Elizabeth Larkam | Pilates
Elizabeth Larkam is director of Pilates & Beyond at Western Athletic Clubs. Prior to this position Elizabeth worked 15 years as a Pilates Dancemedicine Specialist at the Center for Sports Medicine, Saint Francis Memorial Hospital, in San Francisco.  While director of the Saint Francis program she developed Pilates protocols for orthopedic and spine diagnoses.  Her current studio focus includes developing programs for clients with hip replacement or knee replacement as well as improving gait patterns for clients with lower extremity injuries or prosthetics.
Elizabeth is a Pilates Method Alliance Gold-Certified instructor with 21 years experience in clinical, dance, fitness and academic environments. Educated in the original Pilates techniques by the Pilates elders, Elizabeth is a Guild-Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner, Gyrotonic® and Gyrokinesis® instructor, Franklin Method teacher and OM Yoga instructor.  She is the Fitness Editor for PilatesStyle and mind body spokesperson for the American Council on Exercise.
Elizabeth developed the Pilates Allegro program, Pilates Mat with Roller, Ring & Rotator Discs, Reebok Core Pilates, and Kinesis Flow  for TechnoGym.  Co-founder and former co-owner of Polestar Education, Elizabeth now teaches Pilates education courses throughout the world as a Balanced Body University Master teacher.  She presents at conferences including Pilates Method Alliance, Body Mind Spirit, Pilates On Tour, Inner IDEA, IHRSA, Club Industry East, Sport Clinic Medici in Florence, Pilates Day Barcelona, Body Control UK, Cova Teacher’s Convention Italy and Mindful Movement Capetown South Africa.
Elizabeth created PilatesPerformance, a unique dance form that takes Pilates far beyond fitness, rehabilitation, and sports-specific conditioning to explore expressive possibilities of body-mind-spirit.

Renee Watson | Pilates & Gyrokinesis ®

Renee began her Pilates training in 1990 while dancing in Vancouver, Canada. Renee has a strong background in fitness including American Council of Exercise (ACE) Personal Trainer and a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics from the University of British Columbia, Canada. After moving to Cape Town in 1997, she completed her Pilates qualification with Body Technology. Renee subsequently studied further with Dianne Miller in Vancouver, Rael Isacowitz in California and in Toronto with Stott Pilates. In 2004, Renee qualified with Body Arts & Science International and completed Dance Conditioning at Cal State University, Long Beach. She also completed her Injuries and Special Populations training with Stott Pilates in 2004. In 2007, Renee qualified as a GYROKINESIS® instructor and is currently doing the GYROTONIC® course. Renee also runs Pilates Instructor Qualifying Courses which are registered with the Pilates Method Alliance® in the United States . Renee is a founding member of South African Pilates Education Providers Alliance (SAPEPA)

Megan MC Laren | Gyrotonic

I ended my career as a Pharmacist in 1997 to join the Health and Fitness industry.I joined the Reebok Alliance as an instructor in 1998 and then went on to become a fully certified pilates trainer in 2000. I was introduced to Gyrotonicâfirst as a client and as my passion for the work grew, went on to become a teacher and then pre-trainer in both Gyrotonicâ and Gyrokinesisâ in 2006. After travelling abroad to train with different Master Trainers and Juliu Horvath himself( the founder of Gyrotonic®) I was accepted onto the Master Trainer Program. This has resulted in me becoming a Master Trainer in both Gyrotonic® and Gyrokinesis® in December 2009.

Louise Knoop | Pilates

Director of Body Control Pilates South Africa
Louise trained as a dancer and for the last 10 years has fostered the growth of Body Control Pilates Studios and Education in Southern Africa.  Louise travels extensively visiting international studios and presents annually for Body Control Pilates Development Weekends in London.

Joanne Wharmby | Hellerwork

Joanne Wharmby has been a Hellerworker since 2000; choosing not to have her leg amputated after being run over by a bus aged 19, she had to learn to walk all over again. Now she runs WALKSHOP specializing in helping people find their sensuality and confidence in their bodies. She can teach anyone to look fabulous from models on the runway to people rehabilitating from accidents.

Shelley Lewin |  Life Coach

Shelley Lewin works in private practice as a life and relationship coach specializing in ‘Relationship Coaching for Singles and Couples’. She delivers workshops on Relationship Awareness™ and Realizing Fulfilling Relationships.  Shelley is currently authoring a book based on her extensive research into relationship competencies called The Architecture of Relationship: Essential Components and Understandings for Realizing Fulfilling Relationships.  She has an holistic approach informed by a career in which she lived, travelled and worked on 5 continents and in 20 countries.

Janet Lindup | Ballet BodyWorks

Janet started dancing at the age of 5 years with Peggy Matthews in Cape Town. Having passed all the R.A.D. Grade exams with Honours, Janet then went on to study with Mignon Furman of the UCT Ballet School.
At the age of 12, she was the first child chosen to dance the role of Clara in the Nutcracker with the professional ballet company – CAPAB.
In 1980, at the age of 16, Janet won an international ballet competition, The Adeline Genee Award, in London.
A year later, she was a Finalist in the Prix de Lausanne International Ballet Competition held in Switzerland.
In that same year Janet completed her Matric, was awarded the RAD Solo Seal Examination, and was accepted into CAPAB Ballet Company.
After dancing with the ballet company for just 3 months, Janet was cast in the lead role of Odette/Odile in Swan Lake in 1982.
Subsequently, Janet became a Principal dancer with the ballet company and danced most of the principal roles in all of the classics.
Janet retired from Cape Town City Ballet after 17 years in 1998.
She went on to study Personal Training, The New York City Ballet Workout and Pilates, and now teaches from her home studio in Tokai.
Janet  adjudicated the Cape Town Ballet Eisteddfod in May 2001 and has done examining and adjudicating for many dance organizations.
Since retiring, Janet has made several guest appearances with CTCB, most recently dancing the role of Caliope in Orpheus in the Underworld in Dec. 2007.
Janet is also a regular teacher with C.A.P.A. and the Cape Junior Ballet, teaching classical ballet repertoire and dance conditioning.  
Janet has spent 2 summers in New York teaching ballet and Pilates for the American Academy of Ballet.

Brigitte Aubery | Reflexology

Brigitte has over 15 years experience in the health and fitness profession. She is a  qualified health therapist specialising in the fields of Reflexology and Meridian Therapy and Spinal Alignment. Her qualifications as a health therapist include that of Shiatsu, Indian Head Neck and Shoulder Massage and Thai Yoga Massage. Brigitte was the Principal of the Garden Route International School of Reflexology and Meridian Therapy for 6 years prior to closing the school to allow more time for her pilates clients.  She currently runs her own pilates and reflexology practice in George.  Brigitte lectures for Renee Watson where she hosts an annual Pilates Instructors Course. 
By combining her knowledge and experience of the human body and all its complexities through her training as a health therapist and pilates practitioner, she is able to offer an all-embracing approach to physical conditioning.

Yasmin Lambat | Body Sensing

Yasmin Lambat is an internationally trained Human Movement Practitioner with an NLP (Neurolinguistic Programming) communications skills background that compliments her integrated approach to mind body therapies.  Having started in the Fitness Industry 18 years ago, her background includes biomechanics, kinesiology, structural integration, personal training, Pilates, Feldenkrais, and the Franklin method.  She is a certified Polestar Pilates Instructor and has trained with Body Control and Stott.  Her exposure and experience to Pilates and other movement therapies led to her developing a quick and easy method of teaching body awareness that she calls “Body Sensing”. 

Body sensing uses the latest core training principles as well as clever and effective cues to promote and develop optimum alignment  for everyday posture, fitness, rehabilitation or any sports performance programme.

The outcome is that the body moves more easily, more efficiently and produces a better quality of movement.  
           
After spending 30 years in London, Yasmin yearned for the African warmth and hospitality and moved to South Africa in December 2007.  Since then she has successfully set up a wellbeing coaching practice and studio in Orchards Johannesburg where she runs her workshops and training programmes for the Body Sensing method.  She is looking forward to making a contribution as well as sharing ideas with the Pilates community and other industry professionals in South Africa. 

Taryn Hall | Goddess

Taryn Hall is a Pilates mat instructor that was introduced to the Goddess workout by Renee Watson and has been hooked ever since.
She has had almost 2 years of Goddess Workout teaching experience and teaches regularly at Renee Watson’s studio.

Malcolm Gowans | Flowin

MALCOLM GOWANS (N.D. Industrial Design)
Founder of Core Fit Training CC.
Certified FLOWIN Master Trainer.
Functional fitness fundamentals
Procurement and design of sports related equipment to aid the bodies natural ability to heal itself by enhancing core strength and stability.
 
Values:
Strength from with in. Alignment with our bodies and our environments. Keep fit naturally. The core of wellbeing.
With a background in Iyengar yoga training, Malcolm is an accomplished free climber and is passionately involved in training, fitness and wellbeing. His environmental interest have been fuelled by many climbing and adventures undertaken in Southern Africa, the Americas and Europe.   
Sports: Free-climbing; surfing; swimming; trail running.

Barbara Mc Crea | Feldenkrais

Barbara Mc Crea is South Africa’s only Feldenkrais Method ®  practitioner.  Trained in London, she has also  explored a number of  other somatic approaches in her 20 years of working as a  manual and movement therapist. She works from the Wynberg Pilates Studio in Cape Town, and Renee Watson Studio.  She regularly teaches courses for physiotherapists, Pilates teachers, biokineticists and other health professionals in Johannesburg, Durban as well as Cape Town. Her special interests include Feldenkrais for equestrians and singers. Although relatively unknown in South Africa, Feldenkrais® is highly valued abroad for its contribution to retraining  movement using innovative brain plasticity theories.

Corina Avni | Pelvic Function

Corina Avni completed an undergraduate physiotherapy degree at UCT, graduating in 1997 with distinction.
She went to the UK where she specialised in Women’s Health (and Men’s Health). She was awarded full membership by the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Women’s Health in 2001, upon graduating from the University of Bradford (1st class).
Corina returned to Cape Town in 2001, and set up rooms at the Kingsbury Hospital in Claremont, Cape Town.
She deals exclusively with Pelvic Function and Pregnancy Related Problems. She uses Pilates extensively as a teaching tool.
Corina consults one-on-one, teaches classes, lectures groups of all sizes and requirements, facilitates workshops and isn’t shy to talk pelvic floors!!

Christy Johnson | Pilates for Equestrians

After completing a Teacher's Diploma in Ballet in 1995 at UCT,Christy spent the first 12 years of her professional life as a ballet dancer with CAPAB Ballet, which later became Cape Town City Ballet.In 2000 she completed her Bmus(Hons) degree in Dance Studies through UCT. She also spent a year performing in the musical “Cats” as a member of the original South African cast. Between 2004 and 2007 as well as performing she worked as Ballet Mistress for Cape Town City Ballet, supervising rehearsals and coaching dancers in various roles, as well as teaching the 1st and 2nd year Dance Anatomy courses at the UCT School of Dance. In 2007 when she retired from performing due to a chronic knee injury, she took up the post of Ballet Mistress full time. Christy encountered pilates properly for the first time after a knee operation in 2003. After taking part in the “Dance Academy” at Renee Watson's studio for nearly a year in 2006, she completed her Matwork and Equipment certifications through Renee's studio in 2007, teaching part time. When she left the Ballet Company early in 2008 she began to teach on a more full-time basis. One of Christy's first long-term private clients happened to be an equestrian. This client saw such a marked improvement in her riding abilities that 9 of her fellow riders started pilates as well. Included in this group was their riding instructor! Over the next year, with the help of feedback from the clients, watching some of their riding lessons and learning more about dressage technique, Christy began to incorporate more and more elements of Pilates that were particularly applicable to the equestrian, as well as to embellish some of the traditional repertoire to suit the specific requirements or challenges of the riders as they emerged. Having a riding instructor as a client proved particularly fruitful in this regard, as she was able to explain what the riders needed to achieve and then feedback as to what effectiveness the exercises had had. Christy also drew on the works of Elizabeth Hanson and Janice Dulak - both books focusing on the relationship between Pilates and the needs of the skilled equestrian. .

Lynn Huskisson | Pilates

Lynn qualified as a Personal Fitness Trainer while still working in the advertising industry in 1998. After 2 kids and with inflexible hours in advertising Lynn left and set up her own personal training studio from home in Johannesburg. Having done yoga for years, she decided to qualify in Pilates matwork in 2000, to incorporate the stretch and strengthening that can be done without using weights. In 2001, Lynn started teaching Pilates mat classes and continued until her move to Cape Town in 2006. In 2007, she studied Pilates equipment with Renee Watson and joined the studio to start teaching in 2008. Lynn has done many workshops – nutrition, dance conditioning, Feldenkrais, anatomy and stretch, to name a few. She is constantly working at updating her knowledge and skills.

Ed Botha | Kettle Bells

Eduard is a certified Body Arts and Science International Pilates instructor. He has 9 years of Pilates teaching experience. Prior to Pilates he was a Martial Arts instructor and also a certified personal fitness trainer from the Exercise Teachers Academy. Ed is also the owner of a White-Collar boxing gym in Cape Town, as well as being a certified Russian Kettlebells trainer. His interests in the movement sciences made Pilates a natural progression for him. In 2005, Eduard spent the year teaching and developing Pilates in Beijing, China. He has since had the opportunity to teach Pilates courses in both Indonesia and Japan. Most recently, Ed completed an Ashtanga Yoga Certification in order to further explore the roots of his Pilates practice. Eduard currently teaches Pilates out of his beautiful studio overlooking Camps Bay beach, Cape Town.

Jacqui Koep  | Brain plasticity

Living and working in Cape Town.
Run my own physiotherapy practise from home. Work mainly with people who have complex pain patterns or require rehabilitative exercises. Teach Anatomy courses and teach at the University of Stellenbosch Physiotherapy Department on a sessional basis. Am presently doing a Masters thesis looking at the attitudes and beliefs of physiotherapists in terms of the mind/ body connection.

Shari Rosenberg | Clinical Gyrotonic

Shari has been in private practice, specialising in both conservative and post-operative management of spinal rehabilitation for the past fourteen years.  Shari’s special interest is in rehabilitation of function.
Shari teaches both locally and internationally. Her courses are based on extensive clinical experience, integrating manual therapy techniques with rehabilitation.  Shari was introduced to Gyrokinesis® and Gyrotonic® exercise methods in New York in 2000 she has since done her training with Juliu Horvath, and has recently become a Gyrokinesis certified Pre-trainer and Master Trainer

Sarah Stone-Fransisco | Rocket Yoga

Sarah Stone-Francisco has been practicing yoga with her mom since she was little. Trained at It's Yoga San Francisco, Sarah moved to Cape Town two years ago and opened It's Yoga Cape Town in Blouberg. Sarah approaches her heart-centered practice with humility and light heartedness, which is clearly experienced in her fun, energetic, and loving teaching style.

Robbie Joseph | Gyrokinesis®

Robbie did his Pilates Mat Course in 2004 and his Pilates Equipment Course in 2005, both with Renee Watson. He also did his Foundation course for Gyrotonic® in 2008 and his Gyrokinesis course in 2009. Robbie works at Renee Watson Pilates Studio and is a lecturer for her courses and workshops. He is also a Master Scuba Diver.

Kathy Wolstenholme | Nia technique

In 2002 Kathy Wolstenholme, a Nia black belt instructor, moved from America to introduce the Nia Technique to South Africa.  Since then, over 360 people nationwide have been certified at white belt level –the first of four belts offered through the Nia belt system.  Thousands more in classes around the country have experienced Nia’s heart-warming, supremely energetic fusion of dance, martial arts and somatic techniques.  

Kathy started the first studio in South Africa dedicated to Nia in 2003. The studio in Observatory, Cape Town continues to flourish in its 6th year.

Amanda Cloete | ergonomic Pilates

Amanda is a qualified Biokinetist specializing in Pilates rehabilitation. She attained her Biokinetist degree at Stellenbosch University in 2000. She went on to complete a Pilates Instructor Certification course at Renee Watson Pilates Studio in 2001; and a STOTT Pilates Rehabilitation course in 2003. Currently she lectures on Mat and Equipment courses and workshops conducted at Renee Watson Pilates Studio. Amanda specializes in pelvic floor, ante- and post- natal Pilates. Additionally, she has completed Reiki 1 and Reiki 2 Certification, and an introductory course in Metaphysical Study.

MARITA ERNSTING | Pilates

Born and bred in Windhoek, Namibia, since 13 May 1971, I have explored several avenues of work, but found my true vocation in Pilates. It all started with my sister Ulrike, also a Pilates intructor, who got me off the couch and into the triathlon scence to get moving (uh, was a couch potato until then) and I was hooked. But, lo and behold, my knees and hips started to pack up as I had sustained a serious back injury as a child, and the older I got and the more I demanded of my body, the more this injury made my life a misery. With the help of a Canadian Pilates trainer I was pain-free and mobile within a few weeks and could not believe how my life had gained in quality. I then truly understood that pain does not have to be a generally accepted part of life and that we go through every day desperately trying not to get worse, that we miss out on the opportunity to get better.
I was determined not to miss out! Thanks to Carla Armour, who is now in England, I met the dynamic and hugely inspiring Renee Watson and the rest, as they say, is history.