About Melanie
POWER
PRECISION
PASSION
Melanie is a teacher, trainer, business owner, educator and lifelong student of movement, specializing in the Classical Pilates Method and the Gyrotonic Method.
With 40 years of full time teaching and business experience, Melanie is an expert and passionate teacher welcoming all clients from beginners to advanced; novice to seasoned teachers to discover, learn, share and refine your understanding of movement.
Melanie is proud to be a third-generation classically trained NYC Pilates teacher of 26 years, with a direct lineage to Joseph H. Pilates. She is a Level II GYROTONIC®, GYROKINESIS®and Gyrotoner® teacher for 19 years, certified by originator Juliu Horvath.
She is a classical, comprehensively trained and certified NYC Pilates teacher holding certificates and licenses from: Power Pilates, The PhysicalMind Institute, Balanced Body, Fletcher Pilates, and is a nationally certified Pilates teacher (NCPT) with National Pilates Certification Program (NPCP). Melanie’s certifications are valid and up to date with the most current research as she continually completes specialty and advanced continuing educational courses.
She has completed additional specialized trainings and studied with: Irene Dowd’s IDEOKINESIS in Action, Thomas Meyers’ Anatomy Trains for Movement Therapists, Pink Ribbon’s Post Rehab Breast Cancer Exercise Specialist, OOV certified level I, the Alexander Technique, Feldenkrais and The Franklin Method; is a certified personal trainer and fitness instructor, Reiki I and II, NIA instructor and has studied dance and yoga for over 30 years.
Melanie has been a business owner and studio consultant for over 30 years, owning 15 fitness, Pilates and Gyrotonic businesses and studios.
Formerly the Connecticut Pilates certifying studio and teacher trainer for both The PhysicalMind Institute and Balanced Body, Melanie is now the owner and director of Pilates Progressions, offering Pilates teacher trainings, workshops, CEC’s and studio consultations specializing in Pilates programming and development and teacher training.
Her longevity in her industry and life long commitment to her work enables Melanie to teach with exceptional skill, insight, creativity and compassion.
Melanie was the first teacher to introduce the Classic Pilates and GYROTONIC® methods to the greater New Haven, Connecticut area in 1997, opening the first studio in the area. She has the honor of being voted both “Best Personal Trainer”, and her studio PowerFlowPilates, “Best Pilates Studio” for 11 years in a row until the year she closed her New Haven studio.
She is happy to announce she opened Tampa Florida’s only Classical Pilates Studio in 2023, and is also the only Tampa studio offering Classical Pilates Mat classes; Gyrotonic and Gyrokinesis classes. In 2024, she will the first studio in Tampa to offer Classical Pilates Teacher Trainings and NPCP continuing educational courses.
“It is important to me that nothing is lost in translation. My goal is to offer my clients the same exceptional experience and personal mentorship that I have received. My passion and pursuit of perfection has made me a leader in my industry. I am dedicated to my clients and committed to the work I teach and practice.”
My PILATES teachers: Susan Moran, Phoebe Higgins, Peter Roel, Bob Liekens, Peter Fiasca, Howard Sichel, Siri Dharma Galliano, Lolita San Miquel, Ron Fletcher, Cathy Murakami, Maya Aubrey, Mary Bowen, Brent Anderson, Rael Isacowitz, Elizabeth Larkham, Kathy Corey, Julian Littleford, Kelly Kane, Kathi-Ross Nash, Dorothee van der Walle, Mari Winsor, Jay Grimes, Deborah Lessen, Cara Reeser, Madeline Black, Sonje Mayo and many other amazing teachers.
My GYROTONIC® and GYROKINESIS® teachers: Juliu Horvath, Paul Horvath, Billy Macagnone, Magali Massac, Angela Crowley, Young-Ah Kim, Erika Hassan, Leda Franklin, Kathy Van Patten, Jennifer Daly, Chantal Deeble, Nelli Lugo - Larcheveque, Tim McMinn, Miriam Barbosa, Lisa Pari, Irene Rampino, Emily Smith and Claudia Tudose.
TESTIMONIALS
“Melanie Johnson is an incredible Pilates teacher. She is a true master teacher who has an amazing ability to meet you where you are and take you to the next level. Over the past eleven years, I have worked with Melanie in the studio, in private sessions in my home, and I am currently working with her over Facetime and Zoom. I love working with Melanie online. The level of instruction is just as high as in person and it is convenient to take sessions in my home. In just a few weeks I made tremendous progress and I look forward to taking online sessions for the indefinite future. I feel so lucky to be able to work with such a wonderful, advanced teacher online. It has been one of the great silver linings of 2020.”
C.P. Yale professor
“Melanie is an amazing and inspiring teacher trainer - she finds a way to animate the familiar subject matter so that it is deeply imprinted in your mind in a more meaningful and relevant way. I look forward to putting it into practice and eagerly await the next module! The teaching materials are comprehensive and laid out in a way that is very easy to use and reference.”
S.J. Pilates teacher