Instructor Trainer bios

Merrithew^® Lead Instructor Trainer Ineke Rush Madsen began her training in Pilates at the age of 12 in New York City with Carola Trier, a colleague and student of Joseph Pilates, with whom she trained extensively. She simultaneously trained at the Dance Theatre of Harlem School where the syllabus was influenced by Kathy Grant.

After a 10-year career as a professional ballet and modern dancer with the Dance Theatre of Harlem, Cleveland San Jose Ballet, Ballethnic Dance Company and Cleveland Contemporary Dance Theatre, Ineke pursued STOTT PILATES^® Certification with Merrithew. She is fully certified to work with all levels, as well as those with post-rehab injuries and other special conditions. She has been an Instructor Trainer since 2004, and was designated Lead Instructor Trainer in 2016. She has taught STOTT PILATES Certification courses and workshops throughout the Bay Area, Northern California, and in Reno, Nevada.

Ineke is a Certified Personal Trainer with the American Council on Exercise and is licensed by the State Medical Board of Ohio in Massage Therapy. She is a Total Barre^® and Halo^® Training Instructor Trainer for Merrithew. She is also a certified yoga instructor (200 RYT).

In 2006 Ineke opened Mindful Movement Collective in Newark, California, a movement and wellness center which became a Merrithew Licensed Training Center in 2008. She opened a second location in Pleasant Hill, California, in 2017. She teaches at both locations and is also on faculty at Ohlone College in Fremont and Newark, California, in both the Athletics and Theatre and Dance Departments.

Originally from Russia, Irina started her ballet training in early childhood. She discovered Pilates while rehabilitating after a knee injury and since then has used Pilates as a part of her training regime. Pilates helped her prolong her dancing career and avoid injury.

Retiring from dance in 2012, Irina obtained her STOTT PILATES^® Certification, and in 2016 she became an Instructor Trainer for Merrithew^® specializing in STOTT PILATES. Currently Irina teaches in Tokyo, Japan.

Irma earned her Master’s Degree in Fine Arts from the University of California, Irvine in 2001. While studying for her MFA in 1998, she took her first Pilates certification. In 2002 she earned full certification in STOTT PILATES^®. Irma is now an Instructor Trainer for Merrithew^® specializing in STOTT PILATES. Her passion for correcting form and healing the body motivated her to add her certifications in Active Isolated Stretching in 2010 and in 2011 she became certified in TRX^® Suspension Training. Irma is also a certified instructor for GYROKINESIS^® and GYROTONIC^®.

Ishbel started practicing yoga with her mom when she was five years old and has practiced and studied yoga ever since. After a serious back injury, Ishbel began studying Pilates as a means of stabilizing her spine. She fell in love with the way Pilates transformed her body and has been teaching yoga and Pilates for the past 10 years. Ishbel is the owner of Nomad Yoga & Pilates, LLC, a business that brings yoga and Pilates classes to people in their homes and offices. She is an Instructor Trainer for Merrithew^® specializing in STOTT PILATES^® and has also earned a variety of Yoga certifications. Ishbel works extensively with individuals who are recovering from injuries, and loves watching the progression from instability and pain to stability and ease-of-movement and easily relates to the relief that Pilates brings to people’s lives!

Jaada has been professionally committed to fitness for over 20 years. Her passion for health allows her to encourage people to attain a better quality of life. Excited to be part of IPTC, she is a Fully Certified STOTT PILATES^® Instructor and an Instructor Trainer for Merrithew^® specializing in STOTT PILATES Matwork & Reformer, Cadillac, Chair & Barrels and CORE^™. Discovering Pilates has been fulfilling and she loves sharing this amazing fitness approach with others. Jaada loves the Utah summers, enjoys hiking, boating and sitting by the pool, while actively pursuing many other avenues of fitness. Whether it is traditional step aerobics or kickboxing, core training to Zumba, Spinning^® or yoga, she continually strives to educates herself and teach others.