Pure Yoga’s beloved barre class Figure 4 expands in a big way

Expect to see an extra spate of long, lean limbs sporting tank tops and short shorts around New York this summer. Yesterday, Pure Yoga’s beloved barre brand Figure 4 introduced many more ways to tuck, tone, and pulse, unveiling four brand-new versions of the popular dancer-body workout that vary by level of difficulty, form, and more.

Now, with six different takes on the method, including its signature class and its one-of-a-kind 105-degree hot version, Fahrenheit, you could say that Figure 4 has a leg up on the crowded (and competitive) barre scene, where offering a handful of styles is de rigeur. (When it comes to variety, other leaders include Exhale’s Core Fusion, which has five versions, and Physique 57, which has a long list that made us lose count.)

“These versions were the most logical next step as we expand and broaden our programming,” says Figure 4 founder Kate Albarelli, a prima ballerina who put her athleticism and musicality to use in creating the method.

The new Figure 4 Fit and Figure 4 Form address the issue of difficulty, which Albarelli says varies more now that the method has been around for several years. Figure 4 Fit adds new choreography and fast-paced sequencing for advanced, day-to-day devotees, and comes with a pre-req of five regular classes, while Figure 4 Form emphasizes alignment at a slower pace, so it’s great for beginners. “I noticed that there was a demand for a more ‘amped up’ version and a more toned-down, easily digestible version,” Albarelli says.

Figure 4 Feature, on the other hand, is all about entertainment value. It will be a playful, musically-inspired version that comes with a varying theme, like Madonna or Justin Timberlake.

And Figure Forty-Five is all about time, cutting 15 minutes off the normal hour-long class for time-crunched New Yorkers who have trouble fitting their tucking and toning in between meetings.

Albarelli says she expects clients to mix up their schedule with the different versions, but that she recommends every student take at least one Form class per week, to reset their alignment. It may be hard to convince them, though, if the other option is rocking out to Like a Prayer.—Lisa Elaine Held

For more information, visit www.pureyoga.com