Studio Instructors
Danielle Rech (Danielle Stone)
Director & Pilates Practitioner
Diploma of Professional Pilates Instruction (NPT)
Bachelor of Arts (Hons) Dance
Advanced Diploma of Dance
Pilates Alliance Australasia (PAA) Principal Member
Danni, the director of on-Core Pilates Studio, is an ex-professional Dancer originally from Sydney. She lived, studied & performed in Germany for 5 years after training with & attaining an Advanced Diploma of Dance with the Tanya Pearson Classical Coaching Academy.
She then finished her dancing career with a contract as a soloist dancer on a prestigious cruise ship, “The Jewel of the Seas” with Royal Caribbean International Cruise Lines.
Danni received a BA (Hons) Dance degree from the University she was on scholarship at, in Germany & speaks German! She has also taught Zumba, many forms of dancing & choreographed for dance schools in Sydney.
After performing around the World, Danni decided to move to Melbourne in 2010 with her 'now husband' being a Ferntree Gully bloke & completing her proper Pilates Certification. This was always something she wanted to do & suddenly it became her new passion.
With an exuberant, approachable & passionate nature towards her job as a Pilates practitioner, she hopes to enlighten all your lives further into the Pilates method while aiming to help you achieve your ultimate goals & ideally be pain-free. Your results with a positive attitude, just coming in to help you, your lifestyle & health, is why she loves her job so much.
Danni has a keen interest in working with Pre & Post Natal clients as well as aspiring athletes & dancers, especially injury rehabilitation-wise. Danni had a full patella-femoral knee reconstruction herself after completely rupturing her medial ligament & dislocating her patella on her left knee twice back when she was dancing in Europe. Learning to walk again & having to start dancing from scratch was probably one of the most difficult times of her life, hence her dedication in helping people post-injury rehab & assisting dancers + athletes achieve their future aspirations by avoiding injuries.
The clients who also continue to inspire Danni are those who have experienced a neurological deficit. She has worked with cerebral palsy, MS clients & people who are recovering after having a stroke. Making sure her clients walk out of the studio feeling better & happier than when they walked in before their session is her constant mission.
Before officially opening her own Business, "on-Core", Danni previously worked at many Pilates Studios & Allied Health Clinics around Melbourne, notably 'Doncaster Osteopathic Clinic' & 'The Reformed Body' in Mont Albert North. She also loves nothing more than being a Mum to her 2 daughters, Evie & Maya, who are her everything.
Heather Anderson
Certificate IV in Pilates Matwork Instruction (91492NSW)
Certificate IV in Fitness
Fitrec Registration
Heather has been working part time in the fitness industry for over 5 years. Since her teen years she has always been into fitness and enjoyed being active. As the years have gone on and high intensity exercise has taken its toll on the body, she decided that she was going to need other forms of exercise that were not going to be so demanding on the joints of the body to keep her fit and healthy.
Heather had been looking at Pilates for quite some time and in 2014 decided that this is what she wanted to do for her clients - as well as keeping her own body strong. Once she started her training with Aligned for Life Pilates she couldn't believe the benefits it was having and she has not looked back since.
Combining both Pilates and Fitness training enables her to be able offer her clients a mix of strength, cardio and stretching workouts which are suitable for both young and old and offers variety so they never get bored!
"Heather is a gorgeous Pilates Instructor - on the inside & out - who combines her fantastic PT fitness background & training into her Pilates Matwork Classes for the best workout! She is an easily likable, approachable & reliable gift to the Studio with a fabulously fit body to match!" ~ Danni
Michelle Di Paolo
Diploma of Professional Pilates Instruction (NPT)
Cert 4 in Fitness
Michelle (Mim) is a busy mum of three.
Her greatest loves are family, helping people, cooking, and travel.
Mim has always had a love for human movement and was involved in dance and fitness from a young age. Before starting her career in the fitness industry Mim ran her own curtain making business. After the birth of her third child she had a life change and returned to study, retrained as an Aerobics instructor and Personal Trainer.
Mim has been an Aerobics instructor and Personal Trainer for 10 years, and loves helping her clients get fitter, healthier and stronger. Over the years Mim discovered the benefits of Pilates through her work along side physiotherapists to help her clients recover from their injuries. From this she did her first Pilates mat course in February 2012.
“I love the balance and control we can obtain from Pilates. I love expanding my knowledge in postural correction and bio-mechanical retraining of the body through Pilates. I believe that every client can improve their body through Pilates regardless of their physical ability and limitations”.
"I love the way your body feels after a class. I love to feel balanced, connected and strong." ~Mim
"Mim is a highly capable, extremely dedicated & competent Instructor whom I'm thrilled to have on board at the Studio. She will work you hard with a smile whilst exuberating that energy we find so motivating.
A very determined, knowledgable Pilates & fitness expert who is such a wonderful person with a heart of gold that I just love being around. I couldn't imagine the Studio ever without her." ~Danni
Liz Mulvany
Diploma of Professional Pilates Instruction (NPT)
POP Pilates Instructor
Exercise and Sport Science Student (Deakin University)
Liz is an enthusiastic Pilates instructor who enjoys helping people of all ages achieve their goals and improve their quality of life through Pilates. She continues to develop her skills and knowledge through ongoing education of exercise science at Deakin University. She ensures the most current Pilates practices are implemented with her clients by staying up to date with the latest research.
Liz is also a premier Highland Dancer who has performed for her majesty the Queen and to audiences around the world; Australia, Europe, North America and South Africa. She is a competitive solo dancer, and a member of the Premier Highland Dance Company, OzScot Australia. She has her own Scottish Highland Dance School where she works with gorgeous children of all ages: 'ELEVATE Movement Studio.' Check this out! She sure is a woman of many talents - incredibly gifted in all she does.
Liz's special areas of interest are in improving musculoskeletal conditions, women's health, (pre-natal, post-natal), as well as enhancing athletic/dancer conditioning & working with children/teens.
"Beautiful Liz has been a client of on-Core for a while now before she decided to complete her Diploma of Professional Pilates Instruction in 2018 at 'Aligned for Life Pilates' through National Pilates Training as well as starting her Exercise & Sports Science Degree at University! She is a young, driven, passionate & very intelligent lady wise beyond her years. Liz is consistently wanting to learn, improve & works extremely hard. I adore having her gorgeous, talented self in the Studio. I have constant positive feedback from those clients lucky to have her. Keep up the fantastic work Liz!"
~Danni
Alicia Threadgold
Diploma of Professional Pilates Instruction
Certificate IV in Dance
Alicia was introduced to the method of Pilates during her time as a full time dancer at Patrick Studios Australia. One of Alicia’s greatest loves is performing. During her time as a dancer she had the opportunity to perform for Crown Casino, major corporate events including Kmart and Schwarzkopf, major Nightclubs around Melbourne, Las Vegas HHI Competition (with Competitive Hip Hop Dance Crew – A2D) and Australia’s Got Talent (with Competitive Hip Hop Dance Crew – A2D). She has also taught many forms of dance including Hip Hop, Jazz, Ballet and Tap.
Alicia’s love for movement and mindfulness was what drew her to Pilates. After experiencing Pilates for injury prevention while dancing full time, she found it offered a unique movement experience that left her feeling euphoric.
Alicia also views Pilates as form of meditation. She feels having the mind body connection needed during Pilates creates a sense of staying present and in the moment, in comparison to the usual fast paced environment we experience in day to day life. She also loved the endless repertoire from Pilates that gives her the freedom to keep the creativity from dance and tie it into Pilates movement through flow, variations and choreography.
Alicia has a deep passion for helping people both mentally and physically, creating a positive space for people to feel comfortable to explore and experience how wonderful our bodies are designed to feel.
"Gorgeous Alicia is a young, vibrant, enthusiastic & extremely dedicated Pilates Instructor who has done countless hours of shadow teaching after observation with me at the Studio. She is such a hard, diligent worker who I feel will continue to thrive in this career. Apart from being someone you warm to the moment you meet her, she will also strive to perfect her classes whilst helping her clients achieve their optimum & I count my lucky starts that I have such a sweet, kind & caring person who will work the clients she sees week in week out exactly how they need to be, at the Studio. A popular Instructor & petite treasure with an exuberance that shines through."
~Danni
Snow Du Fau
Diploma of Professional Pilates Instruction (Pilates International Training Centre)
Bachelor of Clinical Science majoring in Human Structure and Function (Southern Cross University, Lismore)
Certificate IV in Remedial Massage
Snow has a strong passion for helping people and a compassionate nature. She is enthusiastic about using movement to maintain and create lasting change in bodies that have suffered injury or trauma. Snow’s interest in the human body and its mechanics has developed over the past 10 years.
She has worked as a remedial massage therapist and in close contact with Osteopaths.
Snow was inspired to study Pilates after it helped her with chronic back and neck pain following injuries. She knows first-hand how Pilates can help a person take back control of their body and free them from dependence on treatment. Snow is excited by this feeling of independence and hopes others will find it as fulfilling as she does.
Snow takes a special interest in the detail of movement techniques. She finds it incredible to see people discover for the first time how a slight alteration to movement can make such a difference to a full body experience.
Snow is delighted to be joining the Hills community and our Upper Ferntree Gully Studio after moving from the Northern Rivers area in New South Wales earlier this year (2019).
"Snow is an extremely assiduous Instructor with her attentive hard-working nature. She is very observant & has an intelligent eye for detail which is definitely a positive trait for this line of work. I absolutely cherish her here at on-Core & will continue to welcome her expertise and knowledge with open arms. Snow is also an incredibly gifted massage therapist, FYI;-)."
~ Danni
Eliza Mercovich
Diploma of Professional Pilates Instruction (NPT)
Certified Fitness Trainer, IV Small Business
Eliza is a compassionate, enthusiastic trainer and really cares for the health and wellbeing of others.
Throughout her life she has always been active, involved in various sports such as calisthenics, swimming and dance and is a trained singer and Small Business Owner.
As a young girl Eliza experienced poor health and just like Joseph Pilates found out how exercise such as Pilates and dance, greatly helped with her recovery from illness and enabled her to continue pursuing her goals despite the health obstacles.
After studying Full time Professional Dance, Eliza decided she wanted to understand the human body more and qualified as a Fitness and Gym Instructor.
Eliza has worked 8 years in various gym environments including in the UK at The Factory London where she worked as a Fitness Trainer and Dance Instructor.
For the last 6 years, Eliza has been running her small business, singing to people affected by dementia and providing music and movement sessions to residents living in Aged Care homes.
Eliza really understands how tricky it can be to navigate through pain and has a particular interest in helping people find better management through movement and Pilates.
"Eliza did her observation hours at on-Core before becoming officially certified as a Pilates Instructor & fits like a glove into the current wonderful team of mine here in Upwey. She is doing a fantastic job so far & is one of the most loveliest, honest, caring ladies you will meet. Her special interest & work with the elderly is an asset here in the Studio. She is also someone who specialises in chronic pain management as well as people suffering with autoimmune diseases, having gone through these herself. " -Danni
