Lisa Palmer
Lisa is The Movement Lab Founder & Merrithew Lead Instructor Trainer. She has studied extensively in Toronto, London and Toledo. Lisa is at the forefront of health and movement and travels the world to teach STOTT PILATES courses. She is passionate about anatomy, fascial release and enhancing the lives of her clients and students.
Jessica Mandel
Jessica graduated from the University of Cape Town with a Bachelor of Business Science in Finance and Accounting and is a Fellow of the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation. Jessica is co-owner of The Movement Lab and manages the studio’s online presence. Jessica has completed her STOTT PILATES Mat, Barre, Reformer, Cadillac, Chair, Barrels and Injuries/ Special Populations courses.
Marize Flax
Marize Flax is a movement specialist, Pilates instructor, and former professional dancer. Trained at the UCT Ballet School, she performed internationally which included musicals and roles like the lead female dancer in the South African tour of Cats. After retiring from the stage, Marize discovered Pilates as a powerful way to rehabilitate, strengthen and transform the body. Today, she combines the precision of dance with years of teaching experience to help clients build strength, mobility, confidence and body awareness.
Liesel Swanepoel
Liesel studied Modern Dance, Jazz and Tap at the Waterfront Theatre School of Performing Arts. She has 10 years of teaching experience – spanning multiple disciplines, including Barre, Mat Pilates, Reformer Pilates, functional fitness and high intensity interval training. Liesel’s passion is infectious and motivates you to push your limits.
Lexi Ryman
Lexi qualified as a yoga instructor and integrative nutrition coach before pursuing her STOTT PILATES qualifications. Lexi completed the Intensive & Advanced STOTT Pilates Mat, Reformer, Cadillac, Chair and Barrels courses. Lexi is happiest when collaborating with others in creating and achieving a state of health and wellbeing.
Alice Maybin
Alice is a graduate of the UCT School of Dance and a member of the Association of International Dance Teachers. Alice has completed her STOTT PILATES Intensive Mat & Reformer and Barre courses. She is passionate about the fitness industry and enjoys imparting her wisdom on clients, finding it gratifying and fulfilling to see their growth and progress.
Hannah Marshall
Hannah obtained the highest levels in ballet, modern, tap and musical theatre at The Waterfront Theatre School and received her Associate Teaching Diplomas in Ballet and Modern through the ISTD in London. She also completed her STOTT PILATES Mat, Reformer, Chair and Barre courses. Her goal is to never stop growing and learning through each new fitness chapter in her life.
Gabriel Meltz
Gabriel studied acting at the California Institute of Arts, in Los Angeles, where he was first introduced to Pilates and yoga. He moved to Cape Town in 2016, after which he qualified as a yoga and STOTT PILATES instructor. Gabriel loves teaching a vigorous class with creative sequencing and a banging playlist with a wide variety of music. He is dedicated to making his classes inclusive and welcoming to all bodies.
Raphaella Joannou
Raphaella graduated from the University of Cape Town with a first class Honours in Economics, and BSocSci in PPE. She danced at the Waterfront Theatre School for 8 years and completed her STOTT PILATES Mat, Barre and Chair courses. Raphaella loves moving to upbeat music, with creative sequences and challenging combinations, getting the mind and body working together.
Jodi Stuivenberg
Jodi trained at a dance academy in Rotterdam, Netherlands for 11 years, graduating with a Degree in Dance Education. After moving to Cape Town, she completed her STOTT PILATES education at The Movement Lab. Jodi’s vast experience and broad range of techniques make for incredible classes, where her positive energy shines through to motivate and inspire clients.
Kim Fredericks
Kim is a certified STOTT PILATES Mat and Reformer instructor. She loves how Pilates builds strength, mobility, and coordination. From first-timers to advanced movers, Kim teaches with warmth, patience, and genuine encouragement. She believes Pilates is for every body, and will help you discover just how capable you are.
Mishka Kamaldien
Mishka graduated from the University of Cape Town in 2019. Her love for Pilates and anatomy started when she was in high school and her passion was evident and she was awarded The Movement Lab’s Instructor Scholarship in 2022. She has completed her STOTT Pilates Mat, Reformer, Chair and Barre courses. Her goal is to empower people to grow strong, healthy bodies and have fun while doing it.
Suzanne Annenberg
Movement has always been a key feature of Suzanne’s life – ballet and dance lifelong passions. After retiring from the fashion industry, Suzanne completed all her STOTT PILATES training through The Movement Lab. She is fully certified in Pilates Advanced Mat, Reformer, Cadillac, Chair and Barrels. She loves learning about how the body works and moves and is inspired to share her knowledge with others.
Micaela Tucker
Micaela Tucker is an actress, writer and certified STOTT PILATES instructor. After graduating cum laude with an Honours degree in Dramatic Arts, she continued her training at LAMTA Musical Theatre Academy. She has completed her STOTT PILATES training in Matwork, Reformer and Cadillac and teaches across all three of The Movement Lab's studios. Expect killer playlists, plenty of laughs, lots of encouragement and just enough spice to keep you coming back for more.
Thania Mohidin
Thania is a practicing physiotherapist after graduating from UCT in 2021 with a BSc Honours (Physiotherapy) and completing her community service in the Eastern Cape in 2022. In 2023, she was the recipient of our TML Instructor training Scholarship, completing our STOTT PILATES Mat and Reformer training. She hopes to further her studies in rehabilitation and performing arts medicine.
Chelsey Mcluckie
Chelsey has a strong background in yoga, mobility and pilates, having completed her STOTT PILATES Mat and Reformer training through The Movement Lab. Her classes are accessible and inclusive, with purpose. She thrives in the rehab space helping people regain movement and strength, in an encouraging and motivating environment.
Amber Morgan
Amber studied at the Waterfront Theatre School, graduating with the highest accolades in Modern, Tap, and Ballet. She furthered her studies by completing the STOTT PILATES Mat, Barre and Chair courses. Drawing from her dance background and belief that fitness should be fun, Amber’s classes aim to blend the Pilates principles with creative movements and music.
Alex McGregor
Alex is an actress and movement facilitator. Certified by NASM as a personal trainer 4 years ago, Alex now shares her expertise as a group fitness instructor where she specialises in HIIT classes. She enriched her training by completing the Intensive and Advanced STOTT PILATES Mat courses, adding depth and versatility to her approach. Alex’s mission is to inspire and empower others to build their bodies through a genuine love for movement.
Nthupula Masipa
Nthupula studied between UCT and Columbia University, earning a BSocSci. Experience spanning banking, consulting, and fintech necessitated a practice to counter productivity overdrive with presence. The four corners of her mat became both refuge and revelation, leading her to complete a 200-hour YTT. As a recipient of The Movement Lab’s instructor scholarship, she also completed her STOTT Pilates Intensive and Advanced Mat certification.
Kara Hugo
Kara graduated from The Sports Science Institute of South Africa with distinction and completed her STOTT Pilates Intensive and Advanced Matwork courses at The Movement Lab. She started teaching Pilates full-time 5 yers ago and continues to fall in love with it more and more everyday. She has a special interest in bringing exercise to people who are differently-abled or are in need of rehabilitation.
Michelle Banwell
With an Honours in Psychology, Master's in Neuroscience, and a decade of experience teaching yoga, it seemed inevitable that Mich would continue to study conscious, intentional movement in the form of Pilates with Lisa at TML. She is passionate about helping people move safely and creatively in a way that works for their own individual body. When she's not at The Lab, Mich is working on her PhD in Neuroscience and running her animal welfare non-profit, Downward Dog for Dogs.
Bianca Botha
Bianca has advanced training in ballet, contemporary, and modern dance, giving her a strong foundation in movement, alignment and technique. She began teaching barre in 2018 and has since taught at studios in Cape Town and co-owned a studio in Johannesburg, where she led a variety of fitness classes.
Carly Rose
After studying Investment Management and completing her Master’s in Business Management degree in the UK, Carly worked in Finance in London for 3 years. It was there that she discovered Pilates - a practice that quickly became her passion. Trained in STOTT PILATES Mat and Reformer, Carly’s classes are all about moving with strength, rhythm and intention.
Holly Andrews
From years of dance and gymnastics, Holly has always been drawn to the way movement connects body and mind. Completing her STOTT Pilates Intensive Mat and Hot Mat courses reignited her curiosity for the human body and how mindful movement can transform the way we feel. With a background rooted in wellness, Holly is passionate about helping others feel strong, balanced, and at home in their bodies through Pilates.
Carly Swartz
After nearly 11 years as a ballet dancer and completing a business degree, Carly left her full-time role in recruitment to pursue her passion for movement. Carly qualified as a Personal Trainer and completed the STOTT PILATES Intensive Mat and Reformer courses under Lisa Palmer at The Movement Lab. Carly is passionate about creating an empowering group environment where every member feels seen, capable and strong whether you’re new to class or ready to level up.
Muhammed Joosab
Muhammed’s love for movement began just before graduating as an optometrist, when he discovered the transformative power of group exercise. Muhammed received The Movement Lab's STOTT PILATES scholarship for the Intensive Reformer and Cadillac courses. Muhammed’s classes are dynamic, music-driven and intentionally programmed, thoughtfully layering intensity and rhythm so you can move with the beat or at your own pace.
Lico Gross
Lico is a comprehensively trained STOTT PILATES instructor - having completed the STOTT PILATES Mat, Reformer, Cadillac, Chair, Barrels and Injuries and Special Populations courses. She is also a former gymnast, and has been practising Pilates and Reformer for the past decade. Her classes are precise, challenging and grounded in Pilates principles. Expect to move your whole body, learn something new, dig deep, sweat, laugh and work on that core control – all to some great beats.
Kate Pettit
A corporate actuary by day and Pilates princess by night, Kate has always had a deep love for movement. While her 9–5 is spent desk-bound as an actuary, movement and Pilates has become her passion. After completing her Mat qualification at Polestar Pilates in Joburg and beginning her teaching journey in 2025, Kate has made the move to Cape Town to join The Movement Lab team while completing both her STOTT PILATES Mat and Reformer qualifications.
Nadine Samantha
Nadine studied Musical Theatre and Dance at the Waterfront Theatre School. Since then, she has performed in numerous international productions as both a singer and dancer. In 2019, Nadine began teaching Barre and quickly discovered a passion for movement, wellness, and helping others feel strong and confident in their bodies. She has now made the decision to transition into the fitness space full-time and has since completed her STOTT PILATES Intensive Mat Course.
Dayna Green-Thompson
Dayna's dance background taught her the importance of mobility, flexibility, and moving with intention, which is what led her to fall in love with Barre, a style of movement that blends strength, mobility, Pilates, and ballet in a way that both challenges and supports the body. Dayna especially loves choreographed compound sequences and specialises in layering Total Barre Amplified sequences that build with intention, challenge coordination, and keep classes feeling dynamic, energising, and fun.