Our Team
Our studio teachers are certified to the highest standards in Australia and through courses recognised by the government and by our industry governing body. Each has dedicated hundreds of hours to their initial teacher training and are committed to ongoing continuous professional development to deepen their skillset. Although uniform in training each of our teachers has their own personality, interests, teaching style and sense of humour….
Rachael Wright
Studio Director
Rach has been a ‘mover’ all of her life; dancing as a tiny tot, climbing, biking and running through childhood, and then competitive in the dance world into her late teens. Hailing from Scotland, she studied a BA (Hons) in Dance in the late 2000's while living in Edinburgh. It was in this time she was introduced to Pilates as a way of managing the back pain that was hampering her dance practice. Blown away by the impacts of a regular practice - it changed her relationship with movement forever.
In 2010 Rachael pressed pause on a travelling stint through Asia and Australia, and set her feet down in Sydney to make a start on the comprehensive Diploma programme with Polestar Pilates. She opened Room For Movement in 2015 and now has her roots firmly set in the Inner West.
Rachael is fascinated by the power of spoken word and language, and their ability to transform the experience of moving the body. Managing a trifecta of chronic health conditions she's particularly passionate about making movement accessible to people who benefit from a thoughtful and intelligent approach to exercising and managing pain.
Rachael takes pride in her ability to communicate with people from all walks of life. While caring and respectful, she'll challenge your perceptions of what you think you're capable of- and likely change how you think about your relationship with movement and exercise forever.
Amanda Lansdowne
Professional Teacher
Amanda’s journey into the world of Pilates began in 2009; having suffered knee pain for many years she decided to give Pilates a go, and found after only a few sessions that her knee pain was disappearing, and Pilates was also creating more strength in her body.
Amanda has, since then, developed a passion for Pilates both on the mat and on the equipment, and attends regular sessions in both. She completed her Certificate IV in Mat instruction with Polestar Pilates in 2014, and went onto complete her Diploma of Professional Pilates mid-2017, qualifying her to teach Studio Pilates. She has worked in a variety of corporate and studio environments allowing her to further develop her understanding of human movement and how Pilates can help different bodies.
Amanda’s sessions are tailored for the individual, on the day, always with a focus on creating mobility and space in the body so that clients walk away from their session feeling light and energised!
Lilly Wicks
Professional Teacher
Lilly started her Pilates journey over 20 years ago when she starting work as an allied health professional. Initially Pilates was just a new way to exercise and relieve daily stress, but she soon discovered new ways to move and connect with her body whilst building strength.
Pilates mat work is Lilly’s first love and she believes it is the foundation to linking all other studio equipment. After developing her own practice in a small studio environment, Lilly was inspired to further her interest in Pilates by completing her Certificate IV in Mat Instruction (Polestar) in 2016, and then completed her studio certification and full diploma with Polestar in 2018. Lilly has completed targeted post-graduate training to support pre and post-natal women to build strength, and move through daily work and family life with confidence. Lilly is also our "Return to Exercise" Pre-natal Course Lead Teacher. Additionally Lilly has undertaken specific training to support people living with a range of conditions such as scoliosis and osteoporosis who will need a considered approach to their programs.
Passionate about ensuring everyone can access and enjoy Pilates in a safe and supportive space, Lilly loves working with people to find out what helps them feel comfortable, confident and strong in their movement. Expect a fun and creative approach to moving with Lilly, with a focus on pilates foundations and functional movement.
Christine Tongue
Professional Teacher
Christine grew up loving dance, but life took her in other directions. It was after many years of office and desk work that she decided it was time to move her body again, returning to adult dance classes and starting Pilates matwork. She loved the mind-body connection fostered through Pilates, and a regular mat class became an essential part of her routine. She wasn’t really sure about “machines” at first, but a torn ACL took her into a Pilates studio and she hasn’t looked back since.
Inspired to learn more, she undertook her Diploma of Professional Pilates Instruction with PilatesITC, which she completed in early 2020. She’s loving her teaching journey so far and is enthusiastic to continue learning more about movement.
When she’s not in the Pilates studio, she can generally be found exploring other movement practises such as yoga and Stretch Therapy. Kiwi-born, she looks forward to spending holidays hiking in NZ.
Cherrie Whalen-David
Professional Teacher
Following years of working in bars, restaurants and offices, Cherrie wanted to work in an environment that enriched people’s daily lives.
So after participating for many years as a client in the Pilates studio, she decided to study a diploma of Professional Pilates Instruction with Pilates International Training centre and teach it!
“I wanted to work in an industry that was accessible to all. It’s a wonderful environment to meet people of all ages, from all walks of life. Theres a great satisfaction in helping someone conquer their pain and live the best version of their life.”
Cherrie loves the confidence that clients gain from a consistent Pilates habit, and finds that there is always more to learn. She loves that everyone can move and participate at their own pace
Noha Ramadan
Professional Teacher
Noha has been a movement educator within the arts since 2009 and performing and choreographing dance professionally for over 20 years. She has experienced a multitude of movement techniques including ideokinesis, body-mind centering and release technique. She began pilates in 2016 and quickly became a dedicated practitioner, finding that pilates offered her new insights and challenges which were supportive in terms of strength and injury management, but which also felt really good!
Noha began teaching pilates in 2019 and completed their comprehensive global teacher training certification in 2021 at the BASI (Body and Science International) academy in Amsterdam, NL, where they lived and worked for many years.
Pilates helps Noha to feel grounded, balanced and connected in all areas of life, moving with a deeper sense of intention and awareness. Her goal as an instructor is to share this with others, and to support access for all bodies, especially those often marginalised. She enjoys seeing people gain confidence and pleasure in moving and being with/in their bodies. She encourages BIPOC, queer/non-binary and transgender people to her classes. All are welcome.
Jaclyn Griffin
Professional Teacher
Jac’s Pilates origin story is like many others, having discovered the amazing benefits after seeking help for chronic headaches and back pain. Her first career was in the health sciences, working as a scientist in Pathology labs, then moving into the commercial world of providing training and technical support for scientists. In 2017, Jac decided she wanted a more personal connection in her work, so enrolled in teacher training with Polestar. Having to start with the Cert IV of Matwork Pilates Instruction was a daunting prospect having never even done a single mat Pilates class in her life! She loved the course so much, that she rolled (like a ball – pun intended) straight into the Diploma of Studio Pilates instruction, completing this with Polestar in 2020.
What really gets her nerdy brain going is the precision and the challenge that comes with even the most seemingly simple Pilates exercises. Sometimes, the tiniest tweak or an added prop (did someone say Oov?) can change an exercise from “I sort of feel it…” to “Aha! Now I get it!”.
Outside of the studio, Jac enjoys strength training and has spent a lot of time around strongman athletes and powerlifters.
Claire Neil
Professional Teacher
Claire was introduced to Pilates in 2007 while living overseas in Holland and fell in love with it immediately. Starting before her first pregnancy, Claire now has three boys between 9 and 14 and has had a regular Pilates practice in the studio and on the mat ever since.
In 2012 she started part time administrative work in a local Pilates Studio- where she was able to observe the teachers, connect with clients, and really begin to see the power of Pilates across the population.
After baby number three, Claire started down the pathway of Pilates qualification. Starting with the Polestar Mat Certification in 2014 she discovered she has a talent for creating the kind of energy needed for engaging group Pilates classes. She then went onto complete the Polestar diploma and become comprehensively trained.
Claire is fascinated by human biomechanics and the far reaching impact on all body systems from just one exercise modality. For her, the most powerful part of a regular Pilates practice is way in which it ties the mind and the body together through breath- one class of intentional and thoughtful movement is an incredible tool for keeping the mind in check.
These days she uses Pilates to manage a chronic health condition, to balance out her time at a desk in the family business (Philter in Marrickville), and to consciously step back into her body and mind every week.
Class with Claire is like a breath of fresh air, you’ll be met with empathy, a palpable passion for the work, and you’ll never be left behind.
Brooke Fowler
Studio Manager
After completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of Tasmania, Brooke moved to Sydney where she has been living and working as a graphic designer for two decades. It was after having her two children, her career took a twist, when she suffered a chronic health condition, which forced her to reassess her day to day stress levels. Brooke learnt the importance of self care, with Pilates playing a huge role, both mentally and physically. Brooke especially enjoyed the community Pilates introduced her to. In turn she was approached to work in marketing/client service roles for studios she was part of. Brooke loves the true work/life balance working in this space has given her - being part of a great community, with time to tap back into her creative background and be more present for her family. The best of all possible worlds!