The Sydney Pilates Studio Reviving Jane Fonda’s Iconic ’80s Workout

It’s 1982. You’re sporting a perm and acid-wash jeans, and probably worshipping Jane Fonda. By now, the actress has been nominated for seven Academy Awards, her high-profile love affairs make front page, and she’s a staunch equal rights and environmental activist. Plus, she just landed Jane Fonda’s Workout Book (based on training with instructor Leni Cazden) on the New York Times bestseller list, where it’ll sit for two years. Fonda is the moment.

Enter Jane Fonda’s Workout on VHS. Donning a leotard and leg-warmers, the star led viewers through low-impact aerobics backed by ’80s synth-pop. It was a phenomenon. The two-dozen tapes which followed sold more than 17 million copies, and that lycra-leg-warmer combo defined ’80s fashion. It was decidedly feminist, too. Jane Fonda’s Workout made space for feminised fitness in an industry dominated by gym-bros. As Fonda told W Magazine: “Back in the fifties and sixties, women weren’t supposed to be fit. They weren’t supposed to have muscles, they weren’t supposed to sweat.” But with her tapes, women could bop around from the safety of home, sweating to their heart’s content.

Fonda was ahead of her time, preceding today’s Insta workouts and Tiktok fit-fluencers. And a lot of her moves are still popular – think of those tiny, hell-ish arm circles and kneeling leg raises which set your glutes alight. The tapes (now available to stream) had a second wind during Covid, and that’s when a pair of Sydney ex-ballerinas saw an opportunity.

Nicole Clarke Mitchell and Sascha Orlievsky, old friends who met teaching ballet, are the founders of Sydney Pilates studio House of Sculpt, and they’re passionate about playful exercise. Dance is a big part of the offering. “We incorporate beat-led movements, and a lot of our clients say their inner child feels nourished in our classes,” says Mitchell. House of Sculpt originally operated from Tamarama Surf Club, but when Sydney’s second lockdown hit, the studio moved online – at first with Zoom classes, before the pair created an app with seven class styles, from 10 to 60 minutes long. The most-watched class on the platform? Fonda Arms, a short aerobics-style burner. “We were like, this seven-minute class is skyrocketing, what is going on?” So, they leaned in.

Post-Covid, House of Sculpt remains online with the addition of a chic studio at Bondi Pavilion, where it runs a series of Pilates classes and a Fonda Friday class on the last Friday of every month. “[Fonda] makes movement joyful, and that makes it sustainable. It’s something she’s been advocating for a long time, and it really rings true for us.”

And on August 29, Broadsheet Access members are invited to a Fonda Friday class at the studio. Expect an “epic” retro playlist by DJ Peyton Cole and a blend of aerobics and traditional Pilates. There’s even the option to join the founders and dress on-theme. “Sascha is amazing at it, she always has a sick, retro Fonda outfit. I wore a little soccer outfit last time,” says Mitchell. There’ll be additional perks on the day too, like prizes on a few lucky mats, freebies to take home and post-sweat matcha and coffee from Glory Days.

Do like Fonda and join Broadsheet Access today, before your mat at House of Sculpt’s Fonda Friday is gone. It’s only $12 a month.