Club Pilates

Bios

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  Charlie Qureshi

  Lead Instructor/Master Trainer

  Charlie is a passionate Pilates instructor with over 16 years experience. She began her love for Pilates as a dance major attending the Virginia Governor’s School for the Arts. Following her heart to pursue acting, she moved to California and soon after earned her Pilates certification through the PhysicalMind Institute. Now a Master Trainer with Barre Above and a Master Trainer with Club Pilates, she enjoys guiding others to becoming the best teachers they can be. What started as her back up career soon took over as she realized her calling was to help others to develop intelligent and loving relationships with their bodies. Movement is what moves her! Charlie is here to help you discover the wonders of Pilates and become even better connected with your physical self. She will be by your side every step of the way, providing you with innovative, fun and challenging workouts each time you attend her class!

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  Banks Cooney

  Instructor

  As a former classical ballet dancer, certified yoga instructor, Kinesiology graduate, barre instructor, and a certified Pilates instructor, Banks Cooney has intrinsic knowledge of the body, and how movement can transform the bodies health and well being through exercise. Banks started her formal dance training at The Alabama Ballet. She danced on scholarship as an apprentice with The Next Generation Ballet in Tampa, Florida. She was in the ensemble with The Miami City Ballet. She danced on a full scholarship at The University of Arizona and continued her career with Ballet Austin. While dancing all over the U.S. Banks formed a love and appreciation for Pilates. Doing Pilates on a regular basis she found that her chronic problems and pains were no longer an issue, she was able to train and perform at a higher level. Banks enjoys all forms of exercise, but feels the staple of true core and strength in mind and body connection is in the Pilates practice.

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  Erin Finney

  Instructor

  Erin has had a lifelong love for all forms of movement and athletics. She began with ballet, soccer, and softball as a youngster and eventually enjoyed high school varsity basketball, track, and dance. After exploring bodybuilding for a decade, she stumbled into a yoga class and began a consistent yoga practice, including teaching, at Yoga Yoga in Austin, Texas. In 2013, Erin walked into her first Pilates class at Joymoves in Austin, Texas and knew she had found the perfect movement practice blending low impact strength training and body, mind, and breath connection for full body fitness. After a year of consistently practicing the challenging classical Pilates repertoires, she was thrilled with the noticeable results in her muscle and core strength, posture, and body awareness. As an instructor, Erin strives to share her passion for Pilates with students through effective and challenging workouts designed around the classical repertoires. She earned her Comprehensive Certification through Peak Pilates and has apprenticed at Joymoves and Redbird Pilates in Austin, Texas.

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  Sarah Knenlein

  Instructor

  Sarah grew up in Alexandria, VA and started her fitness journey as a spin instructor and bodybuilder in college. After college, she was exposed to Pilates in D.C. and continued taking classes as she moved across the country to Los Angeles. She started her journey with Club Pilates in Culver City as a sales representative and when she moved to Austin she began her Pilates teacher training with Balanced Body. As an instructor, Sarah loves seeing clients grow and accomplish their fitness goals and she hopes to bring the same welcoming and empowering atmosphere to new and seasoned clients. Outside of the studio, Sarah spends her time working on metal sculptures and exploring the hidden gems of Austin.

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  Lyz Rausch

  Instructor

  Lyz was born and raised in Austin and therefore undoubtedly exposed to the athletic lifestyle that this city is famous for. Lyz joined the academy at Ballet Austin in 1990 at age four. Pilates first came into her life at age eight during her first year in Summer Intensive at Ballet Austin. In addition to close to twenty years of dancing ballet, she was enrolled in jazz for ten years at Ballet Austin, dabbled in tap and gymnastics, and immersed herself in yoga at Castle Hill for ten years. Lyz accomplished her first Pilates certification in December of 2006 and soon following, launched a new phase in her beloved career. The compassion she holds for those who are subject to physical pain like she was as a dancer is what drives her to instruct Pilates. Making this low-impact exercise regimen routine in her life lessoned the aching and cramping of muscles. She has a passion for helping others find relief so they may live without the frustration of constantly hurting, while at the same time finding equilibrium and strength. Lyz is certified in both Balance Body and Power Pilates.

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  Eve Springer

  Instructor

  Eve began seriously pursuing her love of movement at the age of 23 when she began training in the dance program at U.T. Austin. When she achieved her BA in dance from U.T. Austin, she left feeling frustrated that she still had not learned how to use her body properly. In 2006 she found the inspiring work of Joseph pilates and trained with Wendy Leblanc at The Pilates Center of Austin! That is when she finally made the connections in her own body that she had seen in other dancers. After spending many years being the last one to "get it", she is now extremely passionate about sharing these realizations with others. As an instructor teaching a wide variety of pilates clients Eve has watched each and every one gain a new relationship with their body. Broadly speaking, this relationship respects the bodies intelligence, is patient, listens, and is able to enjoy and appreciate the gift of movement in a physical body! Watching people learn about the brilliance of their own body in motion gives her true joy and satisfaction. She can’t wait to open the world of pilates up with you!

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  Adela Garcia

  Instructor

  Adela has been a Certified Personal Trainer since the year 2000. She was born and raised in Houston, Tx, and worked for an all women’s fitness studio as a trainer and manager for 13 years. While at the studio, she obtained certifications in Pilates, Stretch to Win Stretch Therapy Level 2 and Aqua Fitness Training. She had an integral part in bringing Pilates, TRX and Stretch Therapy to the studio. Adela branched out on her own in 2013 and started her own Bootcamp, in-home Personal Training business and continued stretching clients. She became certified in group fitness and taught classes at two Club Corp clubs located in downtown Houston. Adela moved to Austin in November 2017 and pursued her Balanced Body Pilates Certification, completing the required 500 hours and becoming certified in 2019. Outside of the studio, Adela is a dog mom of two fur kids, two rescue pups. She is a huge animal lover and an advocate for rescue animals and volunteers with animal rescue organizations. Now over 50 years of age, she truly understands the importance of staying fit and healthy. She achieves this by running, Cross Fit and of course, Pilates. She enjoys the outdoors and even loves our hot humid weather! So Austin is a perfect fit for her!

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  Bonnie Hixon

  Instructor

  In her former career, Bonnie did a lot of traveling and spent way too many hours on airplanes, wearing heels and standing on her feet for often 12 hours in a day. She suffered from constant back and hip pain, and tried everything to find relief. She didn’t know much about Pilates, but when a studio opened just minutes from her house, she reluctantly decided to give it a try! Pilates was a godsend for Bonnie, and after her first class, she was hooked. After three months, she was pain free, and after six months, she knew that teaching Pilates would be her second career – Bonnie 2.0. There’s nothing more rewarding for her than helping others find flexibility, strength, relief and a mental peace despite life’s challenges.