Club Pilates

Bios

• 

  Melissa Van

  Certified Pilates Instructor

  Melissa, a New Orleans native, first began her Pilates training and career in South Africa in 2006. She went on to establish a thriving Pilates studio in Bristol, England where she served a diverse local clientele of all ages and abilities ranging from top athletes and the fitness-conscious to beginners and post-rehabilitation patients. She has returned to New Orleans to pursue a career in physical therapy while continuing her Pilates practice and instruction. Melissa strives for excellence in her teaching and keep up to date on the current trends in the industry. She studied The New York Method in Durban, SouthAfrica, Power Pilates in Chicago and New York.and obtained PMA certification. She has completed over 700 apprenticeship hours and passed a number of rigorous oral, written and practical exams.

  Education:

• 

  Ellen Miller

  Pilates Instructor

  Ellen has practiced the Pilates method since 1993. After leaving the corporate life behind, she followed her dream and became a Pilates instructor in 2011. She is a PMA Certified Pilates Teacher and a Pilates Therapeutics Authorized Foot Specialist. She is a member of the Medical Fitness Network and a certified TRX Instructor. This year Ellen completed course work toward a Pilates Therapeutics Breast Cancer Restoration Specialization and a Pilates Therapeutics Scoliosis Management Specialization. Ellen loves learning about how our amazing bodies work. She is a body mechanics problem solver who believes that Pilates is for every body regardless of age, shape, size, or functionality. She meets clients wherever they are with their movement, encourages progress, and builds on success. She works to help relieve pain, improve posture, and make moving fun! She’s soft-spoken and passionate and she’ll get your body moving while focusing on proper alignment, flexibility, and strength. Ellen recently returned home to New Orleans and loves challenging herself with weekly adult ballet classes and other forms of dance, and regularly enjoys sailing with her husband on Lake Pontchartrain.

  Education:

• 

  Sandy Garcia

  Pilates Instructor

  Sandy Garcia who has spent the last 2 1/2 years practicing her love for Pilates + is here to share her positive energy through, you guessed it... Pilates! Sandy lights up the studio with her teaching style of fun + FOCUS! Whether you are singing and grooving to the music or praying for last rep of squats Sandy’s goal is for each client to focus on themselves in her class. Make it for you! The best part for her is seeing each member grow stronger & more confident in their practice. What more could you ask for?! Some of Sandy’s favorites to teach are her CP Cardio Sculpt + CP F.I.T as she stated, these classes bring their own intensity + focus needed making the Pilates principle of mind, body connection all come together. Her Pilates motto: “You have no choice but to pay attention to your body & how it moves during each class whether it be a Center + Balance or Suspend.”

• 

  Brandy Pigeon

  Pilates Instructor

  Brandy Pigeon who’s upbeat attitude is sure to start your week, or even get you through it, with the best mindset possible. Brandy started doing Pilates 8 years ago when she took her first class on a whim where she then fell in love with this amazing exercise. Much like her gymnastics background of 15 years, Pilates incorporates so many aspects of gymnastics as far core strength + flexibility which made it the perfect fit! When teaching, Brandy’s goal is give the best of herself to each client + enjoys challenging our members to feel stronger & take pride in their hard work during class. . Her Pilates lifestyle motto: “You will never regret the class you went to, only the ones you skip. You’ll never leave a workout wishing you’d sat on the couch instead.”

• 

  Tracey Woodie

  Pilates Instructor

  I have been teaching Pilates for almost twenty years. I teach a variety of all the classes at Club Pilates. But flow 1.5 is my favorite. I enjoy taking the core basics that students learn inflow 1 classes and watching them get excited about how strong they feel as they take their fitness to the next level. I am a classically trained Pilates instructor with 30 years in the fitness industry. I enjoy integrating the classical principles of Pilates and more contemporary variations that have now been introduced. I was drawn to Pilates after realizing weightlifting, although wonderful for strength would leave long term issues with muscles and joints. I wanted a lifetime of wellness and strength with flexibility and pilates exercises could give me that. After seeing the changes in myself I wanted to share this with everyone. I am homegrown from Louisiana and love living here. People will tell you my favorite piece of equipment is the magic circle, although they call it other mean names because I incorporate it in most of my classes. It’s a great compliment to the reformer and helps you focus on stability. My long wellness career helps me to meet students their fitness levels and help them advance to their full potential.

• Gabby Sharp

  Pilates Instructor