the bottom. Take a look at pics 12 and 14. There are three girls on the bar in those pictures. In class, there would be at least 6 girls crammed into that space. It's really just too small for the amount of students they want to cram in there. When we switch the mats mid-class people have to alternate between horizontal, vertical, and diagonal just to get all the mats to fit in that tiny space.
The bottom line: For the price they charge for core barre, I would expect a lot more out of the facility - space to move and even floors at the very least.
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