Sophie always regretted not pursuing a career in dance after studying it at college, and instead found herself in the advertising industry for 10 years working at DDB London, one of the UK’s greatest agencies.

After becoming a single mother, she decided to retrain as a Pilates teacher and whilst believing in the benefits, she didn’t feel creatively fulfilled. Sophie had practiced The Lotte Berk Technique since her teens, having discovered a VHS of it at a car-boot sale. She loved how it combined elements of contemporary dance with sexy fitness moves. When she discovered ‘barre’ at Barreworks (the UK’s first boutique barre studio) in Richmond, which had its roots in Lotte, Sophie got in touch, trained with them and earned her stripes teaching there for 2 years.

Sophie had found her calling. She forged her own style and created Disco Barre™, taking influence from Lotte Berk and her own dance training and mixed it with her passion for house music and disco and the underground warehouse party scene in East London. The idea started as a pre party detox or party alternative. Originally only on a Friday night at Barbers Gym, Dalston. They made the coolest barres out of scaffolding and despite receiving a fair bit of press, it was proper underground. Hardly anyone in East London had heard of barre workouts, so it was very rewarding to introduce the burn to a new audience.

Just before opening Disco Barre™ Studio at The Factory, Sophie trained in the original version of The Lotte Berk Technique with Esther Fairfax, Lotte’s daughter and is now the UK Master Trainer.