Freedom of movement is a gift that we want to share with everybody. The strength, flexibility, posture and core stability developed through regular Pilates practice, will transform your body, paving the way to pain free, ease of movement.
Our Story
Lark Pilates grew organically out of a collaboration between highly experienced, well known South London teachers. Rooted in the local community, we take pride in fostering genuine connections and investing in students to enable them to experience freedom and strength in their bodies.
Blending the foundations of classical Pilates with innovative, dynamic teaching, our team bring seek to embed the fundamental aspects of Pilates into both mind and body, enabling control, strength, balance and stability into your everyday,
Meet the Team
Cat Lane
Cat trained under master teacher Nicole Sinoff at the Pilates Centre, South Africa,
Initially introduced to Pilates as a way of maintaining her body during her career for in the West End and Internationally, Cat developed a passion for how regular practice had the ability to free, reshape and deeply strengthen the body. Having taught freelance in many studios across London, privately for over 10 years she then went on to set up her own practice formerly Precise Pilates and now reborn as Lark Pilates.
Her classes blend a creative, holistic approach whilst incorporating proper Pilates technique. Her many years spent as a dancer have given her a deep understanding and personal experience of injury prevention and rehabilitation which has been further deepened by working alongside many Physiotherapists as a Pilates lead. She specialises in full equipment Pilates, Pre and Postnatal certified by Mama's Pilates and has recently found joy in working with stroke rehabilitation.
Diveen Henry
Diveen trained with Body Control Pilates qualifying in 2013. Her talent as a teacher was obvious and her passion for Pilates continued to grow. She also works as an actress, which makes her an open and natural communicator. this coupled with her own personal experience of pain and her own journey through Pilates, gives her a real empathy and understanding of her students.
Her effervescent personality means her classes are uplifting, stimulating, full of laughter and always challenging. Her teaching is guided by precision and focus and she has a genuine desire to help students achieve their own personal goals.
Danka Schoen
With vast experience teaching Pilates all over London, Danka has a particular passion for reformer Pilates and the creativity and huge benefits it brings to students.
Expect huge and energy and fun in her sessions as her creative flare as an artist, keep her sessions creative and engaging.
She loves to support women's body through every stage and is trained in pre/postnatal, also work with menopause symptoms, digestive issues and illness recovery. She is currently studying hormonal yoga which enhances her practice even further.
Nicole Arend
Nicole discovered Pilates 25 years ago and trained with internationally renowned Body Control Pilates and the Lisa B Academy where she trained as Level 3 Body Control Pilates Instructor, in advanced Classical Pilates, level 3 in bone health, Ante and Postnatal and in full Reformer training.
She is passionate about Pilates and sharing its benefits with as many people as possible! In particular, she enjoys seeing clients improve and watching individuals or a class learn to execute flowing sequences with beautiful form and control.
Daniel Baird
Daniel first came into contact with Pilates while studying for his degree in Contemporary Dance at the Laban Centre in London. Many years of Mat and equipment classes gave him a strong foundation in Pilates and an appreciation for the deep strength and coordination it could give one. Working as a professional contemporary dancer gave him a vast knowledge of the body moving and even more importantly good teaching practice.
Daniel is also deeply involved in Capoeira, teaching classes to adults and children to the present day. This has given him a massive wealth of teaching experience which informs my Pilates teaching.
Having completed his Pilates training under Body Harmonics Pilates Method with Camilla Pasetto at Light Centre Monument, he has continued to train also completing the Body Harmonics Vertical Pilates Teaching Repertoire in January 2018 and Body Harmonics Pre & Post Natal Pilates Teaching Repertoire. Local to West Norwood, Daniel developed his practice at The Pilates Education Studio run by Matthew Attwell then continuing on to take his Pilates Reformer teaching Diploma.
Kate Yakuba
Katerina is a trained STOTT Reformer Pilates instructor based in Bromley.
She has a strong background in movement, including over 10 years of experience teaching stretching, functional training, and body awareness.
Reformer Pilates has allowed Kate continue to deepen her knowledge alongside anatomy and biomechanics courses.
Her teaching style is inspired and informed by her background in rhythmic gymnastics which her given her a life long passion for helping people move with ease, strength, and alignment.
Béthany Martinéz
With a deep background as a professional dancer and dance teacher, Béthany Martínez brings a unique and comprehensive approach to her work as a certified Mat and Reformer Pilates teacher. Based in South London and with roots in Uruguay and Brazil, Béthany has an extensive career spanning over 15 years in contemporary and Latin American dance.
Her passion for the human body and its potential led her to become a Pilates instructor, training with HFE to deepen her expertise. She is also an E-RYT 200h yoga teacher, and holds a Bachelor's Degree in Dance Education and an MA in Expanded Dance Practice from the London Contemporary Dance School (UAL). Béthany is dedicated to creating a safe and empowering environment for every student. Her goal is to help individuals cultivate a profound appreciation for their bodies, promoting a transformative journey of self-discovery through mindful movement.
Amy Schirlbauer
Amy is a multi disciplined movement artist and teacher, originally from the USA. As a former professional contemporary dancer she has been a passionate student herself of Pilates and Yoga since she was a young teen. She came to London in 2008 to attend Trinity Laban and has been teaching Pilates & Yoga throughout London since 2010. She completed her Pilates training in the USA with The Pilates Sports Center. As a mum she is particularly fascinated by the birthing experience and is Pre/Post Natal certified with The Center for Women’s Fitness Carolyne Anthony. She loves guiding all class participants into finding movements of both flow and strength within their bodies.
Angela Merlino
Angela is a certified Stott Pilates instructor, Classically trained in Comprehensive Pilates following The Pilates Centre Education method in Boulder, CO. She studied Transpersonal Psychology which allows her to read and have a deeper understanding of her clients. Angela also works with injury, joint replacement and body alignment and has a wide knowledge about joints and bone structure. She is a qualified Clinic Pilates teacher by APPI.
After a career in fashion, Angela came to London and became interested in body and movement. After many years of practising yoga, and performing in Aerial Dance, she discovered Pilates. Her experience as a yogi and dancer background has influenced her approach to the practice of Classical pilates.
Angela’s teaching style is intuitive and focuses on challenging and uncovering the nature of movement. She coaches her students on developing a deeper awareness of movement and strength, going beyond functional pilates training, towards integration of the whole body, mind and spirit. Her approach is holistic and Transpersonal working towards greater freedom within self.
Abhinay Pawar
Born in India, the land of spirituality, he has been a passionate volleyball player and other athletic activities since his early youth.
Abi introduced Pilates into his daily lifestyle to recover from a severe lower back injury.
He is an Authentic Method Pilates Trainer with 4 years of experience teaching Essential to Advance Reformer Pilates, Chair, Barrel, Cadillac, and mat Pilates workouts, leading groups and 1 to1 classes, he works with Contemporary and Classical Repertoire.
He specialised in athletic conditions focusing on developing strength in all types of bodies and Special Populations and all common conditions that can be involved like Joint replacement, osteoporosis, and herniated disc.
Debra Logan
Debra’s BASI Pilates training gave her a deep understanding of the principles of Pilates - strength, versatility, flexibility, functional and precision of movement, whilst drawing deeply on mental focus to create rhythm and flow.
Expect her dynamic classes to be varied and creative, to challenge both mind and body. She will challenge your entire body in her sessions, starting with simple movements and developing into more complex and limitless routines.
She encourages her students to focus on executing the movement correctly so all muscle groups engage and balance naturally and caters to the individuals potential, with regular use of Pilates props to gain a deeper connection and add variation and energy that results in a longer, leaner body with improved posture and overall wellbeing - stronger both inside & out!