Maria S. Barr

Maria S. Barr

Maria started her journey into Group Fitness shortly after graduating from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2005.  After joining the local YMCA she soon became inspired to instruct. In 2005 she became a Turbo Kick instructor through Blue Powder Productions owned by the renowned Chalene Johnson (producer of Turbo Jam, Turbo Fire, PiYo, Hip Hop Hustle, and more). As she found her passion in group fitness, Maria started to teach other class formats as well which included: Hip Hop Hustle, Water Aerobics, Cycling, MMA Kickboxing, and Pilates. She has a group fitness and personal training certification from AFAA (Aerobics and Fitness Association of America) and an MMA Kickboxing Certification through UFC Competitor Alan Belcher.

Maria isn’t just a group fitness instructor, she is also our Brand Manager | Master Trainer. Maria is very familiar with teaching fitness education across the country. She has spent time teaching others how to instruct reformer pilates, cycle, and barre. She loves to travel and meet new people who share her passion. Maria also has a dance background that started in college. She started her dance journey at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College as a "Perkette" where she later coached the team in 2010/11. She extended her dance journey to the University of Southern Mississippi where she became a part of the Southern Misses Dance team and later worked as a strength coach temporarily for that team after graduation in 2005. Maria has also been a finalist five times for the New Orleans Saints NFL Dance Team, The Saintsations, and a finalist for the Pelicans NBA Dance Team.  Maria is also a 3x Virtual Instructor for HOTWORX. She owns her own studio called The Barre Box in Gulfport, MS where you can find her teaching Barre Intensity, Boxing, and Cycle.

You’ll hear her say often “Failure is Success”. Failure is not just a part of life, it’s essential to life and success. It’s like another opportunity to begin again with a more enlightened mind. You can’t continue to learn if you don’t fail.

Maggie Fleita

Dancing since the age of 3, Maggie has always had a passion for movement in the human body.  From the northern suburbs of Chicago, Maggie grew up studying various styles of dance, such as ballet/pointe, modern, jazz, and tap.  Her dance career was extended into college where she danced in many leading roles with the Creighton University Dance Company.  In May of 2017, she graduated from Creighton University, in Omaha, NE, with her Bachelors of Science in Exercise Science and Dance.  Maggie has taught dance classes in various disciplines for five years and jumped at the opportunity to add Barre Intensity to the list.  She is very lucky to have been able to continue her dance journey and to still have the opportunity to perform and choreograph with various groups in the Omaha and Chicagoland area.  In August of 2017, Maggie will continue her education at Washington University in St. Louis to obtain her Doctorate in Occupational Therapy.  Human movement will always be an interest of Maggie’s, whether that movement is used for dance choreography, new barre exercises, or therapy techniques.  

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