The Staff

Risa Mathews, MA
Owner & Director
Risa’s personal practice in the Pilates Method began in 1987, whilst studying at SFU, attending dance classes on campus & at the Dance Gallery, and working in aquatics for the Vancouver Parks Board.  A chronic knee condition led her to eventually give up dance and begin Pilates in 1988.  In 1993 Risa was involved in a motor vehicle accident which left her unable to walk the following year.  The combination of aggressive rehabilitation involving chiropractic, osteopathic, physiotherapy, massage therapy, and rehabilitative pilates, assisted the healing process. The focus on personal well-being also set the ground for a change in careers from academics to movement education.

Apprenticeships in a number of established Pilates studios took place in Sydney, Australia, where Risa was attending post-graduate studies in Communication. Her many years of teaching (swimming, aerobics, movement for rehabilitation, as well as teaching in academics) combined with a personal need for ongoing physical rehabilitation, set the foundation needed for moving full-time into physical medicine.  Risa’s first studio “Boditree Physical Conditioning Pilates Studio” opened in 1995 in Sydney, Australia, seeing regular referrals from local Osteopaths, Physiotherapists, Massage Therapists, and Physicians.  In 1999 Risa sold her Sydney studio to return to her hometown of Vancouver, BC, to open Boditree Pilates & Healing in Kitsilano.

Since 1996 Risa has presented workshops in Canada, the US, & Australia, in addition to training and apprenticing Instructors through Boditree's in-house educational programs.  Risa’s work has been greatly influenced by a number of Master Instructors including Dianne Miller, Michelle Larsson, Megan Williams, and Marie-Jose Blom Lawrence.  What makes Risa’s work unique is the integration of classical Pilates with pain management techniques found in Osteopathic stretching principles, physical medicine release work, and brain integration exercises developed by Applied Kinesiology (TFH). Since becoming a parent in 2004, Risa has developed a comprehensive protocol for pre and post-natal workout designs, catering to the multitude of needs associated with pregnancy, childbirth, and the months of physical changes that often follow the birth experience.
 
Risa is a founding member of the Pilates Association of Canada, and served on the Board of Directors for 3 years.
 

Christine Halicki

Christine started dance in Stratford Ontario, at the age of 3, studying ballet, tap, and jazz, and progressing to competitive dance in the Russian style of Ballet, touring internationally and competing in all 3 dance forms. Christine completed her competitive dance career at the age of 17, and went on to study at UVIC, completing a BA in Fine Arts, majoring in Visual Arts. Upon settling in Vancouver Christine attended Boditree’s Instructor Training & Apprenticeship Program, completing her studies with honors, in 2007. Christine has been teaching at Boditree full time since completing her Apprenticeship, and is now Studio Manager.

Carla Iacobelli

Kate McRae
Kate has spent her whole life involved with Highland dancing. Having danced from the age of 4, she now enjoys teaching kids of all ages and sharing her passion for this art form. Kate is particularly passionate about choreography and has had several well-received pieces featured in national competitions. Kate attended the University of Victoria, and completed her BA in 2006. Kate began her training in the world of Pilates as a way to correct years of bad postural habits within her own body. After experiencing the changes achieved through her own personal workouts, Kate was driven to study Pilates and become a certified Instructor via Boditree’s in-house training program, completing her 1000 hour apprenticeship in 2008. In addition to teaching at Boditree, Kate has adapted Pilates into her Highland dance classes, helping prevent kids from having dance-related injuries and repetitive strain conditions later in life. She looks forward to continuing a life of learning about the body and exploring how it moves.

Olivia Thorvaldson
Olivia danced professionally since 1988 and has practiced Pilates in her own body for almost as long. She has been instructing the Method since 1995, originally training with Dianne Miller in Vancouver, BC. Olivia taught at Dianne’s for 8 years, then left to work at several other locations in the Lower Mainland including the Pilates Studio at Dundarave, Bodyline, Pilates Unlimited, and Boditree Pilates & Healing. Olivia has taught at Boditree since 2004, assisting in many R & D projects throughout the years. Olivia’s work is characterized by a willingness to bend, discuss, and assist clients to find their potential with the Method. At the same time Olivia encourages discipline, and also a strong curiosity about the Classical Pilates technique.

Laura Hicks
As a professional dancer, Laura has a diverse movement background that spans over twenty years of training in dance, yoga, somatic practices, and anatomy studies. Laura began her training as a Pilates Instructor in 2005 at Dianne Miller’s, in Vancouver. After several years as an Intern with Dianne, Laura chose to pursue further training with 2nd generation Master Instructor Michele Larsson, of Core Dynamics Pilates, in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Fully certified on all equipment, Laura’s training and background makes her a unique fit to Boditree Pilates & Healing. A strong believer in the personalized importance of the Pilates Method, Laura stands behind the client-based approach that Boditree is recognized for. Laura’s experience as a dancer gives her a unique approach to teaching Pilates, encouraging each client to move towards their own movement potential, while emphasizing safety and conscious attunement to one’s own body. Laura is a recipient of both Provincial and Federal arts funding as an independent artist, having also been awarded the Holy Body Tattoo award as B.C.’s Emerging Dance Artist of the year in 2010. Laura was a dance artist in residence with the Dance Centre (2009/2010 season) which took Laura to Europe for the summer of 2010 to attend the Impulstanz Festival in Vienna.

Trina Eby (on maternity leave)