Meet Rachel English | Founder & Instructor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rachel English and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rachel, why did you pursue a creative career?
For as long as I can remember dancing and movement have remained a pillar of joy and stability in my life. I began my training at the very young age of 3, though my motivation at that age was to wear pink and be on stage. As I grew up, my reasons for spending my days in the studio evolved. I became fascinated by the technique of ballet and how alignment and anatomy play such a crucial role in the success of the movement. Some of my greatest successes during my career happened while training or being coached for a role in the studio, not while I was performing on stage. While I never lost my love of performing or putting on a sparkling tutu, I began to crave the feeling of finding a new muscle or achieving a new skill with a simple tweak in alignment. When I left the performing world of ballet at 24, I knew I did not want to lose that relationship I had spent most of my life cultivating, but instead it was time to evolve. I began working on The English Method as a way to stay connected to dance and fulfill that craving. Raising Your Barre has been a way for me to share my love for movement and the science behind it with people who maybe have not yet found that deep connection to their bodies.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
When I started The English Method, it really was just a practice for myself. Having spent so many hours of the day moving, I wanted to find a way to stay active after retiring from ballet. To be quite frank, I hate to run and have found many other exercise classes to be a bit boring or just not what my body craves. During the pandemic, I started to offer classes to my friends online and the response was overwhelmingly positive. I opened Raising Your Barre first by only offering private sessions and evolved into the group classes that I offer today. I think the hardest part of this experience so far has been having the patience to let it grow organically and trusting in that process. The reward is so worth it though, I couldn’t be more proud of my clients and grateful for their continued support.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Atlanta really is a city like no other, everyone has their own unique version of Atlanta. Personally, I love live music, so I would probably start with dinner at Muchacho and a concert at The Eastern. Saturday would start with class at Raising Your Barre, followed by a walk on the belt line to grab a quick lunch at Ponce City Market. I love an afternoon nap in Grant Park under the shade or maybe a quick game of pickle ball. For dinner, I would definitely head to Del Bar for delicious drinks and some of the best food I have ever had. There is always a cool event going on at Memento, so I would finish out the night there immersed in art, music, and great company. While brunch has become a bit of a controversial meal, I am still a fan especially when entertaining a guest. Bread and Butterfly will always be my go to spot for good coffee, pastries, and sometimes even a French 75.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
First and foremost and always, my mom, Cynthia Graubart, has been my biggest supporter and inspiration through my life and career. As a business owner and award-winning food writer, I have had the privilege of watching and learning from her since she took her big leap of faith into entrepreneurship when I was nine years old. I also have such deep gratitude for all of my trainers and teachers throughout my career, each one has given me nuggets of knowledge that I use daily in both work and my life. One teacher that I owe a huge amount of gratitude to is Maniya Barredo from Metropolitan Ballet Theatre in Alpharetta, Ga. So much of my core training occurred under her guidance and I would not know half of what I know now had it not been for her teachings.

Website: http://raisingyourbarre.com

Instagram: @raisingyourbarre

Facebook: Facebook.com/raisingyourbarre

Other: https://goteamup.com/w5681516/p/5681516-raising-your-barre/memberships/