About us
Studio Philosophy
Starting your training at the studio you embark on a journey with your teacher, discovering your needs, and setting your goals. You will become aware of how your movement patterns affect every day life activities. Together with you, a personalised and challenging program is created with the aim to achieve your individual goals. Our staff is very experienced and will offer helpful feedback throughout your sessions. The Pilates method offers a very large amount of exercises, which all have an unlimited number of variations. We encourage you to practice at home and design a small program for you to help to integrate the new movement awareness into daily life.
At Leilas’s Pilates we offer a private studio situation. In your class only you and the Pilates teacher are present in the space. We share our front door with the Fysio Diamond Factory, which allows for close collaboration with their physical therapists as well as their extensive network of health practitioners.
Each staff member at Leila’s Pilates brings their own personal and unique skillsets gained across their individual career and they’ve each been educated through the Polestar Comprehensive Education (www.polestarpilates.com).
About Leila
My personal Pilates career has spanned more than 30 years, which has allowed me to specialize in this field in depth. My interest in Pilates comes from my constant curiosity about movement of the human body and the unique way that harmony in the body can be improved with the Pilates Method.
I have a holistic approach to my work, which has its origin in the many years of education and development in combination with my intuitive nature. The special thing about this work is that everyone is so different, and I continue to find it fascinating to find the right attunement for every person I work with.
Over the past twenty years I have taught many professional dancers, among others at the Nederlands Dans Theater (www.ndt.nl), the Dutch National Ballet (www.operaballet.nl) and the students of the National Ballet Academy. I have also been guiding top athletes in injury recovery and performance improvement for almost ten years.
Since 2010 I represent Polestar Pilates (www.polestarpilates.com) in the Netherlands and as one of their senior teachers I am responsible for training future Pilates teachers.
In collaboration with the Physiotherapy practice ‘Fysio Diamond Factory’ I teach clients with a wide range of complaints and injuries. It remains special for me to be part of the recovery process in people, to see complaints decrease, and thereby contribute to the overall well-being of my customers.
Every year I attend classes and courses. Some of the teachers I’ve been inspired by: Clarice Marshall, Brent Anderson, Elizabeth Larkam, Marie José Blom, Karen Clippenger, Liz Bussey, Deborah Kolwey, Jane Paris, Madeline Black and Jelena Petrovic.
I have also given several major presentations at IADMS, an international organization promoting the science of dancers’ health.
In addition to my long career as a Pilates and floor barre teacher, I am also a certified Vaganova Ballet teacher.
The Team
Ellen Meijer
My name is Ellen Meijer. I am an experienced Pilates and Yoga teacher and training mentor for the Polestar Pilates course in the Netherlands.
My teaching practice is diverse: I work with dancers and athletes, but also with people who are healing from an injury due to illness. From pelvic instability from pelvic problems, lower back, breast cancer, neck and shoulder complaints to burnout complaints. In addition, healthy aging has my attention.
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Leila Kester
My personal Pilates career has spanned more than 30 years, which has allowed me to specialize in this field in depth.
My interest in Pilates stems from my constant curiosity about movement of the human body and the unique way that harmony in the body can be improved with the Pilates Method.
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Karen Gallegos
Pilates focusses on precision of movement. It allows my clients to get to know their bodies better, to improve their posture and to make them feel renewed after class.
I feel enthusiastic about teaching at Leila’s studio because most of my life I have danced ballet and would love to help dancers in their journey, with pilates. It is inspiring being surrounded by great teachers at the studio.
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Georgia Boddez
I was drawn to work with Leila’s Pilates as I have a strong interest in working in 1-on-1 settings. Leila’s offers the perfect setting to facilitate a focused private session which aims to cultivate more body awareness & sensitivity.
Throughout my dance training and all the movement classes I have done in my life, the sessions which have positively changed the way I see myself, my capabilities and my ability to overcome injuries have always been 1-on-1. Your story is important to me, and I hope to be able to create a space where it is welcome to intertwine within our movement sessions.
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Robin Rosa
Robin Rosa is physical therapist at The Diamond Factory. Robin has a professional dance education, and her love for movement brought her to Pilates.
She believes that Pilates improves the self awareness of the body, and augments the physical potential. She uses the Pilates Method during recovery, and for injury prevention. You can train with Robin with or without physical complaints.
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Jorijn Vriesendorp
Jorijn discovered a love for movement through dance early in her life. She has worked professionally as a dancer for over 10 years, performing and teaching internationally.
I will passionately guide my clients with developing strength, mobility and balance. My goal at the end of every class is for people to feel connected with themselves, more flexible and to leave with a soft and open mind.
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