Meet the Team

We employ highly trained and experienced Pilates Practitioners who have all undertaken a fully comprehensive training course on the specialised Pilates equipment. Our team have worked with established training bodies and professional practices from all over the world and we encourage them to continue their training develop their own practice.

We asked our teachers the following questions about their Pilates experience:

What was your first experience in the Pilates Method?
Please tell us a little about your training.
We are sure you love all the repertoire, but if you had to choose just one Pilates move, which is your favorite and why?

Louise Collinson

Whilst training as a contemporary dancer at LABAN, London in 1990, I was introduced to Pilates as a good supporting practice to help avoid common injuries and learn about my body.
I was skeptical at first and wasn’t sure that I connected to the breathing cues and really understood the small movements. My Ballet teacher recommended I tried a session on the Pilates Equipment, got me to stretch my Glutes (bottom muscles) for what seemed like an eternity, it changed the way I stood and was instantly a changed person!

I went on to dance professionally both in the UK and Europe, later returning to Derby to be part of Derby Dance Development (Deda),but continued to practice Pilates to support my body.
Taking a sabbatical in 2002, I undertook my fully comprehensive training in Pilates at the Pilates Institute of Australasia, under the tuition of Allan Menezies, working with a range of international tutors and clients from different disciplines. This gave me not only the passion for the amazing repertoire of Joseph Pilates, but also the appreciation of how the method can be adapted and developed to accommodate anybody’s needs.

Oooh…this question is like Desert Island Discs. If I had to choose just one (it still ought to be the Glute Stretch all these years later!) Pilates exercise it would have to be the Small Pelvic Tilt. It’s such a simple looking exercise that pretty much everyone has the capacity to do, but with such great benefits: lower abdominal and pelvic floor connection, hamstring and glute strength, pelvic stability and spinal mobility. Great control – can be done almost anywhere!