The Dailey Method

Discovered Dailey method through classpass and fell in LOVE with the spin + barre class! I always feel like I’m getting a fantastic full body workout. This studio would be good for a full time membership… I think it’s nice to offer two specialty classes. You don’t have to pick just barre or spin.

After hitting all of the classes they offer here, I feel good about writing an accurate and fair review on The Dailey Method.
After making the short trek up to the studio (you have to climb 3 flights of stairs) you are already warmed up for class. These stairs are narrow, so be sure to be courteous of other clients in the building. The Dailey Method gives you a bit of encouragement while making the way to class with signs saying, «consider this your warm up» or «you’re almost there». These signs are cute and help you know the climb is almost over! If you have to hike up multiple flights to get to the studio this is the way to do it.
Spin– great work out! It’s pretty tight. The bikes are literally on top of each other and it’s a squeeze if you like sitting anywhere other than the front row. The bikes are on an elevated platform while the instructor is on the studio floor in front of you. With the space The Dailey Method is working with this is really the only way it would work. I like sitting in the front, so I can always see the instructor. This class is a killer workout. I’ve taken class with both Lynette and Molly. Lynette gives you more of a technical break down before class and throughout the cycle. If you are new to spin, I would suggest Lynette’s class. Molly’s class was really motivating and her playlist was amazing!
Barre– There are two barre studios. One is where the spin takes place and then the other is right up the hallway. They do a wonderful job at accommodating mats and people into each studio.
THE BARRE WORKOUT– It’s very similar to a Pure Barre class. They do tucks, abs against the wall/​mirror while you are sitting under the barre on the mat. There is a lot of stretching between sets which is amazing. I wish they gave you more suggestions for the less flexible, or more modifications for people who aren’t that advanced. Each time I’ve been here for Barre the instructor never offers a modification, but because I’m a seasoned Barre Babe, I know what I can do and what won’t work for me, so I give myself modifications based on my other classes and routines.
The Dailey Cycle (Spin/​Barre Class) — I was beyond excited about this class. A killer cardio workout paired with some abs, arms and a butt work out… sign me up! As suspected the spin was great and a killer cardio work out, but the barre portion of the class was a little disappointing. It was more stretching out after being on the bike, paired with a few minutes of ab work and then a few sets of arms before you stretched out again. I was expecting more than just stretching. Again during this barre portion, even in the stretches there was no mentions of modifications.
There are amazing bathrooms and there are showering facilities here, too! I *believe* there is also a sauna for you to sweat out and detox after a long workout! I’m happy there is an awesome studio so close to my house. I am excited about The Dailey Method and I will continue to take classes here because the instructors are friendly and perky and you feel awesome when you walk out the door!
Oh and a huge plus, if you need childcare, they offer it for $ 5 while you’re in class!

New to the Dailey method, I’ve been incorporating it into my routine since late December. I typically fit in Dailey cycle a couple times a week and Dailey barre once a week or every other week. I could tell within the first month that my core strength and posture had improved. Dailey cycle has been a refreshing change of cardio workout and I had not been running as consistently as I used to. Despite this, I ran a 10k race in early March at my fastest pace in over 4 years! I was under 30 seconds from my 10k personal record. I am sure this is thanks to the strength, cardio conditioning and flexibility I’ve built from the Dailey method and look forward to seeing how stronger and faster I keep getting!

Class Review: I have always had a great experience at The Dailey Method on U Street. Everyone I’ve met at the front desk has been welcoming and Megan is an awesome instructor! She does the moves along with you so you can always see what the proper form looks like and she gives helpful modifications and corrections as needed. Her playlists always fun and seem to fit the mood of the class. I’ve been to a 90s pop themed class which was a lot of fun and in the early morning classes she manages to find music that makes you glad you woke up early to sweat it out. Full disclosure I have never have Lynette but other Unilocalers have and seem to enjoy her classes as well.
Studio Review: Yes its up 3 flights of stairs but they remind you on the way that this is all part of the workout ;). The studio itself if is full of natural light, some cute touches and there are two rooms for barre. The rooms are relatively small but I think that is actually a plus because the classes seem to be capped at around 10 people so you get a lot of individual attention. Also the mats are already laid out next to the barre so no need to do a mad dash to find a place on the barre after the warm up. There are no locking lockers, just cubbies outside of the room but they are visible from the front desk so that made them feel safer to me than other studios if that makes any sense? They also have a ladder that you can climb up and hang from to stretch yourself out on after class. I haven’t seem this at any other studios so its definitely a nice touch.
The only con is that the studio is somewhat difficult to find to definitely come early in order to find the door! Its right past Ben’s Chili Bowl and across the street from the U Street metro stop. It took me once up and down the street to find it the first time. However, this con is so small that it doesn’t effect my overall rating of the studio.
TL;DR I think this is a great studio! The workouts are fun, the music is good, I always leave feeling like I pushed myself, and everyone who works there has been super helpful and seems to really care about their students!

I’m so glad I tried this place out! I found this studio via ClassPass. I am a huge barre fanatic and TDM was definitely one of my favorites.
The music was modern and motivating. I can’t remember the last time I had this much fun in a barre class. TDM definitely grasped my attention. I appreciated the small isometric movements. TDM has a good combo of cardio & ballet like moves for toning and achieving a long and lean body.
The front desk was very friendly and the studio was inviting and lofty looking. I had such a positive experience and Megan was a great instructor.
As great as this place is there are a few negatives. The front studio (the one facing the metro) is super small. It was hard to move during warm up and got tight during fold over. I ended up tapping toes with the person on the barre across from me. I also did not see any lockers (only cubbies) which make me nervous, especially on a busy street in DC.
All in all I loved the workout & I will definitely be back for more!

The U Street location opened Nov 30, 2015 and I just recently had a chance to try their Dailey Barre class. The studio itself is located up 3 flights up a very narrow staircase. As you ascend there are signs posted reminding you that walking stairs burns calories! (Great reminder that we are here to workout and not complain!)
Prior to writing this review I wanted to ensure I understood the The Dailey Method (TDM) philosophy as each of the barre classes I’ve attended has differed greatly in routine and I knew TDM would be no exception. Upfront, TDM Barre is low-​impact and non-​aerobic with a strict focus on form and alignment. TDM Barre is a full body workout using body weight and hand weights. TDM differs from Barre3 and Pure Barre as these two will do a more dynamic warm-​up and introduce cardio (aerobic) work during the routine (think high intensity interval training with short bursts of rapid movement followed by and an active rest).
Once you reach the studio and open the door you enter in the reception area which is very spacious with high ceillings. I loved the amount of natural light that entered the studio as well as the clean style décor. Like many «boutique» fitness centers, TDM reception area has a ‘for sale’ clothing section, cupboards for shoes and bags and hooks for jackets. The studio itself serves double duty with cycles on the left side of the studio and a cork floor/​wood ballet barre on the right of the studio. Based on the schedule, I believe only one class is held at a time (either cycle or barre). Lynette taught my class and she was very dedicated to ensuring we had the proper posture and alignment. She had a great way of walking through «how to» get into the pose that included reference to which muscle group we should feel for each movement. There were a couple times she’d actually slightly move my foot to ensure I had the very best alignment (or most effective position). The proof is always 1 – 2 days later and whether or not you feel the soreness — I did (especially in my side butt/​glute). While onsite, I also experience the shaking that occurs once you burn out your major muscle group.
The studio had a nice sunlit area with a «ladder like» object affixed to the wall in front of the sunniest window. I also saw room for another «studio» or maybe a play area for children. (It looks like there is room to expand out to more classes as the demand increases.) The bathrooms look clean and spacious.
TDM is for all ages, all fitness levels and when combined with proper clean eating I could see it work for many people who want to tone up. I could see this as a the perfect rehabilitation, pregnancy or post-​pregnancy workout as well. The geographic area has plenty of local Crossfit «boxes» as well as running groups that can augment this type of workout as desired for a more aerobic approach if you are looking for a more serious caloric deficit. For me, it was nice to take the time to ensure I had proper form and each limb moves balanced and independently. So many of us who go aggressively to Crossfit or running forget form matters. Life is all about balance and I do feel there is a space for TDM.

I signed up for the $ 99 unlimited 4-​week intro package and have been going to the barre classes and a few cycle classes.
I’m a fan of the barre classes. Crysten and Lynette are great instructors and you definitely work hard (if you are looking for a glute and thigh workout, this is place). The movements are manageable and small, but the reps really get you to sweat and use muscles you didn’t know you had. They’re really big on form and making sure you don’t hurt yourself, which I appreciate. I typically cycle at another gym and the barre classes are a good complement to stretch and strengthen your whole body.
I went in expecting more of a ballet vibe, but it’s pretty chill and accessible. Lots of levels and body types and very low-​key. The best part is the music — high energy, contemporary music to keep you on pace and motivated.
I’m not as into the cycle classes. The space for cycle is adequate, but a little cramped. A big plus for them though is that some cycle classes include a 10 to 15 minute guided cool-​down in the barre space, which is like a mini core and stretch class in addition to your cycle class.
All the instructors and front desk staff have been uniformly nice, which matters a lot to me. The space is also pretty inviting. Extra points for having showers so you can go to an early morning class and straight to work after.

The Dailey Method opened recently on U St and I was able to try out a free barre class one Saturday morning. After getting a little pre-​class workout walking up the three flights of stairs, I got to the studio. I peeked in the spin class and it looked pretty small– nowhere near the size of Flywheel or SoulCycle. I also mentally noted you can wear regular gym shoes (no clip shoes needed).
If you’re headed to the barre class they require socks. And if it’s your first time I would recommend picking a mat in front of the mirror so you can watch your form and see the instructor without turning around. As the class filled up, we picked a mat and grabbed 2 or 3 lb weights. I’ve taken barre classes at a bunch of other studios in DC so I had a pretty good idea of what to expect. The Dailey Method focuses on performing exercises in neutral spine, so you won’t spend the entire class «tucked» like some other studios. The instructor really focused on form and had another teacher help her walk around to correct alignment which was helpful. I was kind of sweaty because the room was humid, but I didn’t find the class really challenging. I did feel like my posture was better afterward.
I overheard some people talking about how the studio will offer child care, which I don’t think many (or any?) studios do. I think that could be a big selling point to parents in the area. I would add this class to my fitness rotation once in a while, but I wasn’t dying to buy an unlimited pass or anything. I believe they have a $ 100 first month unlimited promotion currently.

The franchise just opened its first location in the DMV! A fitness brand courtesy of SF, the studio offers both spinning and barre classes with strong emphasis on alignment and form. Its prime location also offers plenty of post workout noshing options. This opening weekend means free classes to try out!