Who We Are

Studio Director
Founder and lead educator TMRACADEMY
Founder The Pilates Teacher Network

Thanks for looking me up. My name is Nicholas and I have been teaching the Pilates method full time since 2002. I enjoy working with clients who have a variety of interests and goals. Generally, clients come to classes because they are a bit itchy in their skin or have something they want to accomplish and look to The Movement Refinery for support; all clients who are interested in Pilates and exercise are welcome at my studios. 

I grew up in Adelaide and was introduced to Pilates as a teenage dancer. It wasn’t for me, I was young and it was an hour of breathing on the floor with my eyes closed, I wanted to MOVE! After relocating to Brisbane for vocational full-time dance training, I was immersed in Pilates several times each week with some great teachers (Jennifer Pohlman, Maggie Magill and Nicole Vass) and I loved it. I realised that it was the user-manual for my body that I never received and also helped me to manage my big feelings and dropped me firmly, ‘in’ my body. 

I completed three comprehensive programmes (Nicole Vass for Lifecare Physiotherapy 2003, Pilates International 2011, Authentic Pilates Education International 2016) a post-graduate teachers programme (The Heritage Training 2021) and countless workshops and development opportunities over the last twenty years. You’ll find me happily at a conference, a training programme or reading and sharing information as I digest it. I don’t have the answers for everything Pilates-related, but I do enjoy exploring the profession so that I can support any client on any day of the week at the studios. 

My love of movement and feeling good lead me to the Gyrotonic method which has a huge impact on how I work with clients, particularly looking at the spine and rib cage and how clear and supple movement creates positive change through the rest of the body. I was certified in the method in 2005 and spent ten years working with the specialised equipment operating Gyrotonic Clifton Hill which I later absorbed into The Movement Refinery. I’m not currently teaching Gyrotonic formally but my clients will tell you that it is embedded into how I ‘see the body’ and connect them to their core.

Even though I had excellent and thorough Pilates training, I felt that I wanted to know more about the human body and other systems. This lead me to balancing a full-time studio with study and raising a puppy (now a very senior doggy) and in 2014 I received my degree in Exercise and Sports Science. This programme allows me to take a step back and consider my clients both holistically and theoretically as an allied health professional and then pull from my skillset to support them to their individual successes.

For four years I worked alongside Elizabeth Hewett at The Australian Ballet School and as the Strength and Conditioning coach, supporting the future of dance amongst a magnificent team of health professionals. These years were deeply rewarding and exciting and I love when seeing former students light up the stage. 

My classes help you to get rid of aches and pains and get you strong. I will help you to decode the traditional Pilates method and support you to become an independent and curious practitioner.

Welcome! 

I draw on my experiences in health and movement therapy to passionately educate and empower my clients to understand their bodies. Ultimately, our shared goal is to develop a connection and sensitivity to the body so that clients can move freely and feel better in their daily lives.

Although I am now deeply rooted in the Pilates sphere, I initially began my teacher training process as a bit of a side-hustle while I completed my Chinese Medicine (TCM) degree.  At the time, my rationale was to have tools to help clients with their musculoskeletal concerns as a complement to the internal medicine of TCM. The narrative then flipped as I continually witnessed the healing power of intentional movement. Clients improved in their quality of life internally and externally thanks to effective exercise, so I channelled my professional career accordingly. 

As a Pilates Teacher, I remain curious and have had formal training through both classical (TMR Academy) and contemporary (Polestar Pilates) lineages. Did you know that  I was inspired by the classical method after attending classes at The Movement Refinery? The effects and playful memories have snowballed to shape the teacher I am today.

Have you heard of The Franklin MethodⓇ? I’m a Level 1 Educator and there are only a few of us in Australia. This body of work is at the forefront of practical neuroplasticity. It is an over-arching innovative system and view of the body/movement which helps clients by pulling in tools like imagery and anatomical embodiment. These tools run in tandem with my Pilates offering to create long-term change for the body and mind. As part of my qualification, I also enjoy facilitating workshops for both professional development and to the public.  

I’d like to see broader uptake of considered exercise programmes and anatomical embodiment in our health system, which is why I am studying at Deakin University to become an Accredited Exercise Physiologist. 

I am a child of the Antipodes having grown up between Bangkok, Auckland and later Australia as a young adult. My clients would describe me as gentle, patient and always ready to guide them through a work-out or a work-in. Our studio is a haven for all. 

I first fell in love with the Pilates Method in the early 90s when I was a fresh-faced dancer studying for my Bachelor of Dance at the Victorian College of the Arts. It wasn’t just the conditioning and injury reducing benefits it provided, working on the Reformer was like moving meditation for me, a purposeful connection of mind, body and soul that left me feeling great after my sessions. And just like any great love, it has grown, evolved and become richer over the years. Even as my life changed and I explored other career paths (radio, copywriting & comedy), as well as becoming a parent and Pilates teacher, Pilates has continued to benefit my day-to-day life through these different stages.

It really is a wonderful experience sharing this with other people and seeing clients have their own discovery moments, whether that’s in their actual Pilates practice, or in their daily lives with ease of movement, less niggles or pains, or the strength, support and balance to do things that they may have lost confidence in doing.

I have Diploma level qualification across the full apparatus and have studied both contemporary style Pilates and the Classical Method (TMRACADEMY amongst others), and am continually working to expand my knowledge and gain a deeper understanding of the work in my own body, as well as for my clients.

I would like all clients to feel welcome in my sessions. We all have different backgrounds, histories, bodies & reasons for attending, but a regular Pilates practice can offer us all so much (if you know, you know!). I’m a fairly calm and grounded personality, so in my sessions you can expect a relaxed and welcoming environment where you can enjoy exploring how you move and connect with your body – finding deeper connections and control within the details and nuance of the Pilates exercises. I hope you’ll then leave the studio with the satisfied smile and sigh of a lifted mood and enlivened body that keeps you coming back for more.

Hi, I’m Frankie! I have been using the Pilates method for almost two decades as a way of connecting with my body and mind. I also work as a personal trainer and coach and am curious about human movement and how to get the most holistic results for my clients.

I am certified across contemporary Pilates, fitness and have completed a mentorship with The Movement Refinery. Joining the teaching team at both studios is a professional highlight as I continue to explore the progressive classical work and enjoy the beautifully equipped studios. Prior to my current career in health and wellbeing, I worked as a financial planner and had roles in finance and business administration across a variety of industries.

My classes are tough but fair; they are considered, clear and for all members of the TMR clientele. My aim is to combine the elements of my training with the methodology of The Movement Refinery so that you are enriched and never feel left behind. I can’t wait to share my passion for the work where we will chip away at the little details so that you can have ownership of the movements and be comfortable in your skin.

Outside of the studio you’ll find me cheering on my doggy and getting excited about putting up my Christmas tree, early.

Join my classes at Errol Street each Tuesday and Thursday morning, Nicholson Street each Wednesday evening and occasional Saturdays as well.

As a long time Pilates client of TMR and accredited teacher it is so lovely to promote from within and have Chung develop her classical skill-set with our wonderful clients.

Many of our clients will remember Chung from classes pre-pandemic specifically our first few years at Nicholson Street. Since then, Chung has been accredited by a leading Pilates school – Body Arts and Science international – worked at Das Pilates and is a mentee of the studio. In her ’spare’ time Chung works as a mechanical engineer and is mum to toddler Maxine and the greatest feline Diva, Petal.

Chung is excited to be part of the team at the studios and working with you all across both studios!

Hello, I’m Marnie. I had been a PT and group fitness trainer in gyms since 2002. After spinal surgery in 2008, I wanted a different direction, so I tried Pilates. It felt so different and challenging, like a “work-in” rather than a “work-out”. I found with the Pilates Method, there was always more – more to learn, and more to find in your body – and this was a great launch pad for my curiosity.

Although I have been certified and teaching for a number of years, I have often attended professional development at The Movement Refinery and was particularly drawn to the classically-oriented methodology and how my body connected with the specialised equipment, in a different way to non-classical equipment. When the opportunity came up to be mentored by Nicholas and work at The Movement Refinery, I knew I couldn’t pass up the chance to broaden my own experience and enhance my physical and mental relationship with the work.

With my background as a PT and contemporary Pilates Teacher, my classes tend to be balanced, yet carefully spiced to challenge your mind and body. Outside the studio, life gets busy with two older kids, my husband, and our pets – the fur (Sam), the feathers (James the parrot, Sherbet the budgie), the fins (too many fish and shrimp to name) and the fabulous fetlocks (of Turkish Delight). Any spare time probably involves caffeine and/or bubbles.

I can’t wait to meet you and will be available for sessions primarily at Errol Street on Wednesday evenings.