Director: Lisa Minett
About Lisa
Lisa has worked as a professional performing artist and educator for over 20 years. Having worked extensively in Australia as a dancer and choreographer, Lisa headed to the USA to take up a full acting scholarship. She obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Theatre Performance) from the University of Florida, graduating with Highest Honours. Whilst in the USA, Lisa performed in Broadway regional theatres, choreographed numerous musical productions, and began working as a university lecturer in acting and movement.
Her desire to help actors find creative enjoyment and physical freedom through a greater understanding of the physical body led her back to Australia where she became the Head of Movement and Dance for NIDA. Her approach to the physical body has been through her dancers discipline and her yoga philosophies. She now embarks on a journey to share with everyone the importance of a strong physical presence in achieving their professional goals. She is an experienced and dedicated Yoga teacher, inspiring personal trainer and renowned dance teacher.
Studio Manager: Bec Bainger
About Bec
Bec Bainger is the manager at MMS and a passionate instructor who loves educating and inspiring clients to move in a way that feels great and works for their bodies. With a background as a professional stunt woman for television and film, contemporary dancer and physical theatre performer, she holds a Bachelor of Dance Performance, Performing Arts Diploma and is a qualified Pilates, Barre, Group Fitness and Pre and Postnatal Fitness Trainer.
Bec has 17 years of experience teaching and believes there is nothing more rewarding than being apart of a client’s journey to wellness. “I was initially drawn to Pilates through my dance injuries and used it to help rehabilitate my body. This insight and experience helped give me a unique set of skills in delivering effective fitness programs, providing the client with positive results.”
Studio Coordinator: Georgia Lagore
About Georgia
Pilates Program Director: Virginia Annese
About Virginia
Virginia has a background in dance and classical ballet. Discovering dance at 3 yrs old, she studied full time profession ballet at The National Ballet school Melbourne as a teenager.
She discovered Pilates through a knee injury during this time at 14 and has been practicing Pilates for over 30 years now including through two pregnancies and beyond.
Virginia holds a Cert IV in reformer and mat Pilates from Breathe Education and has taught Pilates locally for the past five years.
Aimee Schollum
About Aimee
Aimee is a Melbourne based, New Zealand born instructor, dancer, choreographer and graphic designer.
She has been teaching extensively for the last 12 years and comes with a wealth of experience and knowledge across Dance, Pilates, Barre and Yoga. Aimee also holds a Diploma of Dance and Honours Degree in Art and Design. She has created three independent dance works and is currently a finalist for The Australian Ballet Telstra Emerging Choreographer.
Ailsa Woodhouse
About Ailsa
Ailsa first discovered Pilates in 2008 and immediately connected with the method. Previously prone to a string of injuries, Pilates taught Ailsa how to gain strength without pain or injury and gain confidence in movement. An obsession turned into a career when Ailsa left behind her previous work as a geologist and undertook a Diploma of Polestar Pilates studio and Rehabilitation Method and has now been teaching for close to 10 years. Ailsa has specialist training in pre and postnatal Pilates and extensive rehabilitation experience. Her style of teaching is focused and attentive. She’s always keen on helping you get more out of your class. Ailsa is grateful to have been able to find a career she is passionate about and loves the process of constantly learning and expanding her knowledge around movement.
Maja Jadrijevic
About Maja
Maja’s journey has been a journey woven with dedication and resilience. Years of unwavering self-work have led her to the present, where she stands as a Reiki Master, Yoga Teacher, esteemed Member of Yoga Australia, accredited Reiki Master Teacher and the National Coordinator of Reiki Share Day at Reiki Australia.
Maja finished her 200 YTT in Melbourne in 2019 and has been teaching ever since. Under the guidance of her mentor Jules Jenkinson, she developed unique expression of her classes. Being on her spiritual path for many years now, she is very passionate about yoga philosophy and the fact that yoga is not just a physical activity, but a spiritual practice, so you can expect ancient yoga teachings woven into each class.
Maja’s favourite style of yoga is dynamic, playful and dance like flow, inspired by Prana Vinyasa. The focus of the classes is on connection of breath, movement and transitions. You can expect creative sequences that will allow your body to flow in new directions and immerse yourself inti the moving meditations.
Maja teaches that the way we move on our mat should be the way we move outside of our mat.
Tara Buhagiar
About Tara
Tara Buhagiar has been a student and teacher of yoga for nearly twenty years. In 2008 she expanded into meditation. She practiced various traditions until finding her love for mindfulness meditation.
Tara’s classes explore how mindful movement, stillness, pranayama and meditation can cultivate healing and transformation. She enjoying holding space for students to dive deeply into their own practice. Tara is grateful to guide students on their yoga journey.
She is a certified Mindfulness Meditation Teacher and certified in Hatha, Yin and Restorative Yoga. Tara is passionate about teaching mindfulness workshops and courses and feels privileged to also be a Yoga Teacher Training Facilitator. She has a BA in Communications, is certified by The Society for Holistic Therapists and Yoga Alliance.
Sahar Babazade
About Sahar
Sahar is a highly trained Pilates instructor with an international certification from Polestar Pilates and is a qualified Fitness instructor.
Sahar’s passion for Pilates was born through her battles with the condition known as Fibromyalgia. Upon commencing Pilates, she noticed an instant improvement in her sleeping patterns and the practice enabled her to lead a happy and pain-free life.Sahar continues to follow her passion and has devoted her life to sharing the gift of Pilates with more and more individuals every day. She encourages her clients to become their best selves through exercise of both mind and body.
In Sahar’s class, you will benefit from her extensive experience with an emphasis on form and technique. You will gain more strength and body awareness as well as noticed improvements in posture, flexibility, and balance.
Annie Manos
About Annie
Annie began her yoga journey as an Iyengar student and loved the non-competitive environment her teacher and classes offered. 20 years later, she completed her yoga teaching diploma 350 hrs with AYA to deepen her practice and find knowledge and healing.
Her teaching approach fuses east and west. Respecting the traditions of yoga, an interest in philosophy and a passion for the health sciences, she also brings 26 years of operating theatre experience to inform the base of her classes.
Annie’s presence as a teacher is to hold a space of kindness, openness, possibility and self-exploration. Her classes are creative, dynamic and holistic, encouraging clients to be their authentic selves and be present in the moment.
Carlee Mellow
About Carlee
Carlee has been teaching yoga for over 20 years. She was a Senior Teacher at Power Living in Sydney for 10 years, teaching Power Vinyasa, Align, Yin, myofascial release classes and various workshops. She was responsible for staff training and development as a Performance Coach and facilitated yoga teacher trainings. She completed her Bachelor of Dance, performed professionally as a contemporary dancer and choreographer for over 20 years and taught at prestigious institutions including the Victorian College of the Arts, UNSW and companies Chunky Move and Sydney Dance Company. Most recently she completed her Master in Physiotherapy and currently works in private practice in Flinders Lane.
Carlee draws from her experience as a dancer and physiotherapist to deliver a creative class using intelligent sequencing principles to build the practice safely and effectively. This allows people to develop the necessary resources – breath, strength, resilience and insight – to embody the practice and move with freedom and confidence.
“By tapping into the intelligence of the body and moving with intention, we give the mind time to rest and as a result stillness and clarity emerge. We create a flow state where we feel connected and at ease. It is in this state that we experience yoga and we make an important distinction – The practice is not separate from us – we are the practice.”
Janelle Kingsley
About Janelle
Janelle felt called to study yoga almost 20 years ago. Through yoga, she deepened her inner wisdom, accessed further vitality and nourished her soul.
Janelle is trauma-informed in her approach and guides practices in Vinyasa, Hatha, Yin, meditation and somatic movement. She has undertaken various trainings over the years, and is currently continuing studies with world-renowned teachers like Dr Peter Levine in Integrative Somatic Trauma Therapy.
She is an Ambassador for The Yoga Impact Charity and describes her classes as joyful, caring and connected.