Our Instructors

MARCIA SHAPIRA (Owner/Senior Instructor)
Marcia is a qualified Pilates teacher and a level 2 member of the Pilates Alliance of Australasia.

She has over 14 years' experience in the fitness industry both in Australia and overseas. She worked for several years as a personal trainer, before she discovered Pilates and never looked back.

"My fascination for Pilates comes from the sense of achievement I witness working with my clients. I define Pilates as being an intelligent method of exercise that fully explores the potential of our bodies."

Marcia personally appreciates how debilitating pain can be and understands the frustrations and difficulties of exercising after an injury. She underwent rehabilitation in 1994 following a car crash left her with multiple fractures. She also suffered a bulged disc after the birth of her first child.

She believes exercise is the only way to fully recover from injury and has a special interest in post-rehabilitation.

Marcia now works with people of all ages and capabilities. She dedicates her time to learning how to make her programs safe, effective and enjoyable. She is passionate about helping others achieve a stronger and healthier body, loves working with pre and postnatal women and loves adapting Pilates to the specific demands of sports.

Academic background: B.A.Phys Ed, Graduate Diploma in Exercise Physiology and Sports Training Certified by the Pilates Body Control Method in Israel, Certificate IV Pilates ITC, Certificate III in Fitness, Mat and Reformer Training - Stott Pilates Method in Australia.

MIYUKI FUKUDA
Miyuki is a fully certified Pilates instructor with over six years' experience.

She comes from a dancing background and first studied Pilates while pursuing her dance career in New York, where she danced professionally for three years.

After moving back to Japan, she continued to dance and teach mat classes for a further two years until she decided to complete her "Peak Pilates" comprehensive training.

She worked in the Pilates Alliance of Tokyo for almost four years alongside Peak Pilates master trainers and was awarded "excellent Pilates instructor of the year" two years in a row.

Miyuki has a friendly outgoing personality, yet is firm, determined and passionate about motivating clients to achieve their training goals.

MELISSA TURNOCK (Senior Instructor)
Melissa is a fully certified Pilates Instructor, holding a Level 3 Professional Practitioner level membership with the Australian Pilates Method Association (APMA).

She entered Pilates in 1998 to seek help for her ongoing back pain. She fell in love with the method after realising Pilates as a way of life that could keep her pain free by teaching her how to manage the physical discomfort associated with her scoliosis.

In 2003 she underwent her Graduate Certificate Pilates training at the University of Technology, following this up in 2006 with a Certificate IV through Pilates International.

Before this, she worked as a Speech Pathologist focusing on stroke and brain injury rehabilitation.

She is currently completing her remedial massage training at Nature Care College and sits on the Council of the APMA. She takes an active role in the ongoing professional development of certified Pilates instructors.

She lives locally with her son, husband and their ageing Golden Retriever. In her spare time she is a prolific blogger on her site www.PilatesScene.com.

FIONA SINGLETON
Fiona is a fully certified Pilates Instructor and member of the Pilates Alliance of Australia. She worked as a high school teacher for eight years before applying her teaching skills to her favourite form of exercise - Pilates.

Fiona practised Pilates for many years, being drawn to its holistic approach to strengthening and stretching both the mind and the body.

She completed her Certificate IV in Pilates Instruction in May 2006 with Pilates ITC and upgraded this qualification to a Diploma of Professional Pilates Instruction.

Soon after, Fiona gave birth to her first child and her second child arrived just 21 months later. This firsthand experience of pre and postnatal Pilates has led Fiona to have a special interest in this area, as well as a deep conviction of the benefits of Pilates to mothers.

She loves that no matter what their body type, anyone can be stronger, healthier and more flexible through Pilates.

Fiona is determined to help others experience these benefits and achieve their individual goals.