I’m originally from Nashville, Tennessee, and my interest in Pilates started twenty years ago when I was studying contemporary dance at Middle Tennessee State University. I studied dance as a part of my BSc in Psychology and Sociology and found the mind-body link both fascinating and incredibly helpful for my dance training. Pilates gave me a level of fitness that dance alone could not achieve, and prevented me from getting injured.

Inspired by its results and principles, in 2004 I took a matwork teaching training course in Atlanta, Georgia with Power Pilates. Over the course of several years I juggled a professional career in a reference library while dancing and teaching Pilates part-time. My passion for teaching and learning eventually took over and I decided to take a leap across the pond to expand my education. Keeping dance close to my heart, I chose to enrol in the Pilates teaching training course at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, a contemporary dance school in southeast London.

The training I received at Laban was comprehensive and took a more somatic approach to Pilates. It incorporated the use of equipment and was supplemented by various techniques in bodywork and movement analysis such as Alexander Technique, Feldenkrais and Bartenieff fundamentals. I truly believe that all bodies are unique, and I approach all individuals and classes with that mindset. Pilates emphasises both movement and alignment, and I rely on my understanding both of the human psyche and of anatomy to create a holistic, mind-body approach.

In 2021 when I started to see my clients in person again after the various COVID-19 lockdowns, I noticed more of a need for, and response to, hands-on corrections. The realisation that my clients wanted more touch after being isolated led me to train to give seated chair massages, which I now offer in combination with Pilates. The massage has enabled me to learn about my clients’ bodies in greater depth, which in turn informs their Pilates sessions. And my clients enjoy a relaxing massage while cultivating a better understanding and connection with their bodies.

When I am not teaching, you might find me running, weight lifting, baking (to balance things out!), gardening, reading, and travelling around this lovely country I now call home.