A former barre instructor opens up about working at a boutique fitness studio and why BIPOC individuals are still feeling unwelcome.
In August 2021, I became a certified barre instructor for a major boutique fitness company. In October 2023, I quit.
I loved it so much that I started teaching in 2021 at a studio in North Scottsdale, AZ. I was attending graduate school and was eager for a place that resembled home after moving to the desert. Two years into teaching, I asked my studio owner if we could host a BIPOC-centered class. She said yes, but in the weeks after the first class I was told a BIPOC class would never happen again. The decision was made in efforts to"serve all equally," according to an email the studio owner sent to the entire staff. I — along with several other staffers — quit.
That's why intentionally putting these studios in diverse locations can be so important."Take a serious look at where boutique fitness spaces are located," suggests Intructor A."Are they placed in predominantly white neighborhoods? How can you be accessible to the BIPOC community if the BIPOC community is nowhere to be found?"
Support also requires a sense of introspection. The boutique fitness industry must ask itself how much money diversity is worth to them. How many memberships and class packages would justify time enough to create room for clients that aren't white, that aren't straight, that aren't thin?
Arya Naidu Standard Fitness Mental Health Identity Group Fitness Classes Personal Essay
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