AdOpenings · St. Pete
Rare Body Studio brings its third home to St. Petersburg this September
Founded in New York City in 2018, Colette Delangre's Pilates studio has earned a Best of the Bay win and a devoted Tampa Bay following, and it is still growing.
By Jack Croy
· 2 min read
When Colette Delangre founded Rare Body in New York City in 2018, the premise was simple and quietly radical: a Pilates studio where clients felt genuinely known. Eight years later, that premise has carried her from Manhattan to the Gulf Coast, through studios in St. Petersburg and South Tampa, and into September 2026, when a third location prepares to open its doors at 290 Dr. MLK St. N in St. Pete: Tampa Bay's first and only group cadillac, chair, and cafe fusion studio.
A vision carried south
Rare Body began in New York City with a conviction that the fitness industry was leaving something essential on the table. Traditional studio models, however efficient, rarely made room for the kind of genuine attention and personal connection that keep people committed to movement long-term. Colette Delangre set out to build something different from the start.
When she relocated to St. Petersburg, she brought that vision with her intact. The name Rare Body reflects a core belief: no two bodies, stories, or movement journeys are the same, and a studio worth its salt should not ask clients to conform to a single standard. Be Rare, Be You became not just a phrase but the animating principle behind every class, every instruction cue, and every relationship built at the front desk.
What the third studio introduces
The September 2026 opening marks Rare Body's third location and its most ambitious format yet. While the existing St. Petersburg and South Tampa studios have offered private and group reformer and mat Pilates, the new space introduces something the area has not had before: group cadillac, chair, and cafe fusion classes, making it the first and only studio of its kind in Tampa Bay and St. Petersburg. Sessions on the cadillac and chair apparatus are capped at seven clients, kept intentionally small so instructors can offer the personal guidance the format was built around.
The schedule is built to meet clients across a wide range of experience and need. Beginner sessions sit alongside advanced programming. Prenatal and postnatal classes are offered alongside themed experiences and all-levels formats. Whether someone is preparing for their first reformer class or deepening a practice they have maintained for years, the programming is designed to grow with them.
In partnership with DRINK LX, the space will also serve coffee, matcha, smoothies, cocktails, and small bites, so guests can settle in before class or stay awhile after it ends. The pairing turns the studio into as much a gathering place as a place to train.
Recognition and roots in the community
Rare Body earned a Best of the Bay award in 2025 and received a nomination again in 2026, recognition that reflects the loyalty the studio has cultivated since arriving in Florida. That community extends well beyond the studio walls. Every month, Rare Body hosts free mat classes at the St. Pete Pier and at Armature Works in Tampa, bringing its approach to movement into shared public spaces at no cost.
The studio also hosts private parties, events, and pop-ups throughout the year, with first-time clients welcomed with dedicated introductory offers. For scheduling and event updates, therarebodystudio.com and Instagram at @rarebodystudio are the primary sources.
