Bellying — and kneeing and arching and toe-pointing — up to the barre

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Familiar euphemisms take on different meanings at the Gym KC. Regulars at the fitness club’s three Kansas City locations know that the “booty call,” for instance, is a sequence of exercises designed to work the thighs and the glutes, and the “nooner” is an hourlong, boot camp–style class that will give you an excuse to eat a guilt-free cookie (or two) for lunch.

The latest addition to the schedule is “happy hour,” an apt name for a class that takes place at the bar. OK, not the bar you’re thinking of. In fact, this happy hour is pretty much the opposite of kicking back at your favorite watering hole until well whiskey and queso blanco seep from your pores.

Instead, this ballet-inspired workout makes you sweat. Using light weights, repetitive movements and a slackline in lieu of a traditional ballet barre, the class is designed to work every part of your body, according to Gym KC instructor Andee Hindery, who has a degree in dance and is completing barre teacher training at Power Life Yoga on the Plaza.

“The point is to have a good time while you’re working out — and also to work your muscles in the way that dancers do to get that type of physique,” she told me. “We’re not building bulk. We’re strengthening and leaning muscles using different combinations and types of movements.”

When I arrived at happy hour on a Tuesday evening, the slackline was suspended between two large concrete posts in the center of the open floor at Gym KC’s Uptown location. I took my place on a yoga mat next to two other students. (At Gym KC, barre is classified as “small-group personal training,” meaning class sizes are limited so that everyone can receive individual attention.)

Petite and soft-spoken, with a wry sense of humor, Hindery was an engaging, unintimidating instructor. She demonstrated each series of exercises, offering encouragement as we did plié squats and held planks. An experienced aerialist, Hindery made the exercise sequences look smooth and effortless.

Despite appearances, though, it didn’t take me long to realize that barre is a serious workout. Doing squats while balancing on my toes and holding 5-pound weights at my sides, I was left with zero doubt regarding its efficacy. Mastering the “forced arch” — ballet-speak for standing on your toes with your knees bent — is a huge part of barre.

I also enjoyed the novelty of the experience. As someone who has been exercising regularly for several years, I get bored easily, and I’m usually unable to conceal my disdain for repetitive nonsense like jogging. Barre provided a new challenge, and the variations on the exercises promise an exceptionally high threshold for boredom. At one point during class, all three students were lying facedown on top of the barre doing leg lifts. I’m sure I looked ridiculous, but the beauty of Gym KC’s low-stakes environment allowed me not to care. (Full disclosure: I have sometimes substitute-taught non-barre classes for Gym KC.)

“I’m an introvert, and I feel like the Gym KC attracts introverts,” Hindery said. “The likelihood of someone yelling at you to jump higher is pretty low. There’s also no one telling you to do this so your body looks better. I’m tired of our workouts being co-opted for objectification.”

To broaden my perspective, I also dropped by the neighborhood barre at Power Life, where Hindery does her training. The warm, welcoming studio, which opened in 2015, definitely attracts extroverts — like, the kind of people who smile and chat about gratitude after their workout, their cheeks red and their faces dripping with sweat.

Power Life’s cardio barre class combines traditional moves like rows and biceps curls with yoga and high-intensity exercises designed to keep the heart rate up. The temperature in the studio hovers around 90 degrees, making it a pleasant respite on a cold day — and increasing the intensity of the workout that much more.

In both barre classes, I powered through when my brain suggested I stop. For me, that is the biggest benefit of working out with other people: I’d feel like a pussy skulking off to the locker room while everyone else was still holding chair pose. Hindery said she works hard to achieve the right level of difficulty in her class.

“I’m always worried that it will be too hard, but I also don’t want to create a class that’s a breeze,” she said. “It’s hard to find that balance. The first time I went to a barre class, as an athlete, I was like, No way. I can’t believe you’re asking me to do this. People are going to have that shock, but I also want them to come back. Then, once they do, it becomes addictive.”

An addictive happy hour — now that sounds about right.

Hindery demonstrates moves: suppine barre balance (top), seated arabesque attitude lifts and relevé with arm weight.