Lead Instructor Trainers

Connie discovered Pilates while earning her BA in Dance at York University in Toronto, Ont. She received her full STOTT PILATES^® Certification in 1997 and later became a Merrithew^® Lead Instructor Trainer. Connie co-founded The Pilates Body Studio in Mississauga, Ont. which is now a Merrithew Licensed Training Center. Connie has fueled her passion for teaching movement as an avenue to improved health by continuing her studies in anatomy, biomechanics and physiology at the Canadian College of Osteopathy. As an Osteopathic Manual Practitioner, Connie is inspired daily by her patients and their journey to achieving health and ease of movement. Connie is a member of the Ontario Osteopathic Association.

Daniela González Ares is a Lead Instructor Trainer for Merrithew^® specializing in STOTT PILATES^®, Total Barre^® and ZEN•GA^® and is owner of Complete Body Movement in Ireland a Merrithew Licensed Training Center. Residing in Dublin since 1994, Daniela (called Dani by friends and family), was born to Spanish parents in the Netherlands and is a fluent speaker in various languages. She has always been interested in sport, particularly in swimming, karate, gymnastics and horse riding. Unfortunately Daniela suffered a horse-riding accident in her early twenties, which indirectly led her back to the gym, and a move to Ireland led her to STOTT PILATES. Daniela owns a personal training and Pilates Studio called AJNA in Dublin, is a certified gyrotonic instructor, certified yoga instructor, massage therapist and pink ribbon instructor. In 2012 Daniela received the award for Outstanding Personal Achievement by Merrithew.

With Bachelors and Masters degrees in Electrical Engineering, David worked for fifteen years designing computer chips for Intel Corporation. He was first introduced to Pilates in 2000 by a Physical Therapist as a cross training method for cycling and mountain bike racing. With a strong technical background, he was fascinated with the precision, biomechanics and effectiveness of the method. He pursued instructor training with several organizations before choosing the STOTT PILATES^® method and becoming a fully certified instructor. Passionate about Pilates, David changed career paths and became a STOTT PILATES^® Instructor Trainer in 2004. After teaching the program in Northern California for several years, he founded DFX Pilates which serves as the Merrithew^® Licensed Training Center for the Sacramento region. David became a Merrithew Lead Instructor Trainer in 2016.

Debra began her journey with STOTT PILATES^® after experiencing 18 years of chronic pain from injuries sustained in a car accident. She immediately took a liking to the STOTT PILATES method, realizing it was the only modality that actually worked to heal her body. Becoming a Full Certified Instructor in 2005 and an Instructor Trainer in 2006, her STOTT PILATES training is complemented by a background in dance and gymnastics. She is now a Merrithew^® Lead IT.

She works with people in all states of health, wellness, recovery and restoration, including high level athletes. Debra was chosen to work with touring Cirque de Soleil performers in 2013, and in 2014 she began to travel annually to Korea to provide STOTT PILATES professional training for enthusiastic Korean students.

Debra revels in learning about new, innovative mind-body modalities and anatomy. This is exemplified by her enthusiasm and leadership in ZEN•GA^®, Merrithew Fascial Movement, and other mindful movement modalities. She has been immersed in the study of fascia for over ten years and is consistently successful with client concerns, addressing complex dysfunction through a fascial lens.

Elizebeth’s career in the fitness industry began as an ACE certified personal trainer and her interest in Pilates initially began as a pursuit to discover how Pilates could help improve her father’s golf game. Elizebeth became fascinated by the STOTT PILATES^® approach and its accessibility for all levels. She then expanded on her fitness education to include becoming a STOTT PILATES Certified Instructor in 2004 and then a Merrithew^® Lead Instructor Trainer specializing in STOTT PILATES. In 2009, Elizebeth received the distinction of Merrithew IT Rookie of the Year. Her fascination and dedication to continuing education inspires her to continuously learn more about the discipline.

As the Chair of the Maggie Allesee Department of Dance in the College of Fine Arts at Wayne State University, Eva’s primary research is in education, pedagogy, teaching methodology and dance science. Her courses in Dance Kinesiology and Movement Analysis reflect her interest in the integration of body and mind conditioning for dancers. Eva was recently named a Merrithew^® Lead Instructor Trainer for STOTT PILATES^®. She has also achieved Level 1 Certification in Gyrotonic^® and apprentice level in Gyrokinesis. Eva is a dancer, choreographer, gifted professor and mentor to new STOTT PILATES instructors at Equilibrium.

Gidget began her career in movement while performing in musical theater. Her love of dance gave way to a passion for fitness. She was a personal trainer for many years before she turned to the more mindful movements of yoga and Pilates. She opened her Pilates studio in the Dallas area in 2003. From 2012 to early 2018, she owned the Merrithew^® Licensed Training Center in the Dallas area. In 2016, Gidget was designated a Merrithew Lead Instructor Trainer. This has been the honor of her career. She considers teaching and educating her gift to give, and actively mentors students both during and after they complete their education programs.

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

Holly was introduced to Pilates through her passion for dance, and she has always been intrigued by how the body moves. Now, she has over 16 years of experience teaching Pilates.

Offering a wealth of experience in working with diverse clientele from professional athletes to those in rehabilitation, Holly is dedicated to helping others live healthier lives and support other students in mastering skills required to become successful fitness professionals.

Holly is driven to share her knowledge and enthusiasm with other teachers. In addition to regularly publishing on her own blog, her written work has appeared in publications such as Pilates Style Magazine and she has contributed two books. She is also a regular contributor to important industry online platforms such as PilatesIntel, Pilates-Pro, PilatesPal, and Profitable Pilates. Holly designed a Pilates Prenatal App that accumulated over 85,000 downloads in the first year—she is currently working on creating its sequel.

Because of her love for continuous learning, Holly has a host of certifications and trainings under her belt. She became a Merrithew^® Lead Instructor Trainer in 2016 after receiving her STOTT PILATES^® certification in 2001 and becoming an Instructor Trainer for Merrithew, specializing in STOTT PILATES in 2011. Additionally, she is a Lead Instructor Trainer for Merrithew Fascial Movement (2017), CORE^™ (2013) and Total Barre^® (2015). Holly holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance from the University of Michigan, and a Masters of Fine Arts in Choreography and Performance from Mills College in Oakland, California.

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.