Who We Are
Pulse Barre opened its doors in 2015 when Mechanicsville resident and Barre Instructor Kelly Dearing recognized the need for a studio in the Hanover area. Kelly decided to pursue her dream to open Pulse Barre Studio and now others can pursue their fitness dreams in a supportive and inclusive environment focused on community and positivity.
Meet Our Instructors
Kelly Dearing
Kelly began dancing at the age of 3 and continued throughout high school and college. After college, she began to run but was always looking for an additional challenge. In 2009 she received her ACE Group Fitness certification and began teaching group fitness classes for women. In 2012 she took her first barre class and quickly fell in love with it! Kelly has been teaching Barre classes in the Richmond area since 2013, and has certifications in both Core Barre, PulsePointe Barre, and Balletone. As a Mechanicsville resident, she recognized the need for a studio in the Hanover area, and she decided to pursue her dream to open Pulse Barre Studio. Outside of the studio, Kelly stays busy with her husband and five children.
Madison Pullin
Madison started attending Pulse 2 months after opening because her friend April, another instructor, convinced her to try it. She had never been a fan of public workouts, but the inviting, non-competitive, encouraging environment at Pulse made her so comfortable. And she loved that we worked every muscle group in one class!
Pulse has been her home since the doors opened and she is looking forward to helping it be that for others. She also wants to continue encouraging all the amazing women that already call it their home. Madison is Hanover grown, born and raised here, but loves traveling and and has been blessed with many opportunities to do so. She is the oldest of three, and an esthetician and manager at her mom’s salon, Guys and Dolls Hair Salon. She also has a passion for cooking that lead into a small catering business.
April Wells
April has been teaching Barre since 2014. She started taking Barre classes because she needed cross training for her marathon training. She fell in love with the technique and got certified and hasn’t stopped since. April believes that Barre is such a great and effective workout and loves seeing how it changes people’s bodies and strength. She is a wife and mother of three girls and in her free time enjoys running, reading, and spending time with her family.
Jamee Prewitt
Jamee began taking barre classes at a neighboring studio. She loved the low-impact, high-results Barre offered and how it balanced her workout regimen. She became certified and taught at that studio until it closed. She started coming to Pulse Barre Studio as a client, and soon after was hired on as an instructor. She fell in love with leading the amazing Pulse Barre clients she was used to standing next to during class, and begged to stay on! Luckily, Kelly agreed! Jamee lives in Mechanicsville with her husband Jeremy. She is a literacy coach for Caroline County Public Schools. Jamee enjoys hanging out with Jeremy, reading, and cooking in her free time.
Brenda Cassidy
Despite not enjoying group fitness in the past, Brenda decided to give a barre class a try and instantly was hooked. She received her PulsePointe Barre certification and transitioned from student to instructor in 2017 and has been teaching ever since. She helped create Pulse Barre Online, so she can be found both inside the studio and online on your favorite device! Her true passion is inspiring and motivating others to make healthy changes in their lives. If she’s not teaching in the studio or putting together an online workout to record, she is probably planning the next challenge group she runs or connecting with members of the Pulse community who might need a lift. Brenda lives in Mechanicsville with her husband and two boys.
Blaire Pitcher
Blaire started attending Pulse Barre with the encouragement of a friend. She instantly fell in love with the support, camaraderie, and encouragement set by all the women within the Pulse Barre Studio. Over time, she became physically and mentally stronger and could see incredible results due to the toning and smaller muscles that were being focused on within each exercise. She felt like this was home away from home. The workouts continued to push her strength level and provide her with personal growth and a new healthier way of living. This all led to her pursuing her Barre certification through Barre Above in November 2019. She is so excited to continue to support and provide the Pulse community with the same positivity she has felt the moment she walked through the doors. Blaire lives in Mechanicsville with her husband and 2 daughters. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, going to concerts, and spending time with her friends and family.
Kristi Parker
Kristi grew up dancing competitively and her love for dance grew as she became an adult. She taught dance in MD for several years before moving to Richmond, VA. Her love for fitness came after many complications from pregnancies. She was passionate about wanting to heal her body naturally instead of turning to medicine. She started running and taking barre classes at Pulse Barre Studio for cross training. She quickly fell in love with barre, not only was it beneficial for strength training, but it added the dance element that she had missed so much. Kristi became Barre Above Certified in October of 2019, and started teaching at Pulse in January of 2020. Kristi lives in Hanover with her husband and 4 children. She is thrilled to be a part of the Pulse team and thankful for such a loving community that surrounds her there.
Sarah Ridenhour
Sarah began her dance education at the age of three. She pursued her artistic passions at Shenandoah University where she earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance. Sarah started as a client at Pulse Barre in 2020, became certified through Barre Above in March of 2022 and then transitioned to instructor that following summer. She resides in Mechanicsville with her husband, daughter, and chocolate Labrador. Sarah also choreographs for Kings Dominion and teaches at a local dance studio. She has a passion for movement and loves supporting her Barre community!
Katie Tyler
Katie danced and cheered competitively throughout her younger years but had fallen out of shape after having her son. Desperate to become more active again, she tried her first Barre class at Pulse Barre in 2019 and knew she had found exactly what she was looking for. The effective, beat-driven workouts had her hooked early on, but the incredibly supportive community that Kelly has created at Pulse is what kept her coming back. After another Pulse Instructor encouraged her to consider teaching, she mustered up the courage to approach Kelly about becoming an instructor in the summer of 2023 and was thrilled to be offered the opportunity to do so! Soon thereafter, she became a certified Barre Instructor with Barre Above and began teaching at Pulse at the end of 2023. Katie has lived in Hanover all of her life and resides in the Montpelier/Rockville area. When she’s not at the studio, she's either driving a school bus for Hanover County or helping her husband run their landscape and fence business. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, crafting, fishing, and spending time with her husband, son, and two rescue beagles.
Brandi Bovell
Brandi began practicing yoga in 2009 while she was pregnant with her first child, Steven. Initially, she was like most beginners, seeking a good stretch and workout. However, as she delved deeper into the practice, she discovered something remarkable - a profound sense of calmness in her mind. This realization ignited a deep love for yoga within her. Throughout the years, Brandi continued to practice yoga, even during her pregnancies with her second child, Evangeline, and her third child, Kolton. In 2022, she decided to take her passion to the next level by pursuing teacher training. She completed her training with Yoga Renew and obtained her certification, subsequently registering with Yoga Alliance. When Brandi is not teaching yoga, she channels her passion into her role as a licensed Virginia Realtor, a Licensed Massage Therapist, a Licensed Master Aesthetician, and a Certified Natural Health Practitioner. Join her on the mat for a unique yoga experience.