Pilates is not just a workout. It is training that develops posture, strength, alignment, awareness, and an internal sense of control.
Originally published as an interview with Maria Angelova, CEO of Rebellious Inc. for Authority Magazine.
Monica Hoekstra is the owner of ABsolute Pilates, founded in 2001 in Charlotte, NC, and the creator and founder of Core Barre - Smart Movement(R). She is certified by Romana's Pilates(R), the New York Pilates Studio(R) Certification Program, Balanced Body, and formerly Stott Pilates, where she served as an instructor for ten years.
In the interview, Monica describes Pilates as Contrology: a system of movement that teaches us how to control every part of the body with the mind. In her view, Pilates is not just a workout. It is training that develops posture, strength, alignment, awareness, and an internal sense of control.
She also shares the professional turning point that moved ABsolute Pilates from contemporary Pilates toward the authentic classical teachings of Joseph Pilates. The change required re-education, new equipment, new staffing, and a deeper commitment to the original work, but it ultimately reshaped the studio for the benefit of clients, teachers, and the Charlotte community.
Monica names clarity, calm, and decisiveness as leadership traits that have shaped her work. Those ideas also show up in how she teaches movement: with precision, patience, attention, and a belief that the best teachers remain lifelong students.
The full conversation explores how Pilates can improve wellness, alignment, healing, strength, body awareness, and quality of life for people of many ages and backgrounds.