Instructor profiles A-L

Aina teaches a dynamic flow class that takes both inspiration from the heat building in ashtanga and the attention to alignment in lyengar. This unique blend of the two styles will allow you to detox through heat, and approach the asanas safely through the careful attention to technique and correct alignment. You will find yourself being led through creative and well developed vinyasa sequences that will open and prepare your body for more challenging peak poses later on in the class.

Aina moved to London in 1994 to study contemporary dance at The Laban Centre and graduated with a BA(hons) degree in dance theatre. However the passion for yoga quickly took over and she spent many years in London practising ashtanga yoga, dynamic flow yoga, yin yoga and jivamukti yoga. Aina has been inspired through studying with teachers such as John Scott, David Swenson, David Paradise and Cat Alip-Douglas, and also had the pleasure of attending Sri K.Pattabhi Jois classes during his visits to the UK.

After completing a teaching course with the British School of Yoga in 2003 Aina started teaching classes in London until moving back to Norway in 2008. Whilst in Norway, she decided to deepen her yoga experience through the 200 hour intensive YogaWorks teacher training course where she also worked as a teacher assistant. The YogaWorks teacher program allowed her to accommodate a broader group of students from seniors, pregnant ladies to overworked professionals with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, AJ started out as an academic studying psychology. A bike accident and the resulting head injury forced him to drop out and instead pursue dance. He attended the College of Dance in Dublin for two years before moving to the UK to study at Laine
Theatre Arts.

AJ fulfilled a lifelong dream when he joined the West End cast of Chicago in 2006 as dance swing and covering two of the three male leads. He has since starred in ads for Puma and appeared in ads for Subway and Dior, danced in Eastenders, The Tudors and in Miramax's children's fantasy Ella Enchanted. He runs the UK's Number 1 Glee tribute act
The Gleeks.

AJ's interest in fitness started when a member of The Gleeks suggested he try Zumba. He did so, got hooked and trained up as a teacher soon after. A year later he has been voted in the Top 5 instructors in the UK by the public on www.latinolife.co.uk and has taught for every major gym in the UK. AJ teaches between 16 and 20 Zumba classes a week and has since joined the Les Mills revolution with BODYBALANCE and BODYPUMP. He is also a qualified personal trainer and private dance instructor.

AJ’s favourite class of the week to teach is his Glee Class at Soho Gyms and he hopes you'll come and give it a go! AJ firmly believes that everyone can enjoy themselves in a dance class if they just let go and have a laugh and that is his guiding principle at Soho Gyms.

Alexandra Cat has worked as a body worker, for over 15 years, using a variety of mediums including dance, yoga, and mountaineering.

Originally trained in Western approaches to psychology, philosophy and neuroscience (Oxford and Sussex Universities), Alex shifted her emphasis from the intellectual to the physical in her late 20’s, working with the National School for Mountaineering, Northern Ireland, as well as many of Ireland’s top contemporary dance companies.

Alex took her original yoga teacher training with Louisa Sear of Yoga Arts, and has since explored her practice with Luke Jordan, Guy Donahaye and Cary Perkins.

As a yoga teacher, Alex instructs in a variety of styles and teaches both beginners and intermediate asana classes throughout London. She teaches the advanced asana class for Soho Gyms, Borough, and works in a 1-1 capacity with clients looking to begin or deepen their practice, and with those in recovery from an injury.

As a therapist, Alex is the founder of Mindfulness Based Yoga Therapy - a therapeutic yoga practice combining Ashtanga Yoga and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy. Her client base has included individuals variously identified as living with depression, anxiety, addictions, obsessive-compulsive, borderline personality and eating disorders.

Alvin is an international Pilates instructor with a dance degree from Queensland University Australia. He is an experienced choreographer and performer, and has danced professionally with the Arts Fission Company of which he is a founding member. Having been nominated for the Young Artists Award in 1998, Alvin went on to become Outstanding Instructor of the Year. A past lecturer at the LaSalle-SIA College of the Arts and consultant to the Civil Service Dance Group, he is also the Founding Director of the Wheel Dance Repertory, a physically handicapped performing group.

Alvin is highly experienced in Pilates mat work and the use of studio equipment. Until recently, he worked closely with recognised medical practitioners, physiotherapists and orthopaedic surgeons. Alvin now spends his time teaching at PilatesClinic and is the principal trainer and external examiner for other leading London Pilates schools.

Amanda Joseph started practising yoga reluctantly when a friend dragged her to a local class. Little did she know, this was going to be the start of something big. Amanda was hooked after the first class and after many downward dogs became a certified yoga teacher. Not stopping at her first certification, she went on to train in depth in Pregnancy yoga and Yoga for Teenagers.

Amanda believes yoga gives you time to just be and have space within the challenges of everyday life. Amanda, also an experienced life coach, believes by using your mind and body in a daily yoga practise you can transcend the difficulties that we face from day to day. Her approach is genuine and unique ranging from vinyasana flow to restorative yoga with a love and appreciation for everything in between.

Amanda came to yoga in 2001 after being involved in a serious motorbike accident. She had been suffering from whiplash and other side effects for 2 years. Her first yoga class was an amazing experience and helped ease her injuries, and she has been practicing yoga ever since. When she asked about yoga teacher training her teacher suggested she did her ITEC Massage Diploma first which she did and passed, so she then continued on to do her teacher training. Amanda is authorised to teach through and is registered with Yoga Alliance. She did a 200 hour Yoga Alliance teacher training in 2004 and a 300 hour in 2005, both with Yoga Arts, although it was not until a Yoga teacher training with Sarah Powers in 2006 that Amanda felt ready to teach.

Amanda is an enthusiastic and devoted yoga practitioner and an experienced and qualified teacher. She loves to teach bringing a lightness to her classes, making them an enjoyable but learned experience. Her study is ongoing - she partakes in at least one residential Yoga or Meditation retreat a year, and continues to further her own knowledge and study of yoga with teachers of various traditions as well as having a self-practice.

Amanda teaches the following yoga styles: Dynamic Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Yin Yoga and Astanga Yoga.

Andrew has been teaching group fitness since 2005, having previously worked as a marketing and business development manager for a FTSE 100 company. His previous corporate experience gives him firsthand experience into the daily pressures we face to make time for exercise within our lives and the importance of finding realistic and fun ways to live a healthier lifestyle.

Andrew also works as a freelance Personal Trainer in Victoria and is certified at REPS level 3. Qualified to teach Spinning, Body Pump, Body Attack and Body Balance, he has worked on a freelance basis for many of the major health and fitness clubs in London and helped all of his personal and group fitness clients meet and exceed their training goals through his passion and enthusiasm. He has additional training and experience in pre & post natal exercise and exercising for older adults.

Angela has worked within the fitness industry for over sixteen years teaching in the top health clubs in London, Hong Kong and Scotland and presently runs a successful Personal Training business. As a child & teenager she modelled and danced, progressing to a full time stage school to become a successful professional dancer, singer and model. Her dancing career took her to many places but the most important was Hong Kong where she transitioned effortlessly into the health and fitness industry. Here she trained to become an ACE Personal Trainer and began her vocation working in several prestigious gyms in Hong Kong. Her choice of teaching is varied from aerobics, to dance, step, spin, glide - you name it Angela has taught it! Always looking for new & exciting avenues Angela trained as a Pilates teacher 11 years ago with Michael King’s Pilates Institute. Instantly she knew this was something special and different to all other forms of exercise. Pilates is a form of exercise that develops body awareness and helps to engage the brain with body thus working to create stability, strength, balance and flexibility all focused around the spinal column plus relaxation, all of which are essential to everyday life & well being.

Angela’s experience allows her to bring a plethora of expertise and knowledge to her Pilates lessons and she teaches a strong class focusing on the basic principles of alignment, breathing, balance and centering. “I believe once the foundations have been set firmly in place and a greater understanding of your own body (proprioception) has been attained we can then progress onto the Pilates exercises thus creating a strong & balanced mind & body.”

It is well documented that Joseph Pilates himself suffered from health problems and today participants should not be put off if you too have an injury or ailment. Angela teaches a multi-level style of class therefore no one is exempt. Age and gender do not exclude as all are encouraged to join. Angela explains in depth the reason for each exercise and the target areas to focus on therefore teaching a clear and concise class that is easy to follow. Having trained as a dancer some elements of movement and flow will also be included in Angela’s classes. Finally, Angela’s approach is friendly and welcoming, so what are you waiting for, after all your body will thank you for it afterwards!

Anne-Mette is from Copenhagen. She started teaching classes in 1997 after a move to Australia.

She teaches a variety of classes and also works as a personal trainer.

Anne-Mette has taught pilates for over 10 years and works with clients overcoming injury or back pain and runs pre- and post natal pilates classes.

Her background includes a degree in Nutrition and a Masters in Sport and Physical Activity.

She is currently teaching at Clapham, Earls Court and Camden.

Born and bred in Rome, educated to a high degree in Trade & Business. Arnaldo decided soon after to follow his true passion for a wide range of outdoor activities and body building (FIFA certified), healthy living, holistic therapies and spirituality. Travelling the world, he spent a few months practising Asthanga Yoga in a teachers training course in India and when in Thailand learned a unique method of massage and muscle relaxation based on Chakras Therapies.

Arnaldo moved to London in 2000 and after achieving a YMCA personal trainer award certificate he set up his own business and currently coaches a broad portfolio of clients on a daily basis, reaching their personal goals over the years. His fascination for the anatomy of movement brought him to study Pilates with "Polestar Pilates", a leader of worldwide education for professionals working in the industry.

His ability to incorporate different disciplines such us Body Sculpting, Yoga, Pilates and relaxation therapies makes Arnaldo an all round fitness professional with a distinct holistic approach.

Arnaud has been in the fitness industry for the past 10 years in France and more recently in London, where he has lived since 2007. As well as teaching group fitness classes (both freestyle and Les Mills programmes), Arnaud is a personal trainer and an instructor trainer.

The variety of classes that Arnaud teaches allows him to teach, train and evaluate instructors in both freestyle and Les Mills classes. He has been a Les Mills French National Pro-Trainer since 2003, involved in training and assessing BodyAttack, BodyBalance and BodyJam. In that time he has been responsible for developing over 1000 instructors in countries worldwide including Turkey, Belgium and Egypt.

His work also takes Arnaud to conventions around the world where he has been presenting since 2004 when he was FISAF’s Best French Talent.

I started studying tai chi in 1991. I became a more serious student in 1998 after a visit to China with the world famous Master Dong Zhen Chen. The skill and accuracy of their students provided an inspirational example. Since then I've practiced tai chi for between two and three hours a day and gone to five or six residential camps a year.

I was invited to teach a push hands class in 1995 and have since started teaching beginner classes. I also arrange workshops for Master Alex Dong when he visits the UK.

To get good at tai chi you need, in order of descending importance, to practice, have a good teacher and have talent. People do tai chi for many reasons including for health, relaxation and general fitness.

An experienced instructor and self-confessed fitness-fanatic, Ben began his fitness career in Wales at the Welsh Institute of Sport and has been teaching group fitness classes for several years. Following regular attendance at various Les Mills Classes, Ben trained in and subsequently taught BodyPump and BodyAttack in Cardiff before relocating to London. Ben now teaches these classes at several reputable gyms in Central London.

Outside of the fitness industry, Ben works full-time as an Academic, lecturing in ‘Health’ and ‘Clinical Research’.

Ben currently teaches at Earls Court.

Bryony was first introduced to Yoga during her teens by her Mother. Since then she has deepened her own practice through studying with many teachers and being open to all styles and systems. This exploration has allowed her to engage with her body and most importantly get to know herself.

Bryony undertook teacher training in order to further her understanding of Yoga and found sharing her knowledge and communicating with students was a natural progression. She continues to be inspired by Astanga Yoga which is her main practice and AcroYoga and all its branches.

Her classes incorporate challenging sequences with variations for all levels, sensitive hands- on adjustments, a focus on correct breathing and most importantly a lot of smiling. Bryony is eternally grateful to Stewart Gilchrist, Melanie Cooper and many many AcroYoga teachers for their continuous support and guidance.

Caroline has taught yoga for twelve years and health related exercise for fourteen years.

Clinically diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome she founded a personal yoga practice which cured her body and became her inspiration for teaching. Today, her teaching draws on her sixteen years of yoga practice, her work in Pilates and Dance (IDTA Ballet) – also her wide knowledge bases in exercise and fitness (YMCAfit qualified).

Caroline’s method works to open and strengthen the body simultaneously. Preparing in advance for every facet of a posture, achieves physical alignment, and brings grace and ease to the practice, whether in strong held positions or flowing sequences.

Philosophy is an ever present and long standing interest across all her work. The philosopher John Ruskin formed the subject of her PhD, which she is currently preparing
for publication.

Cat Booker comes from a dance, music and performing arts background and developed a marketing career over ten years working for Worldwide Blue Chip companies, in I.T., Automotive Industry, Fashion and Luxury goods.

Having achieved premium roles in brand and marketing management, Cat steered a change into full-time fitness and group exercise instruction, which spans a cumulative 14 years, and 7 years in group fitness management.

Cat brings her teaching, coaching, business acumen and passion for fitness to her classes.

A classically trained dancer, Clare began practicing Yoga 8 years ago and 2 years ago gained her teaching qualification with the great master Sri Dharma Mittra in NYC. Clare teaches Hatha Raja Yoga at an intermediate – advanced level on Saturday mornings at Soho Gyms Covent Garden. Incorporating balancing, back bends, forward bends, twisting and inversion variations the class has a dynamic flow and intensity, which cultivates a sense of peace and uplifting calm to the practitioner.

Yoga acts in a wholesome manner - not only does it help keep the body and the mind flexible but it also works deep within the body. It increases lubrication to all of the joints, ligaments and tendons and it massages the nervous system and ALL the internal organs of the body. Working from the inside out will keep you healthy, happy and free from disease. Yoga is compassion – give to yourself that little bit of time to be calm and “present” in this crazy and fast city that we live. What greater gift…. Pure bliss!

Dalia discovered Pilates in 2003. She started attending classes with no expectations and simply fell in love...

After finishing her BA in Psychology and General Studies, she completed her Pilates teaching certificate and since then has been teaching Pilates in various locations: Pilates studios, Gyms, private and small group classes and different remedial departments in hospitals.

She is the co-founder of I Love Pilates and is now holding her own classes in North-west London.

Dalia keeps attending Pilates conferences and Fitness workshops to keep in line with the latest advancements in the field.

"Pilates connected me to motion and to the body in a way no physical exercise has done before. Even today, I find that each and every Pilates session teaches me something new. From my experience, Pilates practicing is the ultimate way to achieve a sense of bodily and mental vitality, concentration and control."

I'm a sales manager with a passion for sport! Volleyball player, semipro between 1999 and 2003. Discovered Spinning during a shoulder injury which kept me away from volleyball and it was love at first sight. Certified Johnny G Spinning® Instructor in 2003 and since then I have been teaching spinning around the world from Italy to Spain to Mexico to United States to UK attending events and learning new techniques to make my classes special!

I'll drive my class through the music that I carefully select and mix. Classes are structured in order to welcome everyone from beginner to advanced Spinners and based on the Spinning® program which makes it fun, easy to follow, safe, and above all results guaranteed! My class profile changes from interval training to strength to endurance always making sure to build an aerobic base before going to anaerobic exercise. Targeting cardiovascular capability, muscle tonification and of course burning those extra calories!!

As a child Debora trained in gymnastics in Rome. Her research in Movement took her to London, shuffling from sport to dance and within dance from the charismatic rhythms of Ballroom & Latin and Salsa to the adventurous landscapes of contemporary dance.

Artistic director of Danza Pasion and co-founder of LCP Dance Theatre, currently Debora is teaching and performing Salsa and International Latin dances across the country.

Profile

Emma started competing nationally in dance from age 3, over many disciplines from Ballet to Tap and Contemporary. She is a keen horse rider, surfer and snowboarder. She progressed from dancing into teaching group fitness classes, including BODYPUMP, BODYCOMBAT, BODYATTACK, Spin and circuit, and ultimately into the arena of Personal Training.

Emma is passionate about results and believes empowering her classes through knowledge is the key ingredients to succeeding in getting the body they want.

Emma brings enormous energy, creativity and a fresh approach to every class she teaches.

Eva-Marie Carter is devoted and passionate about providing an exceptional fitness experience through teaching Yoga and Pilates. She is founder of Energetic Body, and is pleased to hear from you with any questions, feedback or just to have a general chat about your fitness aims and objectives! www.energetic-body.com.

I have a great passion for group exercise. I am a full time fitness instructor at gyms all around London and Group Exercise Manager for a major health club in the city. I teach Spin, RPM, BodyCombat, BodyBalance and BodyPump, boxing, Pilates and Yoga. I aim for people to always leave my classes knowing how to use the right technique, to work hard and above all have fun! I enjoy hooking into the lyrics and really using the music to drive the workout.

I strongly believe that there is a group exercise class for everyone as long as you let go of any inhibitions and just give it a go!!!

Gladys Cavalcante is a professional Brazilian Ballroom and Latin Dancer, Stage Performer and Zumba Instructor. From Rio de Janeiro, she began her training in 1993 at the most traditional Brazilian Ballroom Dance School, 'Jaime Arouxa Centre of Dance.'

Gladys is specialized in Brazilian dance styles like Samba no Pe, Samba de Gafieira, Forro, Bolero, Lambazouk, Brazilian Zouk and Salsa. She holds a YMCA Level 2 in Fitness Instructing and is a qualified Zumba Instructor.

Currently based in London, Gladys has been teaching regular classes & workshops for all ages around the UK, and dance performing all over England and abroad including television (BBC, ITV, Star TV...), awards events, events at the Brazilian Embassy, Dance Congress, London School of Samba, Gyms, West End clubs, Carnivals and many festivals. She also performed for Britain's Got Talent 2010 semi-final.

In 2009, Gladys & her partner were runners-up in the 1st Forro Competition held in London. In 2010, she produced a Brazilian dance show 'Brazil: Rhythms & Colours' that was showed in Britain and recently Gladys joined Afro Contemporary dance company, Nutempo.

Engagement and connection with the audience are Gladys' hallmarks.

Inna first discovered yoga over 10 years ago and never looked back. With a background in media and a stint in fashion PR, she experimented with a variety of yoga paths, before deciding to trade her desk for a yoga mat, and embark on an intensive Yoga & Ayurveda teacher training course in Goa, India. In London, she practices Ashtanga with Hamish Hendry (whom she also assists) and carries on learning through workshops and with her teachers. She has studied with a number of inspiring teachers such as Sharath Rangaswamy, David Swenson, Rolf and Marci Naujokat, Emil Wendel and
Norman Blair.

Inna is fascinated by yoga in all its forms, its effects, and the intricate links between physical and mental wellbeing. She loves helping and watching students develop, and believes yoga is a lifelong learning process: a dedicated, regular –and yet fun- practice can only bring about energy and happiness.

Inna loves sharing her passion for yoga, health and environmental issues both off the mat and across the globe. At Soho Gyms, Inna teaches a flowing, dynamic class, with sequences to suit the energy of the class, students' needs, whilst playfully exploring the possibilities of body and mind.

Islay started teaching in 2005 when she set up Origins Dance Co, a latin dance company, based in Leeds. After graduating from the University of Leeds with BSc (Hons) Sport Science & Physiology she started working for a health centre and soon started to build her teaching portfolio to include Les Mills Body Attack and Body Pump, as well as freestyle conditioning and dance, finally also taking on the role of Group Exercise Manager.

In 2008 Islay returned to University to study a Masters in International Health, with a focus on nutrition and health promotion. In 2011 Islay decided to make the big move to London and give corporate life a chance but was soon finding every excuse to be out of the office and in the studio so is now back teaching, and in group exercise management, full time, having completed further training, including Les Mills Body Jam and advanced Body Pump and Body Attack instructor modules.

Islay’s passion and aim is to get as many people active and exercising as possible, through fun, welcoming and challenging classes. Islay is constantly looking for the next personal challenge, including now studying for a certificate in nutritional advice, in order to be able to push others to achieve things that they never thought they were capable of.

Having taken part in Body pump and Spin for a number of years, in 2010 I took the plunge and trained as a Group Exercise Instructor myself.

I absolutely love teaching these two programmes and find it gives a nice balance to my professional life as, by day, I’m a Secondary School Maths Teacher in South London. I bring a lot of energy and passion to my classes, and believe in keeping the classes fun and varied for the members.

If you want some great music while you’re spinning and a challenging class just come along! The members are fantastic, always giving it their all – a real pleasure to teach!

Jenny is a freelance fitness consultant with over 20 years of industry practice. Jenny is a director of WaterWorks Fitness Ltd a company which develops trains and assesses instructors to teach a pre-choreographed Aqua Aerobics program.

Jenny’s managerial experience includes developing branded group fitness timetables and launching in-house personal training across the Cannons group of clubs.

Jenny has a background in fitness education and presents workshops on a wide range of management and practical subjects nationwide, including: Les Mills Training, Group Fitness Management training for Fit Pro and level 3 VR qualification in ETM.

Jenny has the altruistic vision to develop improved delivery of group fitness programs at all levels to make a healthy lifestyle accessible to anyone who seeks it.

Jessica’s background is in dance. She was part of a contemporary dance company in Rome. In 1998 she left Italy and came to live in London to satisfy her desire to explore the world and learn another language.

After a break from dancing, she was introduced to Bikram yoga by a friend. In 2006 she did her Bikram teacher training and started teaching. Since then she has practised all different styles of yoga and attended numerous yoga workshops. Jessica has most recently studied in New York with Dharma Mittra and completed the 500 hours training. She has also attended different foundation courses in massage therapy and she is certified to teach pregnancy yoga. Jessica has taught in London, Indonesia and Italy.

Jessica believes in the incredible power of the body, that finding awareness of the body brings peace and consciousness to the mind. She enjoys helping students and encourages them to find the deep connection through joy and grace to be present any moment of their practice and outside the yoga class.

John is one of the UK's most respected and sought after Freestyle instructor/presenters and successful international exports; in 2007 he was named "International Presenter of the Year" at the prestigious Can-Fit-Pro convention in
Toronto, Canada.

With a career spanning over 12 years he has presented in more than 15 countries, is a regular contributor on radio and has appeared in numerous TV shows and fitness DVDs. He combines his passion for teaching with a job in Group Exercise management.

John has been part of the Soho Gyms family for over 8 years and his dynamic and creative teaching has inspired many of our members. We are proud to have him as part of the team.

Kamila is originally from Poland and moved to London in 2006. She performed internationally for 20 years as a ballet and stage show dancer and her career in fitness developed naturally from her background in dance and a lifelong dedication to sport and performance training.

Kamila has now been working in the fitness industry for 15 years as a Fitness Instructor, PT and teaching classes. Kamila specialises in teaching mainly freestyle classes, including conditioning, step and high energy aerobics.

Lene Etienne, originally from Rio de Janeiro-Brazil, has been performing from an early age in the famous Rio Carnival.

Her passion for body expression has grown since she became involved in the fitness industry.

Lene's experience in different styles of dance along with her fitness skills gives her the ability to create a unique teaching style.

Her classes are vibrant, addictive and cater for all level of fitness.

Leo Nunes is a Qualified REPs Level 3, specialising in personal fitness programs, with over 9 years’ experience. BA (Hons) SUPERIOR DEGREE IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION Universidade Salgado de Oliveira, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil 2005 Qualified to teach Spinning, BodyPump, BodyCombat , Body Conditioning, LBT, Circuit, TRX and Technogym Kinesis.

Leo was born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and has had a passion for fitness and sport all his life. Moving to London in 2008, he soon started teaching classes in the UK as well as working as a Personal Trainer.

Leo offers a unique teaching style that he has brought from Brazil, with incredible energy, dedication, and discipline. He currently teaches at Earls Court, Clapham Common and Camden Town and is often to be found enjoying other people’s classes at the various Soho Gyms sites.

"In order to break from my very active architecture practice I act in response to my cravings for the endorphins my spinning classes generate.

I started spinning in Caracas, Venezuela in 1996 and in May 2000 I certified with Al Amado from Mad Dogg Athletics as a spinning Instructor. I have now been coaching spinning for many years in the fitness industry and draw on my 14 years of experience to help shape and tone my clients’ bodies and improve their health. I have coached in Caracas Vzla, Cambridge US and now London to a diverse range of clients. The focus is on correcting poor posture, stability and quality of movement to work towards creating a body that is strong, lean and healthy.

My passion for spinning and my dynamic teaching style come across in my training sessions. I believe, “every session is fun, but challenging”!