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Newburyport, MA – Residents in Newburyport and surrounding communities will soon be able to enjoy a local Pure Barre studio, opening in the Port Plaza early in the new year. Anne McNamara, who first found Pure Barre five years ago while working as a TV news anchor in Virginia Beach, is the woman behind the new location. When her career took her to Denver, she became a Pure Barre teacher, and in 2017 she opened her first Pure Barre studio location Portsmouth, NH, a studio she co-owns with her mother (a fellow Pure Barre enthusiast).   Pure Barre has been a big part of the barre explosion we’ve seen in recent years. But despite the high-profile status of the company, each franchise is “really just small businesses, run by local folks,” says McNamara, adding that “this isn’t one of those places where you’ll see me on opening weekend and never see me again.” McNamara, originally from Massachusetts, loves Newburyport because the “community is so fitness-minded, we had members traveling to our Portsmouth location from Newburyport to take class every day. When you come here, we promise to know your name — no exceptions,” she explains. To know what Pure Barre is, it helps to know what it isn’t. “Pure Barre isn’t a room full of ballerinas doing perfect motions; it’s a room full of real people working towards better versions of themselves,” says McNamara. Pure Barre offers members three different types of classes: Pure Barre Classic (for toning), Pure Empower (cardio barre), and Pure Reform (Pilates-style resistance training). Pure Barre is safe for all ages and is incredibly effective. “We live in a culture obsessed with counting calories and the number on the scale, but at Pure Barre, the focus is on building your strength inside and out,” McNamara explains. Classes are choreographed to upbeat, fun music, but the mind-body connection is an essential part of each class and helps time go by quickly — before you know it the class has flown by! “If it was up to me, we’d be open yesterday! I am that excited,” says McNamara. Doors will open in early 2019 and while the exact date is to be determined, follow along on social media for construction updates, opening dates, and pre-opening specials.