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4.5 stars | 41 reviews
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4.5 stars | 41 reviews
Owner + Pilates Instructor
In February 2020, the Pilates instructor and former advertising sales exec opened the doors of boutique studio BK Pilates in Charlotte's South End. She'd just landed from New York City, where Meredith and Marina Kaydanova, the founder of BK Pilates NYC, met. Meredith took the BK Pilates workouts with her to the South, introducing a style that's all about alignment and slow, controlled movements for tone, endurance, and good posture. Meredith is a certified Balanced Body instructor with over 12 years of practicing experience. Catch her on the schedule every day but Sunday. She likes to catch up on some sleep and practice some self-care! You may also find her at her local favorite spots, the Waterman or Foxcroft Wine Bar.
Founder + Owner of BK Pilates NY locations
Marina left the corporate world to follow her passion and open her first studio in 2012 in Brooklyn after receiving her Balanced Body certification. Now she splits her time between homes in Charlotte and NYC (Manhattan and Brooklyn). She loves to travel around the world and has two incredible children, Sam (14) and Rachel (4). You'll find her on the schedule Fridays- Mondays at the studio. Her claim to fame? "Make your a$$ an asset, not a liability."
Pilates Instructor
Lexi has been practicing Pilates for over fifteen years. After being injured in a car accident, she turned to Pilates to build strength and increase stability, mobility, and flexibility when traditional physical therapy did not work. Combining her passion for helping others and her love of Pilates, she completed the comprehensive Balanced Body Pilates Certification. Never one to slow down, she then went on to complete her RYT 200-hour yoga teacher training certification, Reiki practitioner certification, and Pilates Method Alliance Certification (PMA) and has plans to continue her education.
Her classes and private sessions offer challenging workouts in a safe and supportive environment. They are designed to ensure you succeed at reaching your health and fitness goals regardless of your age or current fitness level, always leaving you feeling restored, energized, and accomplished.
Our Pilates Pup
Cooper is new to the studio and is always excited to greet you with a puppy kiss!
Pilates Instructor
Kacie found Pilates after a re-injured back left her unable to continue in the high-impact exercises she was used to. After falling in love with the benefits of the method, she decided to make a career change to pursue her passion for Pilates and share those same benefits with others. Through her classes, you can expect an athletic full-body flow, and likely, a growing fondness for planks! Full disclosure: expect her to lose count every time a dog walks by (we know you don't really mind the extra reps)! You can find her on the schedule at our SouthPark location!
Pilates Instructor
Monica was the owner of an executive search firm for 10 years when she discovered pilates. She became so passionate about Pilates that she decided to close her business and further her passion and become an instructor. At a young age she was a competitive gymnast training with the US Olympic team. The focus in gymnastics is form, strength and flexibility. These are same principles that make Pilates her passion. She looks forward to training under Meredith and being part of the BK CLT team.
Pilates Instructor
Faith, a 28 year old new-ish Charlotte transplant that works as a software engineer from 9-5 and a multi-passionate human from 5-9. While she would generally describe herself as a “beautiful potato” in her youth, she's been exploring all kinds of movement from aerial silks to pole dance since 2018. She discovered Pilates a few months before her wedding in 2019, fell in love with it, and got in the best shape of her life! She decided to pursue teaching after encouragement from her peers in the movement community and the absolute passion she feels introducing others to it. Needless to say she made the right choice and she's so pumped to move and shake together. Btw, her favorite body part to work is gluten by far so get ready to bake some cake with her!
Pilates Instructor
Michelle is originally from Florida, where she went to Florida State University… Go Noles! After undergraduate studies, she went on to receive her doctorate degree in physical therapy, and she now actively treats as a physical therapist in Charlotte, NC. She started practicing pilates consistently five years ago when she and her husband moved to Charlotte. She not only enjoyed taking the classes, but she also discovered incredible progress toward her personal goals and was able to start integrating these ideas for therapy patients. By combining Pilates-based principles and functional strength training, she creates a more well-rounded program for individuals and for herself!
Michelle also loves teaching reformer flow classes separately as an instructor. She is passionate about helping individuals improve their strength, stability, and flexibility, as they develop more brain-to-body connections, better understanding movement patterns, and make progress toward their own goals. When she’s not treating or teaching, she enjoys traveling and being outdoors with her husband and labradoodle!
Pilates Instructor
She's spunky, vibrant, and has been shadowing Meredith since the end of 2022. Currently on the fast track to getting comprehensively certified in Balanced Body training. She's completed Mat, Reformer, and Cadillac + Chair training. Barrel up next and last! When not in the studios (which lately is quite often—you can find her at one!), Taylor is a model for Directions USA. And finally, YES, you can find Taylor at BOTH the studios. Get ready for her booty burns.
Pilates Instructor
Abby has been practicing Pilates since 2016. As an early elementary school teacher (who also happened to be obsessed with Pilates), Abby realized her love of teaching went beyond her work with children—and felt passionate about furthering her Pilates practice to instructor training.
Abby loves to teach classical Pilates with a modern twist. She has completed Balanced Body Reformer + Mat Training and is always learning and exploring new ways to move the body. Abby recently had a baby and experienced the incredible benefits of Pilates firsthand, both through childbirth and her postpartum recovery. She cannot wait to move with you!
Pilates Instructor
Joey Hehn began performing at a very young age. A Central Oregon native, she was immersed in the production and performance elements of drama and musical theater in her developmental years. Joey began training in dance at the age of 14. As she progressed, she developed a love for teaching. Joey is classically trained in ballet, tap, jazz, and modern dance. She was a member of the professional tap company Central Oregon Rhythm Project for their 2015 season. She graduated from Belhaven University with a BFA in Dance and a minor in Global Studies.
After ankle surgery, Joey was introduced to Mat and Reformer Pilates as physical therapy in her recovery. She soon became passionate about Pilates and was able to complete her Mat Balanced Body Instructor Training through her university. She became a fully certified Mat instructor in 2022. Joey moved to North Carolina to volunteer with a global anti-human trafficking nonprofit, which she now works for full-time. She began pursuing her Reformer certification in 2023. Joey is so excited to join the BK family and share her passion for holistic health through whole-body movement. If you see her at the studio, please say hello!
Find her at South End on Mondays at 6:30 am and 7:30 am and some weekends starting July 24th. PS: If you liked Olivia Stuart's classes, she may just be your next best thing :)
Pilates Instructor
Rose grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, with a great love for dance and being active. She spent her childhood years dancing competitively until she graduated high school and decided to continue her passion for dance by attending Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles as a Dance major. It was in college where Rose took an interest in Kinesiology and was introduced to the benefits of Pilates. Eventually, it became clear that Pilates was something she wanted to fully incorporate into her life. Rose received her Pilates certification through Body Arts and Science International in Long Beach under Karen Clippinger in 2011. She currently resides in Charlotte with her husband and two daughters and continues to teach dance and choreography. She strives to create a supportive and encouraging atmosphere with clients while still helping to push them to their greatest potential. Find her on Thursdays in South Park.
Kelly has been practicing Pilates for five years and has been teaching for almost three. She started Pilates in college where she received a minor in Somatic Sustainability taking mat and reformer Pilates that sparked her interest in furthering her pilates teaching career. A new resident of Charlotte as of January 2023, Kelly is excited to be teaching here at BK Pilates! You can find her subbing in the evenings and on weekends throughout both studios.
While growing up in St. Louis, Rebecca began dancing at the age of 3 and continued her dance education while in college at Ball State University. With a degree in communications design, she went on to work as a graphic designer and photographer in Indianapolis. After feeling disconnected and uninspired from sitting behind a desk all day, she became a certified yoga instructor and started teaching in 2017. After trying her first few Pilates privates, she felt like she had found her missing piece and began her Pilates training through Balanced Body. She received her comprehensive Pilates certification in 2021 and has since been working full-time as an instructor and studio manager at a boutique studio in Indianapolis.
She loves helping people understand and feel connected to their bodies through movement and believes it can be such an amazing tool for healing, transformation, and growth in all areas of life. While always challenging and humbling, Pilates shows you your potential and then allows you to surpass it over and over. Because of its impact on her own life, she feels honored to be able to share this method with others, develop lifelong relationships, and build a community around her passion. She has worked with all ages, pro athletes, and pre/postnatal clientele and loves to teach a blend of classical and modern in her classes.
She just moved to Charlotte with her husband and two cats and is so excited to join the team and start teaching at both BK locations. Please welcome this midwestern girl by sharing your favorite Charlotte recs when you see her!