{Find a Certified TLM Trainer, Near You!}
Raising the Barre!
Whether you’re new to barre or a seasoned “shaker” one class with theLONDONmethod will change the way you think about the practice. That’s because we follow in the footsteps (literally) of the original barre queens, Lotte Berk and her daughter, Esther Fairfax. For more than 50 years, these kickass ladies have been teaching one-of-a-kind, tried-and-true exercises with “OMG-level” results. From the moment we discovered their method across the pond, we knew we had to bring it back home. Now, we’re proud to have passed this legacy on to TLM Certified Instructors that you can enjoy the ORIGINAL class with worldwide!
{our mission}
You Can’t Beat the Original
We’re committed to teaching the exact same moves passed down by Lotte Berk and her daughter Esther Fairfax. These powerful pioneers developed a method that delivers the kind of results you simply can’t get anywhere else. Trust us, we’ve tried.
We offer so much more than just hot bods and slimmer waistlines. At tLm, you’ll find a true sense of community. A place where friendships are forged, compliments are encouraged, and spirits are lifted along with rear ends.
{Becoming a Certified Instructor Takes In-Depth Training + Experience}
{meet kelly, Co-Founder}
Barre vs. Berk
Location: Long Beach, California, USA
Although I’m a certified BASI Pilates Instructor and taught U.S. Barre-style fitness classes for many years, I always felt like something was missing. Once I met and studied with Lotte Berk’s daughter Ester Fairfax in England, that all changed. I saw my body shape transform in ways I never thought possible. The experience was so powerful I felt compelled to share it with others.
{meet pam, Co-Founder}
Fitness and Friendship
Location: Long Beach, California, USA
I’ve always loved yoga and am a certified instructor. However, once I started taking tLm classes I knew I’d found something special. Not only did I see results, it felt very social. Kelly and I were both so passionate about sharing the practice with others we decided to open our very own tLm studio. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished but this is only the beginning!
{meet betsy, certified trainer}
Location: Thibodaux, Louisiana, USA
{meet lara, certified trainer}
Location: Cheshire, Connecticut USA
{meet jennifer, certified trainer}
Location: McLean, Virginia USA
{meet andrea, certified trainer}
Location: Wellington, Florida USA
{meet brenda, certified trainer}
Location: Pleasant Hill, CA USA
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{a letter from esther 9.3.2015}
Learn why Lotte’s daughter, Esther Fairfax, entrusted Kelly with her mom’s legacy.
Dear Kelly,
52 years. I can hardly believe it. Is it really 52 years? Where are all those women whose muscles I’ve stretched, teased and firmed? During those years I’ve trained several women but not one has wanted to turn the exercises into a proper business. I was concerned that once mother retired, who was going to keep her unique and brilliant exercises in its original form, alive and vibrant?
It’s no good looking at me I said to my mirror, I’m hopeless at building a business or running a business. All I’m good at is running my classes and training people. I wanted someone to love the exercises as much as I do, live it, breath it, feel it pulsating through my veins. It was breaking my heart that I might be the last person who knew my mother’s technique with utter authenticity in its original form with the life force mother injected into those exercises that pushed you to your limit, with its huge element of fun and laughter keeping her eclectic style as charismatic as she was. Hard footsteps to follow, as I know only too well.
Many classes now operating in the States have been influenced by my mother’s work and even acknowledge her. But what I don’t see is her essence, her skill, her emotional energy, the power of love, her humanity… I do see it’s become a tough workout without the beauty and elements of dance and the aesthetics of a woman’s body. What a waste of a brilliant technique. 52 years I’ve waited for that special woman who felt a deep connection to mother’s body and mind, understanding that complex personality.
What could I do? My doing days were almost done. If at the ripe old age of eighty one I hadn’t yet found the right person to step into mother’s shoes and have the guts and ambition to return the exercise technique back to a life with a future, would I ever? The phone call from California in 2015 introduced me to Kelly Wackerman. We had many talks before Kelly came to Hungerford to train with me. Every call convinced me more and more that Kelly had the talent, the passion and ambition to fulfill my dreams. It was obvious that Kelly was brilliant. Her energy and enthusiasm for the Lotte Berk Technique thrilled me. Her ambition to take the technique back to the States and to be able to show the genuine Lotte Berk excited us both. To make it a business again. Train the next generation of women. What more could I ask?
Kelly’s love for mother’s work was so endearing. She loved it, ate it, breathed it. She was alive with joyfulness enjoying the creative physical work through her love of dance, feeling pushed and stretched, feeling the fun rippling through her body. Kelly put it in a nutshell, and I quote:
It’s not just a workout…
It’s A WORK of ART.
Thank you Kelly!
– Esther Fairfax