Meet the Elisabeth Pilates Studio Team
All our passionate instructors are committed to providing you with the very best motivation and support at every step of your pilates journey.
Meet our founder Elisabeth
Elisabeth started her career as a professional ballet dancer in France, performing with the Nice Opera Ballet Company and London City Ballet. Her career over the years features an impressive involvement performing and teaching in ballet, sports tuition, youth gymnastics and low-impact fitness aerobics. Encompassing her extensive knowledge in all these areas, Elisabeth found her passion in pilates.
In 2004, she gained her qualification from the U.K. Pilates Institute as a Certified EREPS Fitness & Pilates instructor, enabling Elisabeth to teach basic and advanced pilates, and cater for special needs requirements such as seniors, prenatal and postnatal rehabilitation.
In 2013, Elisabeth completed the Polestar Pilates Comprehensive course allowing her to teach all ranges of Pilates (including reformer and mat pilates). Elisabeth also acquired the UK Level 3 Pilates qualification and a qualification in Craniosacral therapy which uses gentle touch to support balance, reduce stress and encourage healing.
Elisabeth is now running pilates classes from her Farnham studio where she coaches instructors Hannah and Lauren, passing on her teaching experience and pilates knowledge whilst broadening her career into overall health and wellbeing.
Hannah King
Hannah first started working in the health and wellbeing world around 10 years ago when she trained as a Sports Massage Therapist.
While training with the London School of Sports Massage, she managed a lovely studio that had Yoga & Pilates studios as well as therapy rooms.
She loved the variety of therapies, classes and experiences that explored what it meant to be physically and mentally well. Whilst building her massage work, there were patterns that she kept seeing in the people she worked with and herself - we just don’t move enough!
And this can show itself in so many different ways. So she started practicing Reformer Pilates which evolved into studying it!
One of the things she loves about Pilates is that one exercise can be felt in so many different ways depending on the way it’s cued, what physical tensions are being working with, or what energy you bring to the studio, and that there’s no right or wrong way to do it (well, sort of!).
She's a big fan of Reformer classes that make you feel connected, in control, and mindful.
Lauren Darbyshire
Lauren has a lifelong interest in movement and the mind-body connection. She studied dance and psychology at university before beginning a career in Human Resources.
Whilst working in HR, Lauren discovered yoga and found it to be the perfect antidote to the demands of corporate life. She qualified as a Vinyasa Yoga teacher in 2014 and taught group classes before starting her family.
Following the birth of her three children, Lauren experienced postnatal challenges, including diastasis recti and chronic lower back pain. Looking for a way to help her body heal, she discovered Pilates and quickly experienced its ability to help her rebuild strength and stability and feel like herself again.
Inspired to share these transformative benefits with others, Lauren completed her Pilates Matwork certification with Body Control Pilates in 2025 and is currently working towards her Comprehensive Studio certification with Polestar Pilates.
Lauren's teaching focuses on helping clients build strength, improve movement quality and develop greater body awareness. She strives to create a welcoming and supportive environment where clients leave each session feeling stronger, calmer and more connected to their bodies.
Our Mission
All our instructors are passionate about pilates and are excited to help you become a happier, healthier you. We truly believe in harnessing the power of movement to help you maximise your health, vitality, strength and well-being.