Metropolitan School of the Arts

For the adult classes (barre and yoga): I love this studio! the barre and yoga classes are amazing. Kim is one of the best barre instructors, I get a great strength workout with bursts of cardio. Kim pushes you that extra bit to get you to the next level in your workout. Melanie is a fantastic yoga instructor! Her yoga classes are a great physical and mental workout. I always feel refreshed after one of her classes.

My daughter has been attending MSA for 6 years since she was 3 years old. She has gone from an extremely shy little girl to a confident young lady and I owe it all to the amazing teachers and staff at the school. The school is unlike any I have seen in that they really challenge the kids even the youngest but they do it in a very loving way. The kids work so hard at improving their skills and the studio has literally become a home away from home. The girls are all supportive of each other and they have such a strong bond it is so nice to see. They offer a wide arrange of classes for all levels and the shows they produce are top notch! We are so blessed to be a part of such an amazing community of families.

My kids are getting a true appreciation of many aspects of the performing arts, and the opportunities to explore and perfect technique are amazing. I asked my daughter, 13, to give me three words to describe her experience there: «helpful, exciting and fun!» And, remember, it’s not just dance, but music and theater expertise abounds there too!

Probably the most expensive dance studio in the area with a lot of additional fees. Check your contract carefully prior to signing it. Performance and dance fees are charged from everyone irrespective of your plans for participation. And they are charged early in the academic year (October 1 and November 1) when many families do not even know their plans for the upcoming summer.

You either love this place or you don’t. We don’t, although I can certainly see why some families like it – MSA offers a huge variety of classes at many levels and they have two huge centers with a wide array of studios. The classes are good, not great, and they tend to be large. If you talk to the registrars, it is clear that the program is heavily focused on learning a recital part, which in my view is the wrong focus. Focus should be on technique and mastery! The worst part is the «shows» which are basically recitals on steroids. They can run 4 or 5 hours, yet they are marketed to the community as «shows.» Sorry, MSA, but anything that lasts that long is a recital, and is of VERY limited interest to anyone whose child is NOT on stage. They have hundreds and hundreds of kids on stage during these recitals.
The program is very good for jazz, contemporary, tap, etc. Ballet is a secondary focus, and it is not the best program in the area, though MSA certainly HAS produced some excellent dancers. (The program is so large that it would be shocking if they hadn’t managed to crank out a Ben Cook by now.)
If you are in the Alexandria area and are looking for a dance center with an excellent ballet program, I would suggest Ballet Nova. (And I do not have a child there at present.) A little farther afield, Classical Ballet Theater, Virginia Ballet Co., and the Center for Ballet Arts all have stronger, more focused ballet programs than Metropolitan.

This was not a great experience for my kids. Office staff talk down to parents and can be very hurtful. Kind of disorganized and the show is ridiculously long to watch my kids for 90 seconds on the stage. Teachers are good, though.

This is for the LORTON location…
HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE.
The Barre teachers were horrible. It was just me and the instructor in one of the classes. I think no one showed up because the classes kept being cancelled– maybe people thought this time was cancelled, also.
They really should start providing water… Not just at the fountain, but bottled water. Or at least specify on their site to bring a water bottle (which is better and move eco-​friendly).
Classes were inconsistent. I felt like I was taking a class that the instructor didn’t show up for so one of the students decided to fill in that second– like we were sitting down in class and someone volunteers to teach with absolutely not credentials or teaching experience, except maybe having taken 1 or 2 barre classes.
I understand that this facility is new. And it seemed like it’s great for kids.
Adults — Don’t even bother trying this facility out!

I got a Groupon for this place and after trying a number of classes with a few different teachers I can say I love the Metro Barre classes. All of the teachers are good and the classes follow a standard barre format – warm-​up, arms, barre, abs, stretch. My favorite classes are Krissy Horton’s… Even her Metro Barre Basics classes are a good challenge to get your heart rate up, even if you’ve done barre before. She uses good variation in her classes too, so even tried and true exercises you’ve done before have a new twist to test your balance or to reach a muscle you didn’t know you had. I think I will buy a punch card for this place in the future since the drop-​in fees aren’t too bad and the classes are definitely worth it.

Like I mentioned before, the quality of classes and the staff here is top notch. I am increasing the stars to 5 as they offered free classes on Friday Oct. 4, 2013 to people who were affected by the federal government shut down. I was one of the employees on furlough and my classes pass ran out. It was wonderful that I could take advantage of this generous offer.
They have recently moved to a bigger space and each studio is much bigger than the ones in the previous spot. As a regular attendee of the exercise classes, I was concerned with the crush of new students with the sale of the Groupon. In one of the studios in the old location, it could be a tight squeeze when too many people showed up. With the new location, they can definitely accommodate more people, but I do hope that they enforce the capacity limit and give priority to those who signed up for class instead of the walk-​ins.

I, like many, purchased the Groupon for 10 Metro Barre classes for half of the original price. Although I have not used all my classes yet, I felt that this place deserves a review already.
These classes are EXCELLENT. As someone who, sadly, hasn’t worked out in a long time, these have been a good way to ease back into becoming more physically fit. I knew gym wouldn’t be the optimal way for me to work out and loose weight, so I thought I would try a class where I was told specifically what to do for an hour.
My money was been WELL spent. You hear that it’s combination of ballet, Pilates, and yoga and think «Oh, how hard could it be?» Well, I leave EVERY class dripping in sweat. I have to wear a tshirt over a tanktop, just so I have something to wipe the sweat off my face in the middle of classes. There was one class, where we were doing exercises on the barre, and i was watching the sweat drip off my face and pool into a puddle on the floor. (I know, sounds gross, but just want to point out exactly how much you get out of these classes!). Also, I am routinely sore at least one or two days after a class in my thighs and butt. (Sore in a good way though!)
One my groupon classes run out, I’ll definitely be purchasing more. I like how convenient the Lorton Workhouse is to me. And the front desk staff is always friendly.
My one «gripe» is that they just released their Fall schedule and their early morning classes (8am) are no longer being offered. I think 9:30AM is the earliest now? That’s way too late for people with jobs to attend. I liked the morning classes for a variety of reasons, but especially because I had heard the night classes are PACKED (20 people at night v. less than 8 people in the morning).

After being introduced to the newest barre craze in Arlington/​DC I saw a Groupon for 10 barre classes. Barre, a combination of yoga, pilates, and ballet, is a low impact workout that focuses on isometric (small/​tiny movements) to give your muscles the optimal workout. The class generally starts off with a warm-​up, arm workout with dumbbells (beginners should choose 1 to 2 lbs because it’s a lot harder than you think!), barre work (legs and butt), abs, and cool down (yoga relaxation). Expect to be sore the next day! The nice thing about this studio is there are varying fitness levels represented all members in class and you are encouraged to come out of the exercise (for a few reps) and then return when you are ready. You will feel the burn!
All 3 instructors (Melanie, Kim and Kristin) taught slightly different classes, but I enjoyed all 3. (I personally think Kim’s classes are the hardest– sweat factor and soreness factor the next day easily beat out the other teachers) All instructors are good about asking who is new to the class and explaining techniques, inquiring about injuries, and giving modifications for exercises. I would recommend starting with Melanie for brand new students. All have great personalities and make jokes throughout class.
After going to a handful of barre classes at 2 different studios in DC and Arlington I found that Metrobarre has a different style (one that I personally enjoy better). The classes are slower paced (maybe due to the demographic of students– mid-​twenties to ladies in their 60’s) and there is more emphasis on stretching. With each class there was ALWAYS a new exercise that I had never done before, which kept things challenging.
The night classes (8 or 8:15 p.m.) never start on time. They are usually 5 or 10 minutes behind the scheduled start time due to the dance classes going on in the studio beforehand. The instructor generally runs the same amount of time (5 or 10 minutes) over the end time so you get the full hour of class. All morning classes I went to during the week and on Sundays start right on time.
My only complaint about this studio is that the floors are very dirty. Because I am not a dancer I do not know if this is the case with other dance studios but barre studios’ floors are always very clean and the mats are cleaned after every use. This is not the case at this studio. Bring your own mat if you have one!
I may just make the trek from Arlington to Alexandria for these barre classes. Very impressed for the suburbs!

I absolutely love the fitness classes offered for adults at Metro Fine Arts! I currently take the Metro Barre classes as well as yoga when my schedule allows and they’re wonderful! The instructors are great — the equipment they provide (ball, mat, weights, etc) are all in excellent shape (which not all studios have…) and the classes themselves are well-​taught. THe instructors are knowledgeable, encouraging and challenging. The Metro-​barre is great — I’ve tried a bunch of barre classes at studios in the Alexandria area and this is definitely the best!
If you want a good adult barre pilates, or yoga class, this is your best bet! They offer class cards that you can pre-​purchase in advance, or you can pay as you go. It’s a great studio and their schedule offers weekend options as well morning, or night options during the week. They have lots of classes each week so it is usually easy to fit the classes into my schedule.

This is a great studio in 2 great locations. I am taking level 2 adult tap and the class is a great work out, but fun as well — we laugh a lot, but not at each other. Pop in when it suits, and if you miss a class, it is not the end of the world.
You can buy class punch cards and use them for any classes you want (mix and match). I am paying $ 120 for 10 classes. No pressure to participate in the recital and no need to wear a thong leotard.