Ann Wilde

Ann is the founder and owner of Master Pilates. She has been a Pilates Instructor since 2007.

Ann began Ballet at the age of five, and at the age of 18 moved from Albury to Melbourne to study Ballet full time. Only a year later she suffered a major back injury, and to rehabilitate began Pilates with physiotherapist Rebecca Harding. Pilates not only enabled her to dance again, it became her passion, and she established Master Pilates South Yarra in 2010 so as to help others have a Pilates experience like the one she had.

Prior to Master Pilates, Ann worked at various studios in Melbourne. She has a strong interest in the body, anatomy and injury rehabilitation and prevention. Most recently she has focused on developing her understanding of Pilates with dancers and injury rehabilitation, learning from Paula Baird Colt, the Australian Ballet’s strength and conditioning coach.

Ann’s dance career saw her study at The National Theatre Ballet School in 1999 where she was awarded the Jocelyn De Cardi award for 'Most Promising Full-Time Student’ followed by a graduate from the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) with a Bachelor of Dance (High Distinction) in 2002. During this time she worked with choreographers including John Utans, Brett Daffy, Kate Denbough, and Jonathon Taylor. She also performed in works by George Balanchine and full length ballets Cinderella, Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty.

Ann is a Principle Trainer & Pilates Instructor with Pilates Alliance Australia (PAA). She is a Level Four Pilates Instructor with Australian Pilates Method Association (APMA), and holds a Diploma of Professional Pilates Instruction with the Pilates International Training Centre (PITC) and a Certificate IV in Workplace Training and Assessment.

Ann has a daughter Sylvie and a son Charlie. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends, doing Pilates and working on her business.

Tanya Cates

Tanya has been an educator and fitness instructor for 14 years. She has taught Pilates since 2004, and lectured in Anatomy and Functional Anatomy since 2000. Drawing on her extensive training and practical experience in the education, fitness, rehabilitation, and Pilates’ fields, Tanya adapts her knowledge to train individuals of all ages and levels of health and fitness. Tanya has also recently completed a PhD Applied Science – Children’s Physical Activity and Self-Perception.

Tanya loves travel experiences that completely immerse her in communities that differ from what she’s used to. She has enjoyed working in Africa and her love of adventure has led her to visit giraffe and elephant orphanages in Kenya, the orangutans in Borneo, and sled dogs in the Arctic circle. Tanya enjoys ‘attempting’ to surf, teaching group exercise classes, playing the bongo drums, dancing, and new opportunities to learn.

Sophie Fletcher

Sophie’s connection to Pilates began at the age of 11, as an activity to complement her ballet training and she continued to practise it throughout her impressive ballet career. She graduated from the Australian Ballet School with an Advanced Diploma of Dance in 2003 and during her training received several scholarships and awards for both her achievements in dance and academic excellence.

On graduating she joined The Australian Ballet and performed with the company for four years. She travelled extensively overseas with the company and was also awarded a travel scholarship in 2005 which enabled her to take classes with major American ballet companies including New York City Ballet, Houston Ballet, San Francisco Ballet and Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle. In 2008 Sophie joined the West Australian Ballet as a guest artist and remained there for two years. Sophie then joined the Czech National Ballet at the invitation of the director Petr Zuska and performed many notable classical and contemporary roles. Most recently Sophie appeared as Princess Aurora in Prague Festival Ballet’s Sleeping Beauty during its tour of Germany. 

Sophie credits Pilates with helping her to stay injury free during her ballet career by providing her with a strong, healthy body and mind to cope with the stresses of a demanding career. It also enabled her to maintain optimal fitness during off-peak times of work. In 2015 Sophie retired from the stage and returned to Australia to pursue Pilates. She was inspired by her instructor Andrew Baxter to consider pilates instruction as a career and last year completed her certificate IV in matworkinstruction through Polestar Pilates International. Currently she is studying her Diploma. Pilates has become an integral part of Sophie’s life and she hopes her personal experience of the practice will enhance her clients’ experience.

Ainslie Wright

Ainslie has always been fascinated with Human Movement. She majored in Contemporary Dance at Deakin University and then went on to train and compete in Martial Arts where she completed her first fitness qualification, a coaching accreditation with the Australian Kung Fu and WuShu Association. With her interest in fitness piqued she went on to qualify as a personal trainer, certified Allied Health Assistant and, of course, Pilates Instructor.

Her Pilates journey began after she sustained a serious hip injury, Pilates was an integral part of her rehabilitation and fast became her passion. She understands first hand the amazing benefits of Pilates and now enjoys sharing these benefits with her clients whether their goals be rehabilitative, functional fitness or athletic.

ISABELLA PERVERSI

Isabella is a Clinical Pilates, Garuda, dance and meditation instructor based in Melbourne. With a background in dance and performing arts her ethos is firmly based around a passion for movement and mindfulness. With over 6 years of teaching experience, she is based out of numerous studios across Melbourne. Her mentor Anna Tetlow is the only Master Trainer for The Garuda Method in Australia.

Her qualifications include Diploma in Clinical Pilates (Balance and Control), Certificate of Matwork Pilates (Aligned for Life), Certificate 4 in Pilates (Balance and Control), Diploma in Dance (The Edge Performers School), The Garuda Method (Graha brick and Apparatus), Meditation Teachers Training (Melbourne Meditation Centre) and Paula Baird-Colt (Australian Ballet) Conditioning for Dancers. She also has a current working with children check and first aid certificate.

Isabella is passionate about understanding the human body in movement and is dedicated to working one-on-one or in small group sessions with clients to help with injury management, mindfulness and personal fitness goals.

Isabella also holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Acting) from The Victorian College of The Arts and performs regularly alongside her teaching work.

Barbara Scafidi

Barbara has been teaching Pilates for over nine years, with the last six of these spent in management roles at Pilates studios in Melbourne. After completing her Polestar training in 2007, in 2012 she became an educator for Polestar Pilates International and still teaches up and coming Pilates instructors today.

Prior to her career in Pilates, Barbara worked as a remedial massage therapist in both private practice and with the Hawthorn Football Club for six years. She brings the knowledge and experience gained through this hands-on work to her Pilates teaching. Barbara’s experience means she is adept at uncovering and addressing the underlying causes of pain and injury and creating long-term change for her clients. She is particularly interested in women’s health, and enjoys instructing clients with dystrophy and 'tricky' bodies.

ELLEN SUTTON

Ellen was first introduced to pilates at a young age while studying at the Australian Ballet School. Pilates became an essential complement to the rigours of her training and has helped her sustain her professional dance career. After studying with the Australian Ballet School for seven years she later moved into musical theatre and has toured Australasia in shows such as “Wicked” “Rock Of Ages” and “Dream Lover: The Bobby Darin Musical.”

More recently, due to the stresses of performing 8 shows a week, pilates became an essential ingredient in her daily routine. She went on to formally study her matwork and then Studio/ Rehabilitation training with Polestar Pilates Australia. She is passionate about teaching and has taught all styles of dance, Xtend Barre and HIIT classes over the last thirteen years.

Ellen believes that movement heals and loves how pilates is accessible to all walks of life. The physical and mental benefits of pilates are so unique and she is determined to have you leaving a little taller, present and empowered.

Sally Rochlin

A chronic back injury led Sally to begin practising Pilates on a daily basis, and through successful rehabilitation she developed a love for the method. As a professional musician (completing a Bachelor of Music in 2008), she found the demands of long hours of playing with need to restore functional balance to muscles exceedingly apparent. Sally successfully completed the CTTC with Body Arts and Science International, teaches Pilates in Melbourne as well as attending regular workshops and masterclasses. Her aim is to help clients embody the work and incorporate it into their every day lives, so each movement is executed with better alignment, efficiency, and ease — encouraging better health, longevity, and ultimately happiness.

Blayke Sheenan

Blayke was introduced to Pilates as a client at Master Pilates at the age of 11 to further help her ballet technique. As she went on to attend the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School (VCASS) from year 7 through to year 12. Pilates has become a very important part of her life and helped her through many years of intense full time ballet training. During her year 12 studies Blayke decided that Pilates was an important and enjoyable aspect of her life, so enrolled into a Pilates course to do around her schooling so that come her first year out of school she could pursue a career in what she enjoys and loves. Blayke graduated from VCASS with a score of 45 in VCE VET Dance, which placed her on the honour roll for her year. 

Blayke holds a Certificate III & IV in Personal Training. She loves working closely with people with many different exercise backgrounds from runners, dancers to weight-loss or injury prevention.

Blayke is dedicated to coaching clients through their Pilates journey and exploring and helping her clients to understand why they are doing it and how it will help them to reach their goals to enhance and gain more from their Pilates experience.

Blayke spends her spare time hanging out with friends and family, doing eyelash extensions or eating out at yummy cafes and restaurants.

Harper Banks

Harper has a Diploma of Professional Pilates Instruction (National Pilates Training) and Advanced Diploma of Elite Performance (National Theatre Ballet School) 

Harper trained as a ballet dancer at the National Theatre Ballet School in Melbourne and Joffrey Ballet School in New York. Upon graduation she joined Oklahoma City Ballet in 2019. Pilates was always a part of ballet cross training that Harper loved, and during the pandemic she began training to be an instructor. 

Harper loves teaching Pilates and helping people find what feels good, building body confidence and wholly believes in the benefits of the Pilates Method. 

Jocelyn Evans

For the past twenty-five years Jocelyn has been working as an Actor, Voice Over Artist and Art Department Coordinator in the Film and Television industry. During this time, she has been attending Iyengar Yoga and Pilates classes. Working long hours on and off set in a Production Office and on location were challenging at times. Her body experienced fatigue, lower back pain, neck pain and migraines. It was on recommendation through her Yoga Instructor to try Pilates. This was six years ago and her love and passion for Pilates was ignited. Regular attendance provided an overall enhancement to her level of fitness, strength, movement, mobility, physical and mental wellbeing.

Jocelyn is passionate about sharing Pilates with the wider community and strongly believes that everyone should have the opportunity to experience the amazing benefits Pilates can offer.  

She has completed a Diploma of Pilates Instruction with Pilates International Training Centre through National Pilates Training. 

Jocelyn enjoys film, theatre, contemporary dance, galleries and museums in her leisure time.