37; Pure Barre teacher for 4 years and 3 years owning studios
Ashley Ross’s interest in Pure Barre started when she saw a simple advertisement 13 years ago. As a former athlete, Ashley sought a low-impact, high-energy, consistent, and effective workout. As she moved around for work over the years, she always found a Pure Barre to join in the area, and when she returned home to Memphis, she decided to move forward with teacher training. “I’m naturally an introvert, so it was something outside my comfort zone that I wanted to challenge myself to do,” Ashley remembers.
Pure Barre has an extensive training process, including sending a test video of yourself teaching a full class to corporate for review and approval as the final step. The training for the Classic format, which is the foundation of all Pure Barre classes, includes 100+ hours of anatomy training and in-person/virtual training over several days. Pure Barre offers five class formats (Classic, Define, Reform, Empower, and Align), which ensures versatility for those who use Pure Barre as their only form of exercise — cardio, strength training, stretching, core stability, and balance. The studio supplies equipment needed for classes, including weights, a ball, a double tube, wrist/ankle weights, a platform, sliders, and larger resistance tubes. Ashley is currently teaching three of the five formats, so one of her goals is to become certified in the other two so she can regularly teach them all.
For Ashley, one of her favorite parts of teaching Pure Barre is seeing her clients improve. “I’m always so excited when clients find their best form during class! We make hands-on adjustments to ensure clients maintain alignment, and sometimes a slight adjustment makes the light bulb come on for the client, and you can tell when they start to feel the exact muscles we’re targeting,” she says. She also loves seeing all of her long-time students who have been members for 10+ years and the excitement of new Pure Barre students. “The combination of long-time clients, “newbies” who are just starting their Pure Barre journey, and tenured instructors who have kept their Pure Barre obsession through all journeys of their life help our community continue to thrive.”
Ashley is known for her energetic playlists and calm yet effective tone. One of her students, Julia Fletcher, says, “Ashley has an endearing smile, warm personality, and lovely, calming voice. She makes everyone feel welcome and comfortable at her studios while she cheers us on with her radiant spirit.”
While she is kept busy by teaching and owning Pure Barre studios, Ashley also has a full-time finance/project management job and spends her “spare” time helping build Microsoft Excel reporting. Ashley also sits on a few boards, serving as secretary of the National Association of Black Accountants and treasurer of the Pure Barre Owners Association. “My calendar stays full, but I wouldn’t have it any other way!”
Find Ashley’s class schedules at Purebarre.com/location/memphis-tn and Purebarre.com/location/germantown-tn.
