“Elegant strength, that’s what ballet is…”
I am a professional ballerina and Pilates instructor. My work lives in the space where artistry meets anatomy. For years my days began in a quiet studio and catching up with my best friends while warming up under the barre. Ballet taught me discipline long before I had words for it: the kind that asks you to show up again and again, to listen closely to your body, to refine a movement by a single millimetre and feel the difference everywhere.
Years of intensive full-time ballet training shaped my discipline, work ethic and resilience; beginning my serious training at the Australian Conservatoire of Ballet in Melbourne, Australia, before continuing studies at the John Cranko Schule in Stuttgart, Germany. After graduating I performed with the Norwegian National Ballet in Oslo, Norway, and later joined the Czech National Ballet in Prague, Czech Republic.
On stage, the goal was always effort made invisible. Behind that illusion was a deep, meticulous awareness of how the body organises itself -how the smallest muscles support the grandest gestures. That same awareness now sits at the heart of how I teach Pilates. My work is less about chasing an ideal shape and more about helping you inhabit your own body with clarity, strength and grace.
Pilates was a place where I could strengthen without bracing, realign what performance demanded, and meet my body with more curiosity than criticism.
Ballet gave me a lifelong relationship with precision: where is your weight, how is your breath supporting you, what happens if you shift your focus from your outer shape to the deep muscles that actually hold you up? Pilates offered a language for that precision that anyone can access, regardless of dance background, age or flexibility. It is both technical and deeply human.
I became an instructor when I realised how many people move through the world slightly braced -holding their breath, gripping their shoulders, living just above their bodies. My philosophy is simple: movement should feel like a conversation, not a punishment. In my sessions, we prioritise quality over quantity, sensation over spectacle, and sustainable strength over quick fixes. I want you to leave feeling more at home in your body, not more at war with it.
My Guidance.
My teaching style is precise and intentional, but never rigid. I will absolutely notice if your ribs are quietly flaring or if you are outsourcing all your work to your neck, and I will gently bring you back to what truly supports you. Instead of barking cues, I offer clear imagery and hands-on or verbal adjustments that help you feel the difference in your own body.
I work privately with clients who want tailored support, whether you are recovering from an injury, balancing demanding work, or simply ready to feel stronger and more grounded. I also offer online courses for those who prefer to move from home but still crave thoughtful, high-quality instruction from a Professional Ballerina. In every format, you can expect a grounded, intelligent approach to movement that honors both your body and your life -and learn method I used to keep my body and mind in it’s best form through out my ballet career.
If you feel ready to move with more elegance, strength, and ease -in a way that feels honest to your body- I would be honored to guide you there.
Martelle 