Xtend Barre's founder, Andrea Rogers, has traveled the world as a professional dancer, sharing the stage with celebrities such as Enrique Iglesias and Aaron Carter along the way. Once she slowed her pace a bit, a second career path emerged: fitness instruction. As a certified Pilates teacher, she witnessed how focused, floor-based isometrics could sculpt muscles as long and flexible as a dachshund doing a gymnastics routine. However, these exercises didn't always raise the heart rate enough to provide a cardiovascular workout. Disappointed, she began to experiment. Lo and behold, when the moves were flipped upright, she could pair them with dance elements, which solved the heart-rate problem and added a dose of excitement. Barre exercises from her ballet training became a staple of the routine, helping to stretch and strengthen the body from the inside out. In addition to burning calories and enhancing coordination, the music-fueled workouts can be tailored to suit new exercisers, injured athletes, and moms-to-be.