Ashley Brain, PhD
Dance Health Educator, Researcher, &
Stott Pilates Instructor
Pilates & Safe Practice for Dancers
Pilates conditioning places focus on a number of areas that are important for dancers. Founded by Joseph Pilates and initially referred to as 'Contrology,' the underlying principles of breath, concentration, control, centering, precision and flow are key to efficient movement, breath control, and a healthy alignment. The engagement of deep stabilising muscles throughout this work encourages healthy joint positioning thus allowing the mobilising muscles to work effectively with improved force production and stronger, more dynamic movement.
My sessions combine Pilates conditioning with safe dance practice knowledge to further enhance performance potential and prevent and rehabilitate injuries for dancers in training. I am passionate about applying dance science research and knowledge practically and sharing these insights with dancers currently training and performing. Through this work dancers are able to condition in a way that supports their training while also gaining a better awareness of anatomy, biomechanics, and dance-specific injuries.