Studio Owner

Kelly has worked in retail and commercial construction, and when she found Xtend Barre, she had an epiphany. Her professional bent was helping clients find the perfect look or the right space to enhance their personal brand — but what she really cared about was motivating others to be their best selves. That’s Xtend: enhancing lifestyles by building healthier, more energetic bodies. What’s more, the elements of ballet made her feel nostalgic for her childhood dance classes. As an Xtend client, Kelly counted on the fun music and the intensive toning and cardio to help her start every morning on a positive note. Now that she has her own studio, she plans to show other clients how investing in fitness pays off in a major way in all aspects of their lives. She looks forward to meeting you at the barre

Dana’s love of song and dance started almost before she could walk and talk. After graduating with a bachelor’s in finance from the College of William & Mary, Dana continued performing professionally with cruise ships and regional theaters, and even toured with the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. She recently relocated to the DC area from NYC and was introduced to Xtend Barre by some of her closest friends, who also happen to be Xtend instructors. She fell in love with the experience and can’t wait to share that love with the XBA community!

Abby joined XBA shortly after the studio’s opening and has loved watching the Xtend Community grow ever since. Having taken dance classes growing up, but never quite finding a fitness routine she enjoyed, she quickly fell in love with Xtend’s barre-focused, accessible classes and vibrant, welcoming environment. Recently she took the leap to become an instructor and is enjoying serving our community in this new capacity!

Alissa was immediately hooked when she began taking Xtend Barre classes in 2013 and jumped at the chance to become an instructor two years later. As a former pro cheerleader and dance instructor, Alissa tries to keep her classes as sweaty, upbeat, and fun as possible. When she’s not at the barre or bouncing on a trampoline, you can find Alissa roaming the halls of Congress for her day job, cooking up a big meal for her husband and friends, or snuggling her two adorable rescue pups.

Elaine first came to Xtend with a friend and quickly grew to love the variety of classes and the welcoming community. She was thrilled to become an instructor and help others experience fun yet challenging workouts. Teaching at Xtend is one of her many jobs – Elaine also works as a residential construction project manager, manages social media for the Capitol City Circus School, and is raising two boys (and two dogs)! In her spare time, she enjoys cooking and flying trapeze.

Emily grew up in upstate New York and, after graduating college, headed to DC to teach elementary school. After months of ClassPass workouts, she realized that there was only one studio she wanted to keep going to — XBA! The variety of classes, motivating instructors, and amazing community had her hooked, and she’s psyched to get to be part of this team and serve the community as Events Coordinator!

Jackie has been dancing and cheering for more than 16 years. Most recently, Jackie was a member of the NBA Washington Wizard Girls. After three years of dancing with the Wizard Girls, she retired and began looking for a new way to incorporate her love of dance into her life. With Xtend Barre, Jackie found an experience that merged all her favorite aspects of dance with a challenging workout. She can’t wait to share this experience with her clients, and hopes they love being at the barre as much as she does!

Growing up Kate was addicted to performing. From daily tap classes to acting in small theater troops in Atlanta, Kate loved any chance to make other people smile. Fast forward to 2018, Kate was a stand-up comic who felt bummed with solo gym workouts and classes that lacked a community feeling. She took the new student special on a whim and was hooked immediately, loving the challenging workouts and all the people she met along the way. After a few years as a client, Kate opted to take it up a notch and become an instructor herself. Now you can find Kate pushing her clients to push themselves while trying her best to keep them laughing the whole time.

Katherine, a native of Atlanta, has been teaching yoga since 2012, including group classes and private instruction. She loves blending more rigorous flows with restorative postures to give the body balance in effort and relaxation. In addition to yoga, Katherine has competed in power-lifting competitions, run numerous races, and gets a lot of cardio in chasing after her toddler. Outside her athletic endeavors, Katherine works in marketing and communications, and is a licensed social worker and life coach.

Lauryn took her first Xtend Barre class in 2014 after her boyfriend had signed her up for membership as her sole birthday present (yes, that really happened). At first she was not happy about the present but it 100% turned out to be the best thing that possibly could have happened to her. Lauryn immediately fell in love with the classes, the instructors and the principals behind Xtend Barre. Just after a few classes, she knew this was the best workout she had tried in the region (and she tried them all) because she could actually see the results. Lauryn had been in ballet from ages 3 to 12 when she hung up the ballet shoes for cleats. A collegiate soccer player, Lauryn finally found a niche to feed her fitness journey and that niche is Xtend Barre. She is excited to have you join her in class to share her enthusiasm and energy for this incredible workout!

Marti Jo discovered pilates and Xtend Barre in 2011. The safe and always challenging head to toe workout felt perfect to Marti Jo. She became a faithful student of both, and after taking dozens and dozens of classes she pursued instructor certification for pilates mat and Xtend Barre. In 2015 she achieved her goals and has loved taking and teaching Xtend Barre ever since. Marti Jo finds the head to toe workout is a great fit for all fitness levels. She loves challenging her students with Xtend’s blend of ballet and pilates, never forgetting the important cardio bursts!

Michelle stumbled upon XBA shortly after moving to Arlington in 2018 and was immediately hooked – she joined the front desk team within a week of her first visit and became an instructor shortly thereafter! A former competitive dancer, she was thrilled to find not only a challenging, ballet-inspired, and FUN workout, but the thoughtful and supportive community behind it. Now an instructor and full-time second career nursing student, Michelle credits XBA with helping her find the confidence and energy to change careers and pursue her passion for women’s health. At Xtend, it is her mission to foster a community where each and every person feels encouraged, supported, challenged, and known.

A former member of the Baltimore Blast Cheerleaders and NBA Washington Wizard girls, Michelle Poling has over 20 years’ experience competing in various styles of dance.  Michelle took her first Xtend Barre class in 2012, leaving immediately sore and instantly hooked.  Michelle loves that Xtend classes are always unique, combining dance technique and cardio elements to sculpt, strengthen, and lengthen her muscles, while simultaneously keeping her heart rate pumping.  As a Registered Dietitian, she is excited to share her passion for health and fitness as an Xtend Barre instructor, using every minute of her classes to challenge clients to achieve their goals and Xtend beyond their limits.

A dancer since age 3, Renée has 6 years of professional dance experience – with 4 years in the NBA for the Washington Wizards, and 2 years as captain for the Lady Raiders arena football dance team. With the Washington Wizards, she attended the All P-R-O Dance Convention, Choreography Pros, and represented the NBA in Brazil for NBA 3x Events. She also had the opportunity to dance alongside Wale, DJ Kool, Lance Bass and Jay Sean. After retiring, Renée was introduced to Xtend Barre by some of her former teammates, who happen to be some of her closest friends. She is thrilled to be a part of this community and can’t wait to Xtend with you!

Shawna is a professional dancer and choreographer.  She loves teaching the Xtend Barre method because of the strong incorporation of dance, pilates and the positive results it has on your total health.  She also loves the supportive and positive Xtend Barre community!  She was first a client and then became an instructor in 2019 because she personally felt so much stronger after every class.  Shawna strives to challenge her clients with of mixture of dance as well as fun and challenging exercises to make you feel confident and energized!  She hopes to see you here soon!

Studying classical ballet and piano growing up, Stephanie always had wonderful muscle memories and melodies embedded in her throughout life.  Xtend Barre was her first experience with group exercise class, and she was immediately taken back to the happiest place in her life. She loves Xtend Barre for the aspects of it being fun, fluid, and challenging, and her goal as an instructor is to create the opportunity for her clients to turn a workout routine into a passion that will last a lifetime!

Tonya became a devoted VIX member soon after discovering Xtend Barre in October 2018. The variety of classes, props, and instructors made each workout fun and fresh, so it wasn’t hard at all for Tonya to make XBA an essential healthy hobby and lifestyle. A former cheerleader, Tonya studied nutrition and became certified as a Registered Dietitian before moving abroad to support her husband’s career in the Foreign Service.  While living overseas, she discovered yoga and belly dance and has had the opportunity to dance across the world, from El Salvador to Belgium. Tonya will charm you with her southern accent as she shares her joy of music and graceful movement with you. Come join her at the barre!