Liz Achée, owner of Pure Barre Chestnut Hill.

by Maddie Clark

“Pure Barre doesn’t get easier, you just get stronger,” said Liz Achée, owner of Pure Barre Chestnut Hill.

Located at 909 E Willow Grove Ave. in Wyndmoor, Pure Barre is getting set for its soft opening on Thursday, June 6, through Sunday, June 9.

Back in 2013, Achée’s Pure Barre experience began just after she completed a marathon in New York City – this was a personal goal of hers. While she knew her body needed a break, she was still looking for ways in which she could stay active.

This was when a friend of Achée’s recommended that she take a Pure Barre class. For those who may be unfamiliar with this style of exercise, Pure Barre is a collection of 45 to 50-minute workouts that incorporates all parts of your body, she said.

Though Pure Barre’s workouts mainly includes a ballet barre, the core of their technique also includes other minimal equipment and even your own body weight in order to create a series of low impact movements that produce results.

Now going on her sixth year of being involved in the Pure Barre community, Achée stated that “Pure Barre is one of those workouts where you try it once and are hooked.”

This was for no joke for Achée as she eventually decided to open up her own studio.

While the decision was largely based on her love for Pure Barre’s style of workout, there was also a more personal event that impacted Achée’s business venture.

When Achée lost her best friend two years ago, she eventually decided it was time to look into opening her own studio. This friend was also the only person to whom she had expressed her desire to open her own studio.

Now, this desire is less than two weeks away from becoming a reality.

Before Achée began getting her business off the ground, however, she previously lived in NYC while working for the MSG network at Madison Square Garden. She then moved to Los Angeles in 2014 where she worked for Fox and Sony.

But even while Achée was across the country pursuing her career in entertainment, she always made it a point to find the nearest Pure Barre class.

When asked why she wanted to open up her studio in Chestnut Hill, Achée said that “Chestnut Hill – Wyndmoor was an opportunity where there wasn’t a studio.

“The been really supportive and welcoming,” Achée said. “I’ve made so many friends and connections,” she continued.

In terms of marketing her studio, Achée is more concerned with “rely on the community to get the word out,” she said.

Achée plans to join the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia and just let the people and the studio do the talking.

Achée, however, does plan to host pop up events in and out of the studio. This way, people can come take a class and experience a little bit of what a Pure Barre workout is like, she said.

Achée is also hoping that these upcoming events will extinguish the common misconceptions about Pure Barre and its workouts, including that the form is only for women.

“Pure Barre is for everyone – men and women,” said Achée.

Achée said she’s taken classes with triathletes and those who are just getting back into working out after taking several years off. In other words, there’s no right way to look or be when going to a Pure Barre class.

From Thursday, June 6, to Sunday, June 9, Pure Barre Chestnut Hill will have free classes all weekend during its soft opening. During this time, people can explore the Pure Barre and Chestnut Hill community alike as well as sign up for regularly scheduled classes that will begin on Monday, June 10.

For more information about Pure Barre Chestnut Hill, visit the company's website or call 310-595-5886. Maddie Clark is a regular contributor to the Local.