Instructor Trainer bios

Laura Bovenkerk is a Merrithew^® Instructor Trainer specializing in STOTT PILATES^®. She was first introduced to Pilates while pursuing a dance career in New York City. She spent eight years performing as a Radio City Rockette and found Pilates to be a wonderful tool for keeping her body in shape. She became a STOTT PILATES Certified Instructor in 2007 and began teaching at Equilibrium Studio in Bloomfield Hills, MI. She now resides in Kalamazoo, MI, where she is the owner of Centered Pilates and the mother of three energetic children. She became a Merrithew Instructor Trainer in 2020.

Laureen is an integral member of a dynamic team responsible for the global development and implementation of training and certification programs. Her spirited approach to teaching has made Laureen a vibrant international presenter, trainer and examiner. An NSCA certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and a Pink Ribbon certified instructor, she began teaching Pilates in 1995, and is now a Merrithew^® Pilates Master Instructor Trainer specializing in STOTT PILATES^®, ZEN•GA^®, Total Barre^®, Halo^® Training and Fascial Movement. Laureen is a featured performer and associate producer of many Merrithew DVDs, the associate editor of numerous teaching manuals and author of articles in several industry publications.

Prior to joining Merrithew, Laureen worked for Tennis Canada where she was responsible for Canadian and international public relations in the capacity of media relations and communications, player relations and event organization. Laureen studied Dance and Physical Education at York University in Toronto where she graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts.

Laurentia is a STOTT PILATES^® Instructor Trainer with foundation in dance and over a decade of experience teaching Merrithew education. Certified as Instructor Trainer in 2014, she has delivered courses and workshops in Indonesia and across Asia, supporting students in developing clear technical understanding and confident teaching skills.

Laurentia has represented Merrithew by presenting a Merrithew Master Class at the Indonesia Fitness Expo. She works with a diverse client base, including active aging clients and individuals returning to exercise after lifestyle-related conditions. She is known for helping clients develop ease and confidence in movement by integrating breath, stability, and functional movement patterns. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes meaningful interaction, precision, and thoughtful programming, fostering a collaborative learning environment where curiosity, dialogue, and engagement support effective learning and safe practice.

Laurentia is committed to ongoing professional development by attending various courses and workshops and regularly refining her own practice and exploring new techniques in movement science.

In 1997, LeeAnn began working with athletes in the prevention, emergency care and rehabilitation of injury. She developed her passion for teaching during two years of instruction in the Athletic Training Program at James Madison University. But it wasn’t until 2004, after spending several years as a rehab integration specialist (as well as with working through her own struggles with Scoliosis), that Pilates emerged as a focus for her.

LeAnn since went on to become an Instructor Trainer for Merrithew^® in 2007, specializing in STOTT PILATES^®. The same year, she joined Balance Pilates Training Center in Charlottesville, Virginia, U.S.A.. She now possesses 25 years of experience working in the fitness industry, and continues to love sharing her knowledge and skills with future instructors.

Since completing the STOTT PILATES^® Foundation course in 2018, Clara has been deeply inspired by the method’s five basic principles and its emphasis on postural analysis. Since then, she has been committed to bringing the advanced exercise philosophy, effective training methodology, and precise techniques of STOTT PILATES to her clients.

Her work has been especially well received by pregnant and postpartum clients, leading her to earn the STOTT PILATES Pre- & Post-Natal Specialist certification. She has also successfully completed the Merrithew^® Halo^® Training Foundation Course (Part I) and is a Certified Instructor Trainer in this discipline. She is now dedicated to continuing her professional development and working toward becoming an Instructor for the STOTT PILATES Foundation training courses, applying her knowledge, experience, and passion to support both students and clients.