top of page
Anchor 1

ABOUT

The Studio

We have been honored to serve the community of Charlotte, NC with our home in the beautiful South Park area for over twenty three years.

Our mission is to provide excellent service in all our offerings and business practices and to provide a safe environment that affirms self worth, general wellness, and health and fitness.

We focus on promoting functional movement and a whole-body training system through the Authentic Classical Pilates Method of Contrology, GYROKINESIS®, the Core Barre System of Smart Movement® and Ortho-Bionomy® for bodywork.

Our attention is to private, semi private and small group Pilates mat & equipment sessions and GYROKINESIS® mat based group classes.

We are proud to offer Pilates Instruction on traditional Gratz apparatus.  Gratz Pilates apparatus is used in studios all over the world and teachers and students know the Gratz difference and consider the apparatus an indispensable part of their practice.

Come visit our boutique-style studio and experience a friendly, safe and caring environment with exceptional instruction and customer service.

Please feel free to reach out to Allison, our office administrator, who will be happy to take you on a studio tour, answer any questions you may have about our facility, and schedule your first session.

Contact us for a studio tour anytime between the hours of 10am and 3pm or by appointment @704-442-8600 or email:

info@absolute-pilates.com.

Our Team

Instructors

IMG_2431.jpg
Monica Hoektra

Studio Owner, Pilates &
GYROTONIC® Certified

Monica Hoekstra is the owner of ABsolute Pilates in Charlotte, NC, founded in 2001, and the creator and founder of Core Barre.

 

Monica is passionate about teaching and enjoys coaching clients and students to achieve their optimal fitness goals.  She credits much of her teaching style to her early classical ballet training, where she was taught the importance of a solid foundation & structured syllabus that is relevant to all disciplines of good movement.

Her teaching style is both encouraging and motivating with an emphasis on precision, control and biomechanics.

 

Monica Hoekstra is a Certified Romana's Pilates® Instructor.  She is also certified by the New York Pilates Studio® Certification Program and also holds a full comprehensive certification by Balanced Body®, and formerly Stott Pilates® for which she was an Instructor Trainer and licensed training center for ten years. 

 

For the past three years Monica has had the honor and privilege to be mentored by Janice Dulak, a Level 2 Master Trainer for Romana's Pilates and the creator of Pilates for Dressage® rider training program.

 

Monica is also fully trained by Aaron Mattes in advanced level AIS:  Active Isolated Stretching and Strengthening, and is proud to offer the methodology within the Core Barre Systems of Smart Movement®.

 

In addition, Ms. Hoekstra is a Certified and licensed GYROTONIC® and GYROKINESIS® Instructor.  She credits this methodology for inspiring her movement knowledge and adding diversity to her teaching.  Lastly she is also Certified by the NCPT® (National Certified PilatesTeacher) and ACE® (American Council on Exercise).

IMG_3237.heic
Dru Parker

Certified Pilates Instructor

Dru was introduced to Pilates in 2005 and became a Certified Core Barre-Smart Movement® Instructor with studio owner and creator, Monica Hoekstra. 

Through her own practice, she discovered the brilliance and depth of Joseph Pilates and his system of "contrology."

 

Wanting to stay true to the Pilates method, she began studying with Romana's Pilates in 2017 and became certified in 2019.

 

She is very excited to share her passion for Pilates and all of the many benefits that the Classical Pilates method has to offer.

You can also find Dru teaching at M2M Studio in Cramerton, NC.

img_8844.jpg
Kat Norcutt

Certified Pilates Instructor

Pilates is about strengthening the connections that make the human body efficient and unique. I encourage my clients to get curious about how they move!

 

Kat - 'I found pilates after struggling with anxiety and low energy due to a PCOS diagnosis. Classical Pilates was nourishing to my nervous system and offered a way to connect to my breath and body that was supportive, exploratory and deeply strengthening. Pilates continues to fascinate me with how efficient the method is at integrating the body, mind and spirit.'

 

Kat is a Certified Level 2 Comprehensive Classical Pilates (400+ hours) by Peak Pilates under the tutelage of Clare Dillon-Palma of Classical Pilates of Greenville.

IMG_0125.JPG
Rachel Morgan

Certified Pilates Instructor

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 alongside her other physical activities.

Wanting a deeper knowledge of the discipline, Rachel began a Comprehensive Certification with Peak Pilates that included over 500 hours of practice, education and apprentice teaching.  Rachel successfully completed her teacher training and became a Comprehensive Classical Certified Peak Pilates Teacher in 2021. 

Rachel continues her education and love of Pilates with her personal practice and regularly attends workshops and seminars for continuing education and development.

Rachel loves sharing Pilates with others and truly believes it is for every body.

Headshot.JPG
Kim Vasquez

Certified Pilates Instructor

Kim Vasquez holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the New World School of the Arts in Miami, with a primary focus on dance.

 Following her graduation she enrolled in the Core Dynamics Pilates Teacher Training Program in 2014, under the direction of Anna Alvarez and Kevin Bowen.  

 

After her mentorship, she joined The Equinox team in 2018 where she served as a senior Pilates instructor to a wide array of clients of all ages and training experiences including pre and post natal clients, athletes, injuries and special populations and all those in between. 

Her instructional approach is deeply rooted in the Pilates tradition and is deeply passionate about supporting clients' long term health and movement goals through accountability and compassion.

Patty Thomas.jpg
Patty Thomas

Ortho-Bionomy®

Patty Thomas is a licensed Massage and bodywork therapist who specializes in Ortho-Bionomy® and Sensus therapeutic techniques.

Ortho-Bionomy® is a gentle non-invasive form of bodywork that was developed by an osteopathic MD.  It helps to re-educate the body by facilitating its self corrective reflexes to find balance and ease.  The practitioner uses a range of soft tissue and energetic techniques which encourage the body's inherent self regulating mechanisms.

Pilates  M2M Studio  United States.JPEG
Megan A. Moose

Certified Pilates Instructor

Megan Moose was first introduced to Pilates at the North Carolina School of the Arts where she earned her high school diploma with a special concentration in classical ballet. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Exercise and Sport Science/Athletic Training. She is a Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC) and member of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) and a NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS). Her professional work experience includes athletic training in sports medicine clinics and personal training.

Megan’s Peak Pilates Comprehensive Certification required over 500 hours of extensive personal practice and teaching. She earned additional certification from Romana’s Pilates in 2012.

 

Megan also completed THE WORK Masters Program with first generation teacher Jay Grimes at Vintage Pilates in Los Angeles, CA in 2022 as well as Karen Frischmann's Classical Progressions in 2022.  Megan is a member of the Pilates Method Alliance and the Authentic Pilates Union. 

Megan is also the owner of M2M Pilates studio in Cramerton, NC. 

IMG_3408.JPG
Cat Corachado

Certified Pilates Instructor

Cat is a retired military having served in the air force.  She started her career in fitness as a part-time job and afterwards continued fitness as a full time career and has never looked back.

With 28 years experience in the fitness industry, Cat has trained all levels of fitness regardless or injury of limitations.

Cat is Certified by Romanas Pilates and is also a NASM (National Association of Sports Medicine) Certified Personal Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor.  In additional she is a Yamuna Body Rolling Practitioner.

Cat is passionate about fitness and loves meeting and training people to achieve their fitness goals.  Above all she likes to have fun 'as life is too short for anything else'.

bottom of page