Soon after commencing a Bachelor of Physiotherapy degree, she was eager to marry her love of the body in motion with a deep understanding of its machinations and treatments, so deferred her university studies to obtain her Pilates teaching qualification in 2007, becoming certified by the Australian Pilates Method Association. She commenced teaching Pilates alongside leading Pilates practitioners whilst completing her Physiotherapy degree at LaTrobe University.

After graduating from LaTrobe in 2009, Charissa  stretched her professional wings, gaining valuable experience in the field of elite sports injury management. Working intimately with world class female gymnasts, Gymnastics Victoria and with Olympic physiotherapists and medical teams, she established a keen desire to combine her personal background in dance and performance with current sports medicine principles. She was also for several years a consultant physiotherapist for the Old Melburnians Football Club in the VAFA Premier Division.

Since 2012 Charissa has been based in Melbourne practising predominantly in the unique area of dance medicine, working alongside renowned physiotherapists from the Victorian College of the Arts and the dance community, and developing highly regarded dance assessment procedures. She has special interests in biomechanical analysis and movement retraining, dance-specific injury management and prevention, and mentoring the physiotherapists and Pilates practitioners of Grounded Movement.

More recently Charissa has been contracted with international dance companies and touring artists, including Ballet Preljocaj’s “Snow White”, Cher’s “Here we go again” tour and Shania Twain’s “Now” tour.

Her own background in elite dance and high-level performance allows Charissa to understand the motivation that inspires a performer. She knows the stresses dancers place on their bodies and has first-hand experience in the types of injuries they sustain. She prides herself on being able to intertwine scientific-based clinical medicine with a holistic and grounded approach to wellbeing.

In her spare time, Charissa loves going on adventures in the great outdoors, travelling and experiencing rich and diverse cultures, and hopes to one day realise her dream of seeing every sunrise and sunset in a calendar year.

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Wishing to turn her passion into a career, Victoria completed her Honours Degree in Bachelor of Science in 2014 before graduating with a Bachelor of Physiotherapy with Honours from Monash University in 2018. During this time, Victoria invested additional time to obtain her Pilates instructor qualification, as recognised by the Australian Pilates Method Association. She was also a sports trainer with Old Scotch Soccer Club in the State League 2.

Victoria has gained valuable experience in the private practice physiotherapy setting as well as teaching Pilates in a traditional Pilates studio. She enjoys drawing on her own dance and performance background and combining her physiotherapy, Pilates and dance expertise to work with young athletes and dancers, gymnasts and soccer players to improve their physical performance.

Victoria has lived in the local community surrounding Grounded Movement her whole life, with her family operating a business in High St, Ashburton. Outside of work, she enjoys travelling, exploring Melbourne’s food culture, and keeping herself fit through regular personal Pilates sessions.

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Following her retirement from professional dance, Liz undertook her formal Pilates teacher training through Vass & Shaw in Sydney in 1999. She began teaching Pilates and classical ballet, freelancing throughout Victoria and NSW, and has been based in private studio settings in Melbourne for the last 15 years. Along her career pathway, Liz has become a recognised VicFit fitness instructor, achieved her teacher training certificate in Body Arts & Science, and most recently has qualified as a Barre instructor.

Throughout her career, Liz has had the pleasure of sharing her skills and expertise through teaching Pilates to professional ballet dancers, footballers, cricketers, gymnasts and divers. Liz’s dance teaching experience has ranged from children to adults, professional to beginners in many forums, including at the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School. More recently, Liz has been working with elite athletes, introducing them to ballet technique to complement their existing training regime.

Liz’s depth of knowledge, understanding and precision of human movement allows her to deliver a holistic approach to her work with the clients of Grounded Movement. She enjoys working with a broad range of clients – from beginners to advanced – and feels she grows with each and every interaction. Her endeavour in both Pilates and dance teaching is to enhance, strengthen and educate each person, enabling her students to achieve more than they thought possible.

Outside of her work with Grounded Movement, Liz loves being active and enjoying the precious gift of life with her husband and two beautiful children.

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Nicola graduated from Melbourne University in 2018 with a Bachelor of Commerce and Diploma of Music on double bass where she regularly performed with the Melbourne University Symphony Orchestra.

Whilst working full-time in audit and completing her Chartered Accounting accreditation, Nicola found Pilates had a tremendous impact on her physical and mental wellbeing.

With a strong desire to share her passion for the Pilates method and her exuberant nature with the broader community, Nicola completed a Diploma of Pilates Instruction with Pilates International Training Centre through National Pilates Training.

Outside of Pilates, Nicola performs regularly as a double bassist, comedian, singer, actor and dancer.

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Rachel attended Monash University, graduating with a Bachelor of Science, majoring in mathematics and economics. After completing university, Rachel worked for major multinational companies managing customer service departments across Australia and South East Asia. She had a particular interest in measurement tools for business and service. After the birth of her two children, Rachel then worked in sales support positions with Samsung and Campbell Arnotts. At this time, she was developing an increasing interest in movement and Pilates and decided to leave the business industry to pursue her passion for health. Rachel is a qualified level 2 instructor and an Australian Pilates Method Association (APMA) member. She is actively involved in ongoing professional development and education through the Association.

Rachel loves to work with clients of all abilities and ages. She has helped clients navigate various musculoskeletal and neurological conditions, such as joint injuries, tendinopathies, scoliosis, back pain, stroke rehabilitation, pregnancy, osteoporosis, pre- and post-operative conditioning, as well as healthy bodies! Rachel also enjoys helping sports people in the fields of cycling, swimming, running and golf, right through to grandparents wishing to be more active with their grandchildren.

Rachel is thoroughly adored by the clients of Grounded Movement. Her personal values align beautifully with those of the studio, as she focuses on understanding her clients’ needs and tailors each session to provide a meaningful and enjoyable class. She gains satisfaction from the caring environment, working alongside Pilates professionals to provide personalised care.

Outside of Grounded Movement, Rachel is a busy mum of two teenagers. She loves to swim, ski and keep active. Her family share time cooking, spending summer at the beach and travelling together. You might see her walking her dog in the local parks of Malvern East!

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Having been a musician and ticking all the boxes she wished to achieve in music, Gillian transitioned to Health Science and ultimately Remedial Massage, followed by Pilates; a great compliment to each other!

Gillian first started working at the studio in a massage capacity in 2004, then upon completion of her Pilates teaching training, as a Pilates practitioner from 2009. She has always loved the big open space of the studio, the length of class times to allow change to happen without rushing, and the philosophy of getting the brain in contact with the body and creating lasting and meaningful change.

Gillian enjoys working with athletes, mainly as a massage therapist and occasionally with Pilates, and also enjoys working with everyone who realises the benefits of Pilates. She is inspired by the positive change she sees in her clients and by their motivation from recognising the change within themselves.

Gillian loves to travel, and has had some great professional opportunities, particularly through her work with elite athletes. Highlights include the 2012 London Paralympics, 2014 Glascow Commonwealth Games, 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, and many world cups with track cycling.

Outside of work she enjoys keeping fit by jogging, swimming, riding her bike and doing Pilates! Occasionally she still plays some music too!

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Bella thrives off working with people and enjoys delivering a friendly, genuine, encouraging and valuable experience for every client she meets. She enjoys working with people of all skill levels and backgrounds; observing clients recognise the benefits of Pilates and how it can assist them, not only in the short term but for the rest of their life, is extremely rewarding. Bella loves that Grounded Movement provides a specific and individualised approach to every client who walks through the door.

Outside of work Bella craves adventure and the great outdoors. She has grown up holidaying at the beach and has a hunger for all water-sports, particularly wakeboarding and surfing. She has bungee jumped, skydived and been on the world’s largest swing and continues to seek new adventures.

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