ABsolute
Pilates

Monica Hoekstra

Monica Hoekstra is the owner and founder of ABsolute Pilates, one of Charlotte’s most respected classical Pilates studios, serving clients since 2001. With more than two decades of experience, Monica is recognized for her highly trained eye, biomechanical precision, and commitment to preserving the integrity and depth of the authentic Pilates method. Monica is a Senior Dark Horse Pilates Teacher and Teacher Mentor under Master Teacher Trainer Janice Dulak. ABsolute Pilates proudly serves as an affiliate teacher training center for Dark Horse Pilates, offering advanced mentorship and comprehensive teacher education rooted in the original teachings of Joseph Pilates and the lineage of Romana Kryzanowska. Her extensive certifications include Romana’s Pilates®, The New York Pilates Studio® Teacher Certification Program, Balanced Body®, GYROTONIC®, GYROKINESIS®, and ACE®. Monica also spent over a decade as a STOTT PILATES® Instructor Trainer and Licensed Training Center owner before returning fully to the classical system. In 2011, Monica created Core Barre – Smart Movement, a method designed to bridge intelligent movement, alignment, strength, and body awareness through a classical approach to barre training. Known for her meticulous teaching style and dedication to mastery, Monica works with a wide range of clients — from athletes and youth to seniors and rehabilitation populations — while also mentoring the next generation of Pilates teachers. At ABsolute Pilates, Monica remains deeply committed to teaching authentic Pilates in its purest form — emphasizing quality over trends, individualized attention, and the transformative power of truly understanding movement.

Cat Corachado

Cat Corachado is retired military and has 42 years of experience in the fitness industry. Certified by Romana’s Pilates, she is also a NASM Certified Personal Trainer, Group Fitness Instructor, and Yamuna Body Rolling Practitioner. She enjoys helping people of all fitness levels move toward their goals.

Gretchen Mayo

Gretchen has enjoyed fitness training for most of her life, but after a car accident in 2006 left her dealing with chronic back pain, she learned how important intentional movement and proper recovery truly are. She eventually discovered Pilates as a way to manage pain and prevent injuries, and shortly after began training to become an instructor. What started as a personal healing journey quickly became a passion. After completing her comprehensive classical certification, she continued her education through Dark Horse Pilates and Monica to deepen her understanding of the work and better serve her clients. She is passionate about helping clients feel better, build strength from the inside out, improve posture and flexibility, move with confidence, and of course, learn how to survive the Hundred.

Dru Parker

After spending 12 years as an educator in a middle school classroom, Dru decided to take her teaching career in a new direction.  She became a teacher within the fitness industry as a mat-based Pilates and Certified Core Barre® Instructor, studying at Absolute Pilates under Monica Hoekstra. When Dru began practicing Pilates, she soon discovered the brilliance and depth of Joseph Pilates’ system of “Contrology,” inspiring her to pursue a deeper study in the Classical Pilates method. Committed to staying true to the original work, Dru studied, practiced, completed a rigorous apprenticeship and was certified with Romana’s Pilates International in 2019. Today, she continues her ongoing study and  training with Janice Dulak of Dark Horse Pilates.  She is a Dark Horse Affiliate and Designated Teacher and owner of an Affiliate Studio in Gaston County. With over 10 years experience in the industry, Dru has worked with a wide variety of clients and special populations, including older adults, pre/post natal women, clients recovering from injury, and those experiencing chronic back pain and mobility challenges. With a teacher’s heart and a deep respect for individual needs, she thoughtfully adapts each session to support safe movement that creates strength and balance to improve overall wellbeing. Her goal is to help every client feel empowered, supported, and successful in their Pilates journey.

Kim Vasquez

Kimberly Vasquez holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree from the New World School of the Arts in Miami, with a primary focus in dance. Following graduation, she enrolled in the Core Dynamics Pilates Teacher Training Program in 2014 under the guidance of Anna Alvarez and Kevin Bowen. Her formative years as an instructor were shaped through mentorship with Anna Alvarez until 2018. In late 2018, Kimberly joined the Equinox team, where she served as a senior Pilates instructor working with a diverse range of clients of all ages and experience levels, including older populations, prenatal and postnatal clients, individuals managing injuries or complex conditions, and athletes. She also played a role in certifying the next generation of Pilates instructors as part of the Teacher Training team alongside Sue Spinelli and Carrie Samper. After relocating to Charlotte in 2024, Kimberly continued her professional education by enrolling in the Dark Horse Pilates Teacher Training Program as a crossover trainee under the mentorship of Monica Hoekstra. She completed the program and graduated in September 2025. Her instructional approach is deeply rooted in the classical Pilates tradition, and she is passionate about supporting clients’ long-term health and movement goals through accountability, precision, and compassionate guidance.

Rachel Morgan

Rachel's first exposure to Pilates was in 2005 after a car accident. The works' combination of strength, control and flexibility restored her range of motion as well as confidence in her body. She was hooked and continued her Pilates practice even as she resumed tennis and her other hobbies. In 2018 wanting a deeper knowledge of the discipline, Rachel began the certification process with Peak Pilates that included over 500 hours of practice, education and apprentice teaching. After her Level 1 certification she began teaching at LifeTime Fitness. Rachel completed her teacher training and became a Comprehensive Classical Certified Peak Pilates Teacher in 2021. She joined Absolute Pilates as a teacher in 2022. Additionally, in September of 2025 Rachel successfully completed her Crossover Training and final evaluation to become a fully Certified Dark Horse Pilates teacher. Rachel loves sharing Pilates with others and truly believes it is for every body. When she’s not in the studio she enjoys walks with her dog, going to the mountains in western NC and traveling.

Erica MacIvor

Erica holds a BA in Religious Sciences and developed a passion for movement shortly after graduation. She has cultivated partner-dancing skills for 25 years. Seeking methods to counteract aging and improve strength, she explored the Pilates field. Her credentials include a Barre certification, a comprehensive Stott certification, and a Dark Horse Pilates certification completed after relocating to Charlotte. She views learning as a lifelong process and regards Pilates as more than exercise: a practice for body awareness, postural improvement, and foundational strength that supports daily function. Her sessions emphasize intentional movement, proper alignment, with a smile.

Louie

As our official Studio Dog and proud Dark Horse Pilates Ambassador, Louie takes his responsibilities very seriously. His daily duties include greeting every client with a wag, supervising classes from the best seat in the studio, and conducting thorough quality-control inspections of everyone’s form.

He firmly believes every session is improved by a friendly hello, a few well-timed tail wags, and the occasional request for ear scratches. Between inspections, you’ll usually find him relaxing on his favorite mat—because comfort is an important part of recovery.

Louie doesn’t teach Pilates, but he’s an expert in making people smile. If you see him during your visit, be sure to say hello. It’s part of the studio experience.