Our Instructors

Instructor

My love and appreciation for movement started at a young age and I went on to study a 3 year Dance Diploma at UCT. After teaching for a while, I decided to broaden my fitness and anatomical knowledge by doing my Personal Fitness Trainer Diploma (ETA) at the Sports Science Institute. It was while working in the UK’s corporate health facilities that I was introduced to Pilates.

On returning to SA in 2004, I completed my full Pilates qualification with Equilibrium and have been teaching group and private sessions ever since. My clients vary greatly from professional athletes, to those needing rehabilitation. I have first-hand knowledge of Pilates through pregnancy and enjoy teaching a ‘seniors’ class to the more ‘mature’ clients.

I’ve continued my education through many courses, workshops and conferences by BASI, STOTT and other educators. My recently obtained qualification as a B3 practitioner, compliments my Pilates holistically with its myofascial and trigger point release techniques.

My varied background in movement  along with the anatomical background gained through the years, allows me to better understand how precision of movement and correct implementation thereof, is the key to my clients achieving their goals.

Co-Founder of Studio54

My relationship with Pilates started in 2002 when I became a client of Reform Studios in Port Elizabeth. Coming from a corporate background I had no inclination of entering the Health and Fitness industry but my love for Pilates was instant and in 2003 I started training as an Instructor.

In 2004 I achieved my certification through STOTT Pilates, also completing their ISP Course which enables me to work in a rehabilitative capacity as well as with pre- and post-pregnancy women. I have also completed the STOTT Zenga course, which focuses on myofascial release work. My own back injury has given me an invaluable insight and understanding into body mechanics and the importance of neuro-muscular rebalancing.

I’m very passionate about rehabilitation and the body’s ability to heal itself and watching clients transform, through this amazing technique of Pilates, is one of the greatest rewards I have experienced, not just professionally but also personally.

My teaching style is focused and technical and as much as I love the slow steady pace of rehabilitation work, I also love the complexity and faster pace of advanced clients. I continue my Pilates Education through STOTT Pilates, under the expertise of Lisa Palmer.

Co-Founder of Studio54

I originally trained as a professional ballroom dancer from an early age and subsequently used my practical experience as an opportunity to teach dance for the following 9 years. My love and passion for movement and an active lifestyle has been a priority since then. It was the relocation to South Africa, which offered me a new avenue in Pilates.

Inspired by the great amount of benefits of Pilates practice in overall body mechanics, I decided to further my teaching career to become a comprehensive BASI Pilates instructor under the mentorship of Ed Botha.

In order to further my education I have taken various workshops / certification courses such as: BASI Mentor Program, Pilates for Rehabilitation, Anatomy of Movement, Pilates For Men, Myofascial Release by signal pulse technique, as well as attended international conferences e.g. Learning From The Leaders.

Having worked with a diversity of injuries, I enjoy seeing the development and improvement in my clients through Pilates. I take a very hands on approach to teaching and desire to make a positive impact on each client by integrating healthy movement into their everyday lives.

In every session my clients will receive a rigorous but safe work-out with a personal and nurturing touch. I aim to leave you excited to develop your knowledge of this profoundly transformational practice.

Co-Founder of Studio54

It was my teenage love of sport and passion for movement that led me to pursue a career in physiotherapy. After graduating with honours from Bradford School of Physiotherapy in 1995, I went on to work in the British NHS for 5 years specializing in musculoskeletal injuries. Later, in the private sector, I worked in rehabilitation facilities whilst completing my Muscle Imbalance training under Mark Comerford in 1998.

Guided by my other passion, travel, I arrived in Cape Town in 1999 and fell in love with South Africa. I’ve been here ever since.  In 2001 I trained as a Pilates instructor and went on to complete the internationally recognized BASI comprehensive training under the mentorship of Ed Botha.

I love the challenge of rehabilitation, taking a special interest in muscle imbalance and myofascial release. I combine my hands on Physiotherapy approach with my pilates training to maximise function in my client’s chosen activities, be they competitive sport or daily life.

It is my genuine belief that a healthy lifestyle is best achieved through a holistic approach to physical and emotional wellbeing. I am committed to constantly striving to achieve that balance, not just in my own life, but in the lives of those with whom I work.

Pilates Instructor

After a basic ETA course through the Sports Science Centre in Cape Town, I qualified in full and comprehensive mat and Reformer, through BASI, in 1999. I went on to further study mat and Reformer with an international certification in 2005 through Body Control.

I am passionate about mind-body connections!

I have done various yoga, Feldenkrais and meditation courses as well as more comprehensive anatomy courses with Physiotherapist Jacqui Koop and B3 trigger point release with Simone Sittig, to enhance and deepen my experience of our wonderful human bodies and minds.

I love people and I love teaching!!!

Pilates Instructor

I am a Pilates and Yoga teacher specializing in injury and perinatal rehabilitation.

I have been teaching movement for the past 12 years, both in studios and on retreats in the UK, Europe, America and Africa. Alongside my teacher training, I have studied anatomy, rehabilitation, perinatal exercise, fascial release, breathwork, lymphatic drainage and meditation to cultivate my offering which focuses on developing a healthier relationship with our bodies. I am also a doula, workshop presenter, teacher trainer, retreat host, and am currently studying to be a Health Coach.

I look forward to working together with my clients to gain the most out of their bodies and their lives.

Pilates Instructor

Movement has always been a part of my life. Ballet and dance, lifelong passions. In 2012, I discovered an exercise modality, Barre, which is a fusion of ballet, Pilates and yoga, choreographed to a strong beat. I loved it instantly. So much so that a few years later, after I had retired from an incredible corporate job, I went to New York to study at the feet of my Barre gurus, Fred De Vito and Elisabeth Halfpapp and I was certified by Exhale to teach Barre.

With the intention of deepening my Barre practice, I enrolled in STOTT Pilates classes with Lisa Palmer at The Movement Lab and was immediately hooked by the enduring Pilates principles of control and precision. Before long I had signed up for various certification courses and workshops such as STOTT Pilates Intensive Mat & Reformer courses, Injuries & Special Populations (ISP), Zenga Instructor Foundation course (inspired by yoga, taichi, Pilates and dance), Total Barre Instructor Foundation course, Anatomy Review workshop and many more. I love learning about anatomy, how the body works, movement patterns and am inspired to share my knowledge with others. It brings me immense pleasure to guide people in their quest to get stronger and find joy in movement in a safe, fun but challenging setting.

In my second career, I’m having the time of my life!

Pilates Instructor

My interest in wellbeing started with the mind, which led me to a major in Psychology and minor in Applied Behavioural Science at the University of Kansas. I recognized wellness has many facets and the health of both the mind + body have great importance, and in-fact go hand-in-hand. Being a participant and lover of movement I decided to journey into the body through Pilates and became a comprehensive BASI Pilates instructor in 2017. I learned and continue to learn the magnificent way each individual body moves through this modality. Through Pilates one is able to strengthen, lengthen, mobilize, rehabilitate, and understand the way their specific body moves.

As an instructor I value helping people connect to themselves and their bodies. I like to bring balance, hard work and passion into the session giving clients a time and space to be present, grow and give to themselves. I approach my practice with both knowledge and intuition, as they both have their own incredible superpowers.

In addition to Psychology and Pilates, I am also a Body Stress Release practitioner. Through BSR, I help the body release and let go of stored tension. I have found the combination of these practices to be a great holistic approach to my clients and thoroughly enjoy helping them in their overall wellbeing.

Pilates Instructor

My passion for dance and movement started at the age of 7 gaining experience in the styles of ballet, modern, jazz, and contemporary dance. I studied dance as a school subject which included learning about human anatomy and movement also incorporating Pilates theory and practice . After school I spent a year working at a local gym, after which I completed my BASI Pilates Comprehensive Certification in 2012 through Theo Botha.

Teaching at various studios over the following years I have not looked back and Theo has remained my mentor. She has taught me about rehabilitation and fascial movement, skills that I continue to incorporate with great success in my classes. I have also completed a course focusing on shoulder rehabilitation and have helped numerous clients with post-op recovery and injuries.

My biggest reward is that I get to see my clients starting to enjoy life because of what Pilates can do and has done in their lives. Moving more freely, without pain, my clients’ journeys are what motivate me and my journal is full of stories of personal growth and life changes in my clients. I will keep writing these tales down as they occur, one class at a time.