Cati Jean has studied and taught Floor Barre for decades and is now a Certified Instructor with
The Boris Kniaseff Floor Barre Method by Yasna Stevovich©.
Cati's Floor Barre love story and training:
Cati has studied Floor Barre/Barre au Sol growing up in the South of France and took daily classes in the iconic "Paris Centre" for 5 years in the early 90's with Jacqueline Fynneart, one of the few acknowledged teachers in the world to teach the Boris Kniaseff Method then. Fynneart has taught numerous Ballet Dancers from Canada, the Hamburg Ballet, Zenaida Yanovsky from The Royal Ballet, the legendary Zizi Jeanmaire and Etoiles such as Sylvie Guillem, Manuel Legris and Marie-Claude Pietragalla from The Paris Opera.
While teaching Floor Barre in Los Angeles, Jean dove deeper into the Boris Kniaseff Method with renown Parisian choreographer and mentor, Odile Bastien who studied at la Sorbonne and Art Etude Salle Pleyel with Nina Vyroubova, Étoile/ principal Dancer at Paris Opera, which was Boris Kniaseff’s wife.
In the Summer 2025, Odile introduced Cati to Yasna Stevovitch, which also studied with Nina Vyroubova and Cati absolutely fell in love with her passion for the Kniaseff 's legacy and her methodology.
A week after meeting, Jean was personally invited by Yasna to participate in her first Teacher Intensive Training to represent her method in the US.
Cati is honored to be a Certified Instructor with the Boris Kniaseff Floor Barre Method by Yasna Stevovich© and is looking forward to share its extensive benefits with her students here in Los Angeles and across the globe.
About the Method:
The Boris Kniaseff Floor Barre Method by Yasna Stevovich© is above all the transmission of a heritage: that of the Russian dancer, choreographer and teacher Boris Kniaseff, creator of the classical barre au sol. It is a unique approach created by Yasna Stevovich, combining structured exercises and flowing sequences inspired by classical ballet, fully adapted to floor work. This gentle yet deep method blends strengthening, stretching, and postural alignment, all performed without impact. It enhances flexibility, activates deep muscles, improves posture, and encourages a mindful, respectful connection to the body. This method is based on Boris Kniaseff's four fundamental exercises, which are then supplemented by the sequences and exercises for twisting, abdominal muscles, adages, grands battements, stretching and flexibility devised by Yasna Stevovich. Suitable for all levels, it offers a safe and effective way to build strength, release tension, and develop conscious movement.
Boris Kniaseff:
In the 1950s, Boris Kniaseff, a Russian dancer and choreographer, developed a technique for teaching classical dance, particularly known for the use of the floor barre. It is said that Boris Kniaseff created this floor barre to compensate for the lack of wall bars in the dance studios he used. The Boris Kniaseff method consists of strengthening, stretching and positioning exercises, which are usually performed standing at the barre, and in this case, transposed to the floor. This allows dancers to focus on the accuracy of movements, flexibility, muscle strengthening and posture without being thrown off balance by gravity.
Yasna Stevovich:
It was through meeting and working with Nina Vyroubova, the famous Russian prima ballerina, that Yasna Stevovich discovered the Boris Kniaseff method, which she appreciated for its effectiveness in improving technique and body awareness, while being gentler on the joints. Later, she also met Anne Lepord, an iconic teacher of Boris Kniaseff's floor barre at the Centre du Marais, where Yasna taught after Anne Lepord's tragic death. Yasna Stevovich gradually enriches this method with exercises that improve the dancers' technique while shaping their bodies. She has built a floor barre class inspired by the Boris Kniaseff method and adapted it to the training of professional dancers, but also amateurs, giving birth to the Boris Kniaseff Floor Barre Method by Yasna Stevovich©
Yasna shares with Boris Kniaseff a deep devotion to classical dance which is expressed through her teaching by a commitment and generosity of personalized advice according to the morphology of each dancer.
Stevovitch danced professionally with the English National Ballet, Leipzig, Maurice Bejart and the Grand theatre de Geneva.
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Cati Jean teaches weekly at Studio A in Los Feliz @ 2306 Hyperion Ave. Los Angeles 90027
Tuesday:
Intermediate Floor Barre: 10-11: 25 am
Friday:
Beginning Floor Barre: 10-11:20 am
You can book your classes online through: https://app.arketa.co/catijean
Or, come directly and pay through Cash, PayPal, Zelle, Venmo, Apple Pay or Check.
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Reviews:
I met Cati on Instagram and she was the most amazing discovery I could have this year. As a lover of Barre au Sol I studied many years in Paris but have never seen a class so fluid and potentially strong in exercises. Cati is sweet and tender, a beautiful teacher that creates the best combinations.
I am from Brasil and I am lucky to have found this beautiful woman. And as she teaches me I just relax at the same time I profoundly work my muscles, my turn out and improve my technique with the highest level teacher!
Marina Droghetti (Professional dancer, Barre au sol teacher- Brazil)
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"Cati’s floor barre is the perfect class for conditioning and strengthening long lean muscles. Working on the floor keeps you safe - and honest, you’ll discover muscles you never knew you had! I always feel so released afterwards, and I love taking ballet class straight away - I get more out of my training. Highly recommended for all abilities!"
Ashleigh Wilson-Clarke ( Professional dancer - South Africa)
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Cati's barre au sol classes are both a true delight and a fantastic challenge. Cati is one of those vanishingly rare teachers who infuses all of her instruction with a spirit of generosity and joyful artistry: learning from her is invariably a pleasure. At the same time, she knows how to inspire and motivate her students to work better and harder, all while remaining attuned to and respectful of the needs of their own bodies at any given moment. Her floor barre class has allowed me to refine my turn-out and the precision of my movements-- thereby improving my dancing-- but has also provided a space for me to be in the moment and in my body without fear, anxiety, or worry about the future-- to grow through her instruction and through her technique. This would be a gift at any time, but is a real blessing-- a word I do not use lightly-- during our global pandemic.
Natania Meeker (Associate Professor of French and Comparative Literature at USC, Writer, Ballet Dancer - Los Angeles)
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"Floor Barre Ballet training is not only an essential component for developing ballet technique but it is also extremely important for rehabilitation after injury. Taking the element of gravity out of the equation and adding the enforced alignment of the floor allows the dancer to neuro muscularly break down and train elements of technique and form that no other format can match. As a warm up to a full ballet class, Floor Barre is the ultimate, as a stand alone workout, Floor Barre is as thoroughly exhausting and comprehensive as any mat class. As a challenge for range of motion, flexibility, and mobility Floor Barre is a great addition to any athlete’s rehab and prehab practice. Most of all, learning to move your body with grace and strength without having to worry about falling down as you try something new, and under the careful supervision of a trained ballet dancer ... well it will floor you. Yep....I said it. Because it’s true. Only one class will prove it. Get on the floor and dance!"
Shana Blake Hill ( Opera singer, Ballet Dancer, Medical massage therapist - Los Angeles)
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"Cati's Classical Barre au sol is a class every dancer should take. Regardless of their level of experience. It does wonders to the body, mind and spirit. The constant contact with the floor while executing the exercises helps one to increase the awarness of the alignment of the spine and full body and at the same time it's soothing for the mind and spirit. It is precise, wise and mindful.
I've been taking the class regulary twice a week for one year and I can feel its short and long term benefits. My Ballet turn out is improving, I am getting much more stronger on my feet, legs, back and core, and my awarness of the movements and my breathing while dancing has increased a lot. And, On a daily basis, after each class I feel uplifted, happy and very warm up and ready for the day. And if I have a ballet class afterwars, Floor Barre is the perfect class to warm you up.
Barre au sol should be a must in every morning routine of a dancer, amateur or professional. It feels so good! And the benefits are multiple!! Cati is so knowledgeble, fun and caring that makes everyone feel unique and its best. Cati also has the strength of being able to costumise the class to meet the needs of the dancer, specially to prevent or recover from injuries."
Marta Moix-Blanch (Ballet dancer - Spain)
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"I love how barre au sol allows my body to explore greater mobility while staying perfectly aligned. The floor, along with Cati's precise cues, ensures that I really feel the movements and that my sleepier muscles pull their weight. Best of all, my entire body feels so juicy and yummy for the rest of the day—almost like a massage!"
Haley Boone (Ballet dancer - Los Angeles)
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"Taking class with Cati is such a gift. She is such a beautiful dancer, an even more graceful teacher, and all of her classes are infused through and through with her kind, warm and thoughtful presence. There is nothing to compare Cati’s barre au sol class to; there’s a real sense of community and her inviting and positive demeanor erases any sense of distance that comes with taking an online exercise class (doesn’t hurt that her knowledge of the body and classical ballet technique is unparalleled).Her virtual classes have kept me feeling stretched, strong, and grounded and have been a LIFESAVER during this time. You leave a class with Cati energized, refreshed and just feeling SO GOOD. Floor barre is a perfect compliment to all types of movement, but it is A MUST for dancers. After just one class, I felt my turnout improved ten-fold, and I’ve only continued to gain more control and strength in my hips and legs. Cati’s barre au sol class will completely transform your body. And occasionally, you’ll even get a visit from one of her very cute kitties— who doesn’t love ballet class with cats?
Agathe Panaretos (Writer and Ballet dancer - Los Angeles)