A CHOREOGRAPHER who has worked in Los Angeles for the past decade is helping to introduce a new dance phenomenon to the North-East.

Natalie Catlah has returned to her native Newcastle and is specialising in The Barre, which is the latest craze in the US and is favoured by celebrities such as the Pussycat Dolls.

She has set up her first studio in her home city, and hopes it can be rolled out throughout the North-East and beyond.

The Barre, which uses a ballet barre to provide strength and resistance training, was adopted by Ms Catlah after injuries prevented her from dancing while in LA, where she worked for ten years as a dancer, choreographer and Pilates instructor.

Now, having returned to the North-East, 31-year-old Ms Catlah has joined her mother, Maria, and family friend Eileen Richardson, to invest in a specially-designed studio below Newcastle’s Central Station.

Ms Catlah said: “In LA, maintaining a healthy lifestyle through exercise is a natural part of your daily routine, but in the UK it’s often viewed as something of an irritation to have to fit in a visit to the gym at the end of a long day.

“I wanted The Barre to be the exact antithesis of the traditional gym experience, but with better results. Rather than using lots of expensive equipment to maintain strength and tone, I use my dance and choreography background to create a workout with elements of Pilates, dance and resistance training delivered in a specialist studio.

“We are hoping to roll out a network of Barre workout studios into other areas across the North-East and in to cities like Leeds and Edinburgh.

“Until then we are concentrating our efforts in Newcastle, where we are confident there will be an ever-growing demand for our unique offering.”