Instructor Trainer bios

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.

Leonieke Albreghs’ Pilates journey first began after undergoing a major surgery in 1999. Leonieke used Pilates as part of her rehabilitation after surgery. In 2000, after years of continuous studies and teaching in health clubs, she discovered STOTT PILATES^® and became inspired to further her education in the method. Building on her background as an aerobics, dance and school teacher in The Netherlands, she was keen to share with others the knowledge that had eased her pain. Leonieke’s extensive Pilates education and teaching experience began in 2008 while living in The Netherlands. She has since moved to The U.K. and has continued to share her passion for teaching STOTT PILATES.

It was not long after that Leonieke’s love, dedication and passion for educating others about Pilates encouraged her to become a Merrithew^® Instructor Trainer in 2016 specializing in STOTT PILATES.

Leslie Braverman is a former professional dancer with a 15-year career performing with leading companies including Cleveland San Jose Ballet, The Richmond Ballet, Oregon Ballet Theatre, and BODYVOX. She trained at the North Carolina School of the Arts, earning the Peabody Scholarship Award, the ARTS Level One Award, and was one of five U.S. dancers sponsored for the Prix de Lausanne.

Introduced to Pilates during her dance training and later to STOTT PILATES^® through injury rehabilitation, Leslie credits the method with restoring her movement and extending her performing career. She became a STOTT PILATES^® Certified Instructor in 1997, an Instructor Trainer in 2000, and a Lead Instructor Trainer in 2012.

Based in Portland, Oregon, Leslie is the co-owner of Pacific Northwest Pilates Education, a long-standing Merrithew^® Licensed Training Center she co-founded with Melanie Byford-Young in 2001. She oversees strategic direction, educational programming, and marketing for the center while teaching courses, workshops, and training programs year-round.

Leslie has presented Merrithew courses and workshops across the United States, Canada, Spain, Japan, and Turkey. In addition to mentoring aspiring instructors, she is passionate about training dancers, athletes, and clients of all ages—blending the artistry and athleticism of her dance background with the science-based foundation of STOTT PILATES.