Extra training – Injuries and Pathologies, Scoliosis expert, Pre and post natal Pilates The Pilates Clinic is very fortunate to have this very talented lady joining our team. Her teaching skills and talent in her ability to read movement are what give us such inspiration when we watch her teach. Rika is originally from the south of England, where she first discovered Pilates whilst training as a young dancer in the area, before moving to New York to study at the Gelsey Kirkland Academy of Classical Ballet. In New York, she began to implement regular Pilates classes into her training, recognising it’s potential for injury prevention and body conditioning. As a dancer with a scoliosis, Rika also found Pilates to be particularly beneficial in maintaining balance in her musculature and gaining control of her condition. Rika continued to practice Pilates over the next few years, whilst dancing professionally with Atlanta Ballet and, subsequently, Oklahoma City Ballet. Upon retirement from her ballet career and returning to the UK, Rika began training to become a teacher at the Pilates Therapy Centre in Bournemouth, where she also worked for two years, using a combination of Pilates and therapeutic techniques in order to address a wide array of injuries and conditions. Rika completed her BASI comprehensive training and is excited to join the Pilates Clinic as a BASI instructor. She is very passionate about movement and feels honoured to be able to help people to integrate movement into their everyday lives. Rika has written a course for Pilates teachers on how to teach those with scoliosis, a rather complex configuration to work with. She delivers this course internationally, and it has changed many lives of those struggling with pain from the condition. We love seeing a pained body turn into a joyful smiling one, and Rika certainly achieves that with her extensive knowledge and experience in the field.