Très Studio Barre

Athlete, figure skater and health enthusiast Kara Martin completed her masters of science degree in kinesiology (the study of human movement), exercise and health psychology at McGill University in 2011. With a vast knowledge of various sports and physical disciplines, she then became a devoted Pilates instructor. But it was the discovery of another approach to fitness that came to shape Kara's path.

While searching for a way to do Pilates with a new spin, Kara stumbled across a video course on barre, a fitness method that combines movements from Pilates, ballet and yoga and adds a touch of dance. “I fell in love with it immediately,” recalls Kara. “I began researching it and then training in it professionally.”

Très Studio Barre opened in February 2013 in a small space on Saint-Laurent Street as the very first school in the city to teach the discipline.

Just six months later, the school’s popularity allowed it to move to a spot on a bustling stretch of Saint-Denis Street that has nearly twice the space of its first location. With the inauguration of the new school, Kara began building a staff of health experts and instructors and expanding the list of courses offered to include yoga, Pilates and more.