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"The whole country, the whole world should be doing my exercises. They’d be happier". - Joseph Pilates, 1965
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Elisabetta Vangelista

Hi, I am Elisabetta!
My Pilates journey started many years ago, when I worked as finance professional in London. Pilates was my escape after long working hours spent at the desk and a pretty hectic life.

When I moved to Luxembourg, nearly six years ago, the Pilates community was small and my plans moved fast onto teaching. Today, I am 3rd generation classic Pilates teacher, one of the few in the world who learned from ‘the elders’, who in turn learnt the method directly from Joseph Pilates in the early 50s in New York.

Today, I remain connected to my finance community.
I teach in my own boutique studio in Merl and at UrbanLeaf Limpertsberg.

I am a passionate coach, I believe everyone deserves one-to-one attention, getting you find your best form is my ultimate objective. I practice Pilates every day. It is through my own practice and teaching that I continue to learn to bring you the best Pilates. I teach classical Pilates on GRATZ. original apparatus from the USA that you will not find anywhere else in Luxembourg. In my classes, expect intense physical efforts with single-focused concentration. Experience after only a few sessions how the body changes. Find your own way to a whole new body makeover.

€90 per person

1-on-1

  • Refine the technique
  • Invest in your health
  • GRATZ Apparatus
  • Studio Mat
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€50 per person

Duet

  • Friends / Couples
  • Grouped by Level
  • GRATZ Apparatus
  • Studio Mat
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Members / Drop-In

Group

  • At Urban Leaf Studio
  • Up to 10 people per group
  • Every Tuesday and Saturday
  • Mat and small equipment
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What is Pilates

It is a method that was invented in the 1950s by Joseph Pilates, an ex-boxer, born and brought up in Germany. He invented the "Contrology", the art of control in movement, based on a balanced Body and Mind, eventualy drawn from the early Greeks and Romans ("mens sana in corpore sano"). He found that with the effective removal of gravity he could better align the pelvis and the torso during exercise, what we call today "the Stack" or "the Box", a pillar tenet in Pilates. J. Pilates had a studio at 939 Eighth Avenue in New York, right opposite the American Ballet at the time. He transformed the method to train ballerinas and that made it fluid and choreographic.

J. Pilates invented the "Pilates Apparatus". With the help of his brother he built the Reformer, Cadillac, Barrells, Wunda and Electric Chair. The company still exists and it is called GRATZ.
GRATZ remains today the only manufacturer in the world of certified Pilates equipment that guarantees J. Pilates standards.

The teachers who learnt directly from J. Pilates are ‘the elders’. I am a descendant teacher of Romana Krysanoska, who taught my own coach, Patricia Medros.

Still now, Classic Pilates is a mix of boxing, ballet, circus, yoga, gymnastics, hence its strenuous intensity.

*Source: "Caged Lion" (J.H.Steel), "Pilates return to life through contrology" (J. Pilates and W. Miller).

Teacher's Training Program

Becoming a Pilates Mat instructor from a program that that meets the eligibility requirements for NPCP Pilates Mat Certification as well as grants Classic Pilates heritage.
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Pre-Pilates Mat

It is based on breathing, client assessment, getting familiar with the body anatomy via practice, strengthening the body with isometric exercises to get to do Pilates exercises, it is performed with props (bands, yoga blocks, elastic bands), small Barrell and Magic Circle to learn mechanical movements of Pilates. The exercises are the ‘mother’ of Classic Pilates Mat repertoire, broken into segments to make it accessible to all levels, every body. Total 100 hours after which you will sit an exam to gain a certificate of Mat completion.

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Classic Pilates Mat

It is the Classic repertoire 34 exercises from Joseph Pilates Return to Life. It covers history of the Pilates method. Total 100 hours of teaching/lessons/practice/observation/homework plus self-practice. You will sit an exam to gain a diploma of Classic Pilates Mat instructor and will be able to take the NCPC Pilates Mat Exam to obtain the NPCP-PMC (link).
You can bridge to this program, if you have a Mat Pilates certificate from a recognised school or you need Pre-Pilates Mat certificate.

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Reformer on Mat

It is for existing Pilates Mat instructors, wishing to introduce apparatus in their education. You will train on Reformer and Mat, using props to simulate a Reformer, if you don’t have apparatus. It covers Foundation exercises from Reformer repertoire. Total 100 hours of teaching/lessons/practice/observation/homework plus self-practice.
You will sit an exam to gain a certificate of completion of Reformer on Mat. You can bridge to earn Reformer apparatus diploma.

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Pilates is about finding the right balance of strength and muscles for the individual. It is not about absolute performance, though it can take you to athletic objectives.
Pre-foundation exercises are designed for this purpose. Strength builds session by session and with regular practice.
This really depends on individual basis. Generally, changes in your body become visible within  a few sessions, provided you keep a regular nutritional plan and practice.
We will work on pre-foundation Mat exercises to build strength. We will then pass onto Reformer, Chair and Barrells. After the first lesson, most clients feel a general sense of wellbeing.
The more the stronger and the quicker, yet 10 to 20 minutes a day of intense exercise in between your weekly lessons is ideal.
Pilates is now widely used as complementary to physiotherapy for post-injury rehabilitation. In some countries it is offered at medical surgeries as support to treatments such as back pain, sciatica and herniated discs.
Pilates is not designed for weight loss. However, weight loss is often the result of regular Pilates activity thanks to a general sense of well-being it stimulates.

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