Instructor Spotlight: Xanthe Alroe

1.     Tell us a little about yourself and your Pilates background

My name is Xanthe and I am 33 years old, a former corporate worker and have been practicing Pilates for seven years...teaching for six. That's quite a quick turnaround from client to teacher! Not so surprising when you consider that my first foray into pilates was with one of the larger franchises that pumps out instructors over the course of a month, or less. When my former instructor noticed that my class attendance had moved to a later morning slot, she asked me about it. I told her I had been made redundant and was out of a job. She offhandedly suggested I look into becoming an instructor, until I found my next role. Every day I find myself so grateful to that instructor for that casual, yet fateful suggestion. Not to sound trite, but never have I experienced such job satisfaction or self-fulfilment in all aspects of my life since making pilates my focus.

2.     How did you discover Pilates?

If you were to tell my younger self that my future career would be a pilates instructor, I would have laughed in your face. I am bookish, geeky and left to my own devices, my natural physical state vacillates from resembling something akin to a potato to a wet noodle. For me, exercise had always felt like a chore to say the least, and the concept of mindfulness was an abstract, unattainable state that I couldn't seem to connect with or grasp, no matter how much yoga my girlfriends dragged me to. When one of those girlfriends begged me to join her in a fitness regime in preparation for her wedding, I agreed to try out pilates with her at one of the aforementioned franchises. Gradually, but also somehow all at once, I started to connect with my body. I felt joy in movement. Not only that, but something happened to my neurotic, loud and frantic brain...after a pilates session, it actually shut up, at least for a little while. I had struck gold.

I taught for the franchise for a while and thoroughly enjoyed the constructive, self-improvement atmosphere. I even took up a mentoring position, helping new instructors with their training. But after a while, I began to notice that the very specific instructions about the way the limbs and joints should be positioned were not really being successfully achieved by the majority of the clients. I remember thinking "Why can't Jane keep her shoulders from shrugging while performing salute? Why won't Sarah's knees stop rolling in during scooter?” I kept reminding my clients of these things, but nothing changed in a lasting meaningful way. That's what prompted me to step out from the franchise bubble, and seek further training with Carla Mullins at Body Organics. She opened the door to a world of context and understanding about the body which has, and continues to be the most rewarding avenue of pilates learning and teaching I have ever pursued. While I still keep a couple of my shifts at the franchise I started out in, I'm looking forward to stepping away completely to find other studios to work at and continue to grow in.

3. How do you keep learning?

As with any journey of learning, the deeper your understanding grows, the more you become aware of how much there is still to discover. In my view Carla Mullins has clearly worked extremely hard to close that window, with the amount of study and personal research she has done. There is so much to be inspired by and to consider it’s sometimes hard to know where to start. There have been a number of podcasts I've listened to that have thoroughly challenged my preconceptions about particular topics, such as spinal postures, physical corrections and so forth.

I’ve also learnt a lot from my amazing boss Amanda Grant at BodyLife in Pullenvale, Queensland, Australia. She has mentored me through my training with Body Organics, and allowed me to observe her teaching. I now work for her, teaching group reformer classes, and recently some private sessions. Amanda is a constant, huge source of support and knowledge. Probably the biggest font of inspiration comes from my clients when they say "I've got this niggle..." or they show up showing stiffness or pain and I think, "I'm sure pilates can fix that." I may not always have the answer right away, but it's that kind of prompting that will send me off down a rabbit hole searching for solutions, picking the brains of other instructors and so on.

4.     The best advice you were ever given as a teacher…

Stop comparing yourself to others. Discover what it is that pilates means to you. Determine the purpose of your own practice, where you place value, and build your teaching philosophy around that. With the current social media saturation and influencer chokehold on the industry, it can be easy to feel you aren't achieving the maximalist approach portrayed online. While there's value in pushing your clients progressively, most of the online content actually prioritises marketing over the quality of client experience with exercises/flows that are visually striking but not necessarily functionally appropriate. While we can take inspiration from a variety of sources to flavour our classes here and there, it's useful to take stock of what the Pilates method offers at its fundamental level, and what you actually want for your clients to achieve and why.

5.      Is there something you try and instil in each of your clients?

Every wobble is a win. We all feel self-conscious when the limbs and tummy start to shake, but it’s just the sign that we're doing something worthwhile.


6. The best Pilates course you ever did was…

That's easy - the study I've been doing at Body Organics with Carla Mullins has by far been the best. I absolutely love her approach. What sets her teaching apart is the understanding of structure of the joints and directing the movement in a way that is contextual. She puts so much consideration into the "spin" of the bones within their sockets and how that will determine where other joints/limbs will be placed as a result. There's a comprehensive understanding of the muscular slings in the body, and how the muscle groups work within a rhythm to activate the entire sling. There's no artificial squeezing of muscles; only an organic organisation of positioning and movement, that naturally creates the appropriate tensions and elongations within the entire body. She might also be one of the most creative people I've ever met...a mad genius when it comes to props.

7. What’s your favourite piece of equipment to use with clients in studio and why?

I have the most experience with the reformer, which is excellent for certain things; though I believe it has certain drawbacks. So in my experience, the mat is one of the most empowering and functional places to work from. In conjunction with the mat, my favourite piece of equipment is the humble TheraBand. You can do an entire class of repertoire with that thing. It's so versatile and economic.

8. How do you stay motivated?

The state of my mental health and wellbeing are now very much intertwined with my Pilates practice. It's the canary in the mineshaft. I know when I start to feel low, and internal dialogue becomes acerbic, that it's time to nourish myself through movement. It's a privilege not everyone can enjoy, so I'm grateful that I can recognise this in myself, and move in such a healing way. I think I also get a kick out of the idea of being elderly and still being able to do a roll up...maybe even a handstand.

9. What makes you laugh the most?

Animals being dorks. In particular when cats find themselves in undignified situations. Also Monty Python. Finding absurdity and surrealism in the mundane tickles me.

10. What’s your favourite way to spend a day off?

I'm sure I'm not alone when I say the ideal day off starts with a lovely sleep in. Crafts are a great way to keep the hands busy and brain offline, especially if there's an excellent audiobook to pair it with. I love to draw, and attend life drawing classes when I can. I'm also very partial to sitting on my behind for a few hours playing video games or reading fiction.

11. How many pairs of grip socks do you own? 

I had to count on my fingers but I think I own seven pairs of grip socks. I wear them so frequently, at least one pair offers only a mere suggestion of grip than anything. I love the stretch band. I love the non-ambiguity of it.

12. Does your family ‘really know’ what’s involved in your job? 

Sort of. It's taken about 5 years. My mother has only just now asked me for advice on strengthening her problem areas...whether she takes my suggestions into action is a whole other matter, but at least I have my validation.

Xanthe teaches at Bodylife Studio Pullenvale and Pilates Emporium Bardon in Brisbane, Australia.