About

Owner/Instructor Nicole is the heart and soul for making Barre Nation more than just physical fitness. With 15+ years of experience in the wellness industry, she successfully opened and operated a barre studio in Charleston, SC in 2012. In 2021 she began a new chapter, opening an impact barre studio built around giving back to the nations, hence its name, Barre Nation. Her passion for people flows from all that she does and Barre Nation is no exception. Nicole uses her influence to build others up, challenge them to reach for more, and to extend grace to themselves along the way.

When she’s not at the barre, you can find her chasing her four children, eating chips and salsa, playing at the beach, or reading a book.

Alexis has been moving her body to music for as long as she can remember. Born and raised in Delaware, Alexis started ballet training at age 2, continuing to study dance, anatomy, and choreography all the way through high school and college. Her interest in health and wellness brought her to Boston University, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine. She has practiced dentistry in New Hampshire and Maine for the past 10 years with her husband, Brendan, during which time Alexis re-ignited her love of movement by participating in group fitness. In 2019, Alexis began teaching classes such as barre, cardio barre, core, and glutes.

In January 2021, Alexis and her family moved to Summerville for warmer weather and a new chapter of life centered on family. Three days after arriving in South Carolina, Alexis’ husband encouraged her to take a class at Barre Nation, knowing how much she missed her fitness community up north and how she missed teaching others. She found a home immediately. Alexis finds joy in sharing movement to music with others, in hopes of elevating others to feel confidence, joy, and gratitude in moving their bodies and in nurturing a fruitful mind-body connection.

Sophia has a deep love of all things dance that began in her childhood. From ballet to line dancing she has pursued dance professionally for 7 years. After moving to Charleston she started taking barre to fulfill her love of dance while getting a great workout. When approached with the idea of teaching it was a no brainer. Sophia teaches with a strong traditional ballet barre base that brings the beauty of dance to each workout.

When not at the barre you can find her hanging out with her family, line dancing on the back porch, listening to country music, or out on the lake.

Tamara (rhymes with camera) is a part-time daydreamer and full-time learner who enjoys books, beats and barre. After completing her first half-marathon, she turned to barre for a new challenge. 6 years later, she still finds joy in turning up the music and embracing the shake and burn that barre brings. Tamara believes wellness is a collective and holistic practice—we workout together to strengthen our minds, bodies and each other. This, plus her growing interest in learning new ways to move her body, might explain why she occasionally participates in group workouts: Lyra classes, outdoor kickboxing, aerial yoga, and more.

Outside of the studio and her career, Tamara can be found lounging on her couch, hanging out with friends and family or listening to a good podcast while making something artsy or repotting houseplants.

Ashley is a South Carolina native and College of Charleston graduate. She studied education and dance and has been teaching dance classes to students in North and South Carolina for more than 20 years. Ashley is a certified group fitness instructor who loves barre because of its many similarities to ballet conditioning. The beautiful long lines and shaking muscles are her favorite parts of class! She is wife to Bowe and mom to Reece, Paxton and Whit.

When Ashley is not at the barre you can find her headed to baseball practice or preschool pickup and usually swerving through traffic as she attempts to choreograph a dance while driving!

Holly began gymnastics at 9 years old and when she stopped practicing at 16, she immediately started coaching. Helping other people learn the sport she loved for so long was very fulfilling for her. Holly has practiced multiple different forms of exercise since then: Pilates, yoga, aerial, CrossFit, strongman, and only discovered Barre in 2022. It quickly became her preferred way to exercise, and when an opportunity to teach and help other people love barre came up, she jumped at it.

When not at the barre Holly is spending time with her two kids and husband, Bear. They enjoy trips to the beach, playgrounds, board games, and yummy restaurants!

A North Carolina native, Maddie moved to Charlotte after high school and discovered her passion for barre. When the pandemic hit, her studio shut down permanently. Having tried many other fitness classes in between, barre stuck out to her the most and she found herself at Barre Nation in SC a few years later. It has always been a dream of Maddie’s to teach and she jumped at the opportunity when it arose.

The ability to be able to create an environment where other people are looking to better themselves is what makes her so passionate about teaching. When not at barre, you can find Maddie eating sushi, reading, or trying new coffee spots in Charleston with friends!

Lana has been dancing since before she could walk and has stayed with the artform to this day in various capacities! Born and raised in Massachusetts, Lana began her formal dance training at the age of 4 and her competitive dance career at the age of 8. As a member of the United States Dance Team, she won the Silver Medal in the Soloist Division in the International Dance Organization’s Dance Olympics held in Riesa, Germany.

After college, Lana stayed in New York City where she became a certified Zumba and 200-hour Yoga Teacher while simultaneously pursuing careers in the television, fitness, and tech startup industries. After taking her first barre fitness class at a local studio in NYC she was hooked and dreamed of one day becoming a Barre Instructor. In September 2022, Lana and her fiancé, Chris, moved from the big apple to Summerville, SC in search of warmer weather, down-to-earth communities, and a new chapter of life. It was here that Lana stumbled upon Barre Nation and immediately fell in love with the studio, classes, and community.

Outside of the studio, you can find Lana spending quality time with her family (including her new Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy, Willa Ray), traveling, or enjoying either a good book or movie with a glass of wine!

Meg started her group fitness journey in 2015 attending yoga, HIIT and boxing classes in Georgia. After finally being convinced to become a certified instructor she began teaching group classes in 2018 in Texas. Fast forward 5 years and 12K miles and Meg is excited to start a new chapter here in South Carolina at Barre Nation!

When Meg isn’t at the barre she loves spending time with her husband and daughter at the beach or by the pool. She also loves to sneak away and read. In her words “From the moment I walked into the doors (at Barre Nation), nervous about trying barre, I felt welcomed, not judged and challenged. I’m excited to bring that same feeling into my class, encouraging each member to find strength within themselves. Strength that maybe they didn’t know they had!”

Emily resides in Summerville, SC with her husband, 5 kids and 2 dogs. When she is not at the barre you can find her at one of her children’s sporting events or on the beach with her family. Emily’s love for barre began in 2017. “ I took my first barre class and never looked back. I fell in love with it immediately.” She now holds many certifications including her NASM CPT and AFAA group fitness certification. Emily finds freedom in moving with the music and loves sharing her passion for movement in her classes.