Kara Robinson started her barre journey in 2017 while taking a Barre Intensity class at a local studio in her home town of Grand Blanc, MI. She started taking classes to try out group fitness and to tone up after losing baby weight from having 2 kids, 18 months apart. She fell in love with the class, the people, the instructor, and the results. She decided that she wanted to learn more about it, so she did training with Elyssa in Wixom, Michigan in May 2018. After digesting the information and the idea of teaching her own class, she started teaching at that same studio. She was filling in for the regular instructor who had to have foot surgery. When she started, attendance was hit or miss. Sometimes class would have 6-7 people, and one time, 1 person showed up. There were also a few weeks when nobody came. After a few months of trying to build her classes up, she jumped right into marketing and branding herself as a Barre Intensity instructor, and started her page “Barre Intensity By Kara” on Facebook and Instagram. From there, classes took off. Her studio could hold 14 comfortably, 16 with a squeeze, and 20 jammed packed. Classes were quickly approaching 20, so she added more classes and now teaches 6 classes a week between 2 dance studios.
Kara’s draw to class is the people. “Barre Intensity bring out the best people” is something you’ll hear from her regularly. All of her clients become regulars. She makes an honest effort to get to know everyone and make sure they are comfortable and never feel embarrassed or ashamed for needing a break or a modification. Group fitness is all about fostering relationships for personal growth and also accountability.
Kara also just completed training for NETA’s “HIIT It With Yoga” course and plans on teaching a class here and there.
Kara has a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Michigan and worked in staffing until 2014. In 2012, she married her husband Nick, a criminal defense attorney in Flint, MI. She has 2 kids, Jude born in 2014, and Piper in 2015. She loves to sing karaoke, enjoys nature, and will never turn down mozzarella sticks.
Barre Intensity has been life changing for her and her goal is to help individuals feel better about themselves in any way she can.