Our People

Absolute Pilates has cultivated a culture of excellence with their team of instructors and body practitioners. Rather then following a dogma of one particular technique, Absolute Pilates embraces the influences of many practices and schools of thought, which is originally how Joseph Pilates began his work. All Absolute instructors have wide backgrounds in the form of movement, hailing from Yoga, Professional Dance, Sports and Fitness. Their styles differ, but one thing remains constant – they are all highly trained and qualified movement practitioners.

The full team includes:

Asho Gevorgyan - Instructor

Asho Gevorgyan has been practicing pilates, Qi Gong and Yoga for 13 years. She trained as a Pilates Instructor with Edna Katz Levey in 2004. Asho has a dance and design background and has taught African Dance in Russia, Australia and NZ. In her classes here at Absolute Pilates the emphasis is on gentle and safe progression of exercises incorporating breathing, relaxation, strengthening, stretching and dynamic movement.

Carla Martell - Instructor

Carla first began her Pilates training as a dancer in London at the Body Control Studios with Alan Herdman. In 1999 she became a trainee instructor in a central Auckland studio and continued to incorporate Pilates principles into her teaching of contemporary dance at the Performing Arts School of New Zealand and in the UNITEC Dance Degree programme. Carla has continued her training with Polestar Pilates Education and currently teaches both private sessions and mat classes throughout Auckland. In her sessions, the emphasis is on a gentle, safe yet dynamic progression of exercises which incorporate a blend of breathing, relaxation, strengthening, stretching and movement.

Clare Luiten - Pilates Foundation UK, Training Instructor

Having recently started a family Clare works mostly behind the scenes at Absolute Pilates. With a passion for all movement, Clare understands how beneficial the Pilates Method can be to enable optimal ability regardless of your goals. Clare teaches the back care class, Mother and Baby, and quietly works to make sure the studio works smoothly and optimally to offer you the best programs, appointments and workshops. She organises and teaches on the Absolute Pilates Teacher Training Program, and is passionate about delivering best practice all round.

David Ashman - Apprentice

David’s involvement with bodywork stretches back over 30 years. During this time he has practiced a range of different modalities that includes Tai Chi, Alexander Technique, Feldenkrais and Holistic Pulsing.
His passion for movement and bodywork practices has grown out of a desire to balance his more sedentary work as a book conservator and a lifelong inquiry into calming an overactive mind.

David completed his Pilates teacher training in November 2009 with Absolute Pilates

Joanne Kelly - Instructor

Joanne was a professional dancer and teacher of dance for over 20 years. She began Pilates to recover from a spinal injury and has first hand experience of the power of Pilates for rehabilitation, strengthening and well-being. Jo's approach is influenced by her Auckland based training with highly regarded Pilates practitioners Edna Katz Levy and Claire Luiten. By combining Pilates, yoga based stretching for flexibility and somatic (body/mind) practices, Jo encourages her clients to find the internal focus and concentration necessary for excellent Pilates practice.

Kim Hyde - Instructor

Kim comes from an athletic back ground and has always been interested in finding effective and creative ways to exercise. She discovered Pilates while searching for a solution to her long standing back pain. Kim has a passion for helping people achieve optimal health and wellbeing and she has found that practising Pilates has greatly improved her posture, flexibility, core strength and body awareness. Kim focuses on breathing, posture, strength, mobility and ideal alignment throughout the whole body while encouraging relaxation and body awareness in every day life.

Kim has a Diploma in Fitness Training which she completed in 2008 and currently divides her time working for Bodywall as a personal trainer as well as teaching Pilates at Absolute Pilates.

Kim completed her Pilates teacher training with Absolute Pilates in 2009.

Samantha Miles - Instructor

Samantha is a PKP certified Kinesiologist and a Pilates instructor. Sam has experience working with active sports and dance people wanting to achieve optimum physical potential, as well as injury rehabilitation and relief of chronic pain. Her approach is unique, in depth and enables her clients the best possible care for rehabilitation and overall well-being. She is also passionate about assisting people with their optimum mental and biochemical health

Seonaid Lyons - Instructor

Seonaid has a strong background in dance, graduating with a UNITEC Bachelor of Performing and Screen Arts, with a major in contemporary dance and an Advanced Diploma in Ballet. She completed her Pilates training with Absolute Pilates in both Matwork and Equipment, and has been working with one to one rehabilitation for the past 2 years. An experienced body practitioner, she has been practising yoga intensively for 11 years and teaching for 5 years. Her sensitive and informative approach combines elements of her extensive experience in various forms of rehabilitative body work including Pilates, Iyengar yoga, Facilitated Partner Stretching, and Alexander Technique.

Sharon Erdrich, Reg Nurse, Naturopath, Medical Herbalist, Health Consultant

Sharon offers health and nutritional expertise to would-be health consultants, health professionals, as well as to private clients.

Sharon is a naturopath and nutritional consultant who has a special interest in weight management, particularly for the benefit in preventing diabetes and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Sharon offers an individually-tailored approach to your health problem and in addition to ensuring adequate nutrition, she believes that effective weight management can be achieved by correcting imbalances that contribute to weight gain, and that fundamental to maintaining a healthy weight is proper nutrition.

Sharon uses advanced pathology testing to identify abnormal function and imbalance and give direction to your treatment including salivary/urinary hormones and fatty acid metabolites.

With an abundance of naturopathic and nutritional knowledge, accumulated over the years on her journey through both alternative and conventional medical systems and her enquiring mind, Sharon can support people with an extremely wide range of health conditions.

Simone De Cunha - Instructor

Simone discovered Pilates whilst studying to be a Personal Trainer, and found the method to be extremely functional and beneficial to both herself and eventually her clients. She went on to study with Stott Pilates in 2002 and in 2005 with Polestar Pilates Education. She has taught both matwork classes and private sessions in both Sydney and Auckland. Simone has a passion for the benefits of Pilates, loves yoga, and understands even more, after welcoming her daughter into the world, the importance of core control and functional strength. Simone strives to make her classes varied, challenging, effective and fun. Simone is also a qualified journalist and communications specialist and created and collated Absolute's press materials alongside Clare.

Sorrel Renton Green - Holistic Massage & Bodywork

Sorrel trained as a holistic therapist in London. She studied holistic massage at the Academy of Natural Health, where she also completed courses in deep tissue, Indian head, on-site, and pulsing massage. She trained as a reflexologist through the Central London School of Reflexology, and as an Energy Healer (Reiki Master) with her teacher in Scotland.

Sorrel is passionate about the holistic approach to health and well-being, and tailors each treatment to address the specific needs and concerns of the individual. She works with the aim of breaking any restrictive patterns and blockages, both physically or mentally, that prevent the individual from fully enjoying and engaging with life

Tanya Hansen - Apprentice

Tanya started practicing Pilates as an alternative to other therapies for her own back and neck pain. After noticing the huge difference it made in her life, she decided to train as in instructor. completing her Pilates teacher training in November 2009 with Absolute Pilates. Tanya has an interest in functional movement and posture and encourages her clients to find correct alignment - whether it be to achieve simple movement without pain, more balance for a sedentary lifestyle or strength for a particular sport.