Instructor Trainer bios

Heather Lawson is an Instructor Trainer for Merrithew^® specializing in Total Barre^® and is a Lead IT for STOTT PILATES^®. A valuable member of the company's prestigious programming team, she has been teaching Pilates for over 10 years and is also an ACE Certified Instructor. Heather graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2000 where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Ballet Performance. Heather was involved in the most recent DVD production for Merrithew as a featured performer and instructor

With a strong athletic talent, Helen began competitive gymnastics training at the age of five, and then took part in radio direction finding, triple jump and other competitions. Helen discovered STOTT PILATES^® by chance at a ChinaFit Conference and was intrigued by the method’s scientific approach to physical training. In 2014, she began to study STOTT PILATES. The course gave her a new understanding of biomechanics, functional training, fascial movement, and rehabilitation practices, etc.

In 2018, Helen became a STOTT PILATES Certified Instructor. In 2020, she became a STOTT PILATES Instructor Trainer.

With 12 years of front-line teaching experience and more than 1,500 classes taught annually, Helen consistently meets the demands of a heavy teaching schedule and diverse client needs. She believes in continual self-improvement and completes top-level courses in China every year. Helen integrates STOTT PILATES training methods with other modalities to provide holistic, effective solutions for her clients.

Helen’s journey as a fitness instructor began with aerobics, but she soon sought a deeper, more holistic approach to movement. That’s when she discovered Pilates—an instant passion. Eager to expand her expertise, she pursued STOTT PILATES^® certification, immersing herself in its principles. By 2022, Helen achieved full certification and began teaching functional anatomy at a Merrithew^® Licensed Training Center (LTC) in Dubai. Her dedication to education and movement propelled her forward, and in September 2024, she became a Certified Mat and Reformer Instructor Trainer. Now a valued member of the education team at Real Pilates in Dubai, Helen thrives on mentoring. and inspiring the next generation of instructors.

Driven by a passion for teaching and community, Helen embraced the Instructor Trainer Program, allowing her to share her love of movement with an even wider audience.

Holly discovered Pilates through her lifelong passion for dance and has spent more than two decades studying movement, teaching Pilates, and developing the next generation of instructors. With tens of thousands of teaching hours, she is known as a “teacher’s teacher” who excels at elevating instructors’ skills and confidence. She is also the author of Finding Your Center: How to Turn Your Pilates Passion Into a Career, written to support aspiring professionals entering the field.

Since beginning her teaching career with STOTT PILATES^® in 1999, Holly has worked with clients ranging from Olympic athletes to cancer survivors. In 2007, she founded Blue Sparrow Pilates and grew it into an internationally recognized education company known for exceptional instruction, innovative programs, and digital learning products, including a prenatal Pilates app that reached over 85,000 downloads in its first year.

Holly is a respected voice in the Pilates community, contributing to many industry publications and has taught across the United States and internationally.

In 2014, Holly combined her career as a professional dancer with teaching Pilates when she became a Merrithew^® Instructor Trainer in STOTT PILATES^®. She teaches private and group classes at Pacific NW Pilates in Portland, Oregon, and is the founder of Elevated Movement^™, where she provides specialized Pilates training for athletes, dancers, older adults, and clients of all ability levels. Holly also enjoys guiding older adults and clients with special needs to use effective, efficient movement in their everyday lives.

Holly brings over 15 years of professional dance experience and currently performs with, and serves as Managing Director of, the contemporary dance company push/FOLD in Portland, Oregon. In addition to her work in dance and arts administration, she is a trained birth doula, supporting families through the physical and emotional journey of childbirth. Holly graduated in 2010 from the University of Utah with a BFA in Ballet, with an emphasis in performance and teaching.