Eastside Pilates

The instructors here are great, and I love how they have student rates, otherwise it would not be accessible to many interested patrons. I will say however, that the cancellation policy sucks. It’s a 24 hour notice, which I totally GET, but if you wake up sick or have a family emergency you have to eat your class fee. I just wish they were a little more flexible to the clients needs. If you flake and forget class, sure, you should be charged, but life happens sometimes.

I have been super impressed with Eastside Pilates. I have been taking private lessons as well as a group class for about four months now and everything about the experience has been top rate. The trainers are all kind, professional and have fun personalities which makes it so much easier and more enjoyable.
I am not a fitness buff by any means and have found all the staff willing to help and accommodate my limitations and to assist in pushing past them.
The only minor annoyance is they do not have a water cooler available so you have to remember to bring enough with you.

Hard to believe that East Side Pilates (ESP) has yet to get a review. Two private lessons in, and I’m a huge fan of the studio. I can usually tell within my first 10 minutes of a first lesson on whether the teacher/​student relationship is going to work out. I’ve been fortunate enough to have been taught by some awesome instructors in most major cities I’ve traveled to over the past five years. I’ve also had my share of crappy ones as well. Thus, I’m VERY particular with who I choose as my instructor. Being a future physical therapist who suffers from plenty of joint pain (and multiple operations), one of of my criteria in choosing a studio/​instructor is whether I’d feel comfortable enough to send a patient there without the risk of the instructor injuring/​killing them.
I’ve definitely found a winner with Dawn at ESP. She’s a wonderful instructor who actually listens to her clients. She’s great at cueing students on what the particular exercise entails. Despite being classically trained, she’s open to mixing things up a bit to keep me challenged and interested. I’ve taken lessons in the past by the annoying «classical purists/​snobs» who refuse to change their routine — constantly name dropping and stating that «Joe» (as in Joe Pilates) did it a certain way and that’s the ONLY right way. I guess they would be correct if we were still in the 19^th century, but anatomy, orthopedics and biomechanics have evolved since then. Back on topic of Dawn, I have yet to take one of her classes, but plan on doing so soon. I know that she’ll be equally as great teaching a group as she does a private lesson.
The studio does offer group lessons at an affordable price, at least in comparison to studios in LA or NY. The variety includes reformed, tower, mat, jump board, and barre classes, and I believe classes are taught everyday. Classes run from around $ 15 to $ 25, and privates are $ ⁶⁰⁄₅₅ minute session. Packages are available, which can bring the prices down quite a bit. And for all you newbies to the studio, they offer fantastic introductory packages. I purchased an introductory three-​pack for $ 160. In any case, East Side Pilates gets my seal of approval. I’m already looking forward to returning for my next lesson… a very good sign that I found a winner indeed!
Tip (an addendum): If you’re a complete newbie or have an orthopedic/​neurological condition, I HIGHLY recommend talking to Ann (the owner — who’s awesome with coordinating lessons and communicating) and setting up a few privates prior to taking classes. Some of the moves can put your body into compromising positions with certain conditions, so it’s better to err on the cautious side!