Meet the people behind Elysium.
Experienced teachers, individual approaches and one shared philosophy: helping you move with confidence, build strength and feel supported at every stage of your Pilates journey.
Founder & Principal Instructor
Elyse MacDonald
Director · Pilates Professional · Educator
Elyse founded Elysium from a deeply personal understanding of what purposeful movement can change. After a career-ending back injury in 2011, two years of rehabilitation through corrective exercise and Pilates reshaped both the way she moved and the way she wanted to help others.
With more than three decades of dance experience and extensive study across Pilates, rehabilitation, myofascial movement and women’s health, Elyse brings a detailed understanding of the body to every client and every class. Her particular areas of interest include musculoskeletal rehabilitation, shoulder and spinal conditions, strength, pregnancy and postnatal exercise, and Myofascial Slings movement.
As an educator, Elyse also brings this philosophy into teacher training. Her focus is not simply on learning exercises, but on understanding movement, biomechanics and how to adapt Pilates intelligently for the person in front of you.
Qualifications & professional training
- Bachelor of Arts (Dance), University of Western Sydney
- Diploma of Contemporary Pilates and Teaching Methodology
- Certificate IV in Contemporary Pilates and Teaching Methodology
- Diploma of Slings Myofascial Training
- Pre/Post-Natal Pilates Specialist Certification
- Support Your Floor, Pelvic Floor Health Certification
- Dance Practitioner & Health Professional Training, Strength, Conditioning and Rehabilitation for Dancers
- BootyBarre and Flex & Flow Instructor Certification
- Certificate III in Fitness
- Anatomy and Physiology training
- First Aid and Working with Vulnerable People registration
Our approach
Different backgrounds. One Elysium philosophy.
Our instructors bring different strengths, experiences and areas of interest, while sharing the same commitment to thoughtful movement, quality teaching and genuine client care.
Movement with purpose
We want you to understand what you are doing, why you are doing it and how it supports the way you want to move.
Individual attention
We get to know our clients, their goals and the movement history they bring into the studio.
More than Reformer
Our team teaches across Matwork, Reformer and Studio Pilates, with experience spanning strength, rehabilitation and specialist movement.
Always learning
Continuing education is part of how we teach, helping our instructors keep developing their knowledge and confidence.
Meet the instructors
The team you’ll see in the studio.
Every instructor brings their own style to Elysium. Use the short profiles below to get to know the people behind your classes.
Jolene
Pilates Instructor
Jolene loves helping beginners discover Pilates in a way that feels welcoming, achievable and enjoyable. Her own Pilates journey began with Matwork after the birth of her children and later grew into a passion for Reformer and apparatus Pilates.
More about Jolene
After years of practising Pilates, Jolene completed comprehensive teacher training in Matwork, Reformer and apparatus Pilates in 2024. She particularly enjoys creating accessible classes that help clients feel the physical and mental benefits of regular movement. Outside the studio, she enjoys an active family life, bushwalking and exploring the outdoors around Canberra and beyond.
Bekah
Pilates Instructor
Bekah combines Pilates with a strong background in sport, exercise science, coaching and massage. Her teaching focuses on functional movement, strength and helping clients build confidence for the activities that matter in everyday life.
More about Bekah
Bekah holds an Advanced Diploma in Sport and Exercise Science, National Governing Body Level 2 coaching certificates, an Advanced Diploma in Massage and a qualification in Supporting Teaching and Learning. This broad background supports an inclusive and educational teaching style for clients at different stages of their movement journey.
Clayton
Pilates Matwork Instructor
Clayton brings together Pilates, personal training, strength and conditioning, and a lifetime of competitive cycling. He enjoys helping clients move better, get stronger and understand how Pilates can support sport, recovery and long-term mobility.
More about Clayton
Clayton has taught Pilates since 2018 and has a background in personal training and strength and conditioning. Years of racing bicycles in Australia and internationally shaped his interest in movement, mobility and injury management. His classes are supportive, but he is also known for encouraging clients to work hard and get the most from every session.
Heidi
Pilates Instructor
Heidi brings warmth, encouragement and a strong belief that it is never too late to begin moving well. Her classes focus on helping people feel capable, supported and more confident in what their bodies can do.
More about Heidi
Coming to Pilates later in life has shaped Heidi’s approachable teaching style and her enthusiasm for helping others begin or deepen their own movement practice. She aims to make exercise feel positive and purposeful, with classes that support wellbeing while still encouraging clients to challenge themselves.
Cherry Wang
Pilates Instructor
Cherry is part of the Elysium teaching team. We’ll be adding more about her Pilates journey, training and teaching style here soon.
Peter Shaw
Pilates Instructor
Peter is part of the Elysium teaching team. We’ll be adding more about his background, training and teaching style here soon.
Vivienne Sandrini
Pilates Instructor · Physiotherapist
Vivienne is a semi-retired physiotherapist with qualifications in Mat, Reformer and Clinical Pilates. She particularly enjoys introducing beginners to Pilates and helping clients develop confidence, healthy movement patterns and a greater understanding of their bodies.
More about Vivienne
Following her retirement from full-time physiotherapy, Vivienne completed further training in Mat, Reformer and Clinical Pilates and joined the Elysium team as a casual instructor.
Her physiotherapy background brings a strong understanding of movement and injury management to her teaching, helping clients develop more effective movement patterns and providing appropriate adaptations where needed. She enjoys teaching all levels, with a particular interest in beginners and helping people discover the physical and mental benefits of a regular Pilates practice.
Vivienne is also a qualified yoga instructor and is passionate about health, fitness and a holistic approach to wellbeing. Outside the studio she enjoys bike riding, yoga, going to the gym, reading and spending time with her family interstate.
A team that keeps learning
Good teaching is more than knowing exercises.
At Elysium, we value instructors who understand movement, can adapt thoughtfully and are confident teaching the person in front of them. Our team brings together experience across Pilates, sport, fitness, rehabilitation, dance, massage, nursing and movement education.
Move with us
Ready to meet the team in class?
Explore our timetable, find the right way to start, or compare memberships and class packs before your first visit.