SPRING Sessions • Luxe Pilates, CT
Introducing our newest home studio in the U.S.
How one connection led us to Connecticut
By Kimmy Kellum
A new chapter for SPRING in the US begins here.
We’re so excited to finally share what we’ve been building behind the scenes, especially for the next generation of Pilates instructors in Connecticut who have been waiting for the right moment to begin. This is that moment. It’s a moment for new careers, new teachers, and a new sense of confidence.
For the first time, our Connecticut community has a place to begin. A home studio where future instructors can step into their teaching journey and feel supported from day one by the SPRING team.
There’s something special about walking into a studio and immediately feeling at ease, not because it’s trying to impress you, but because everything has been thoughtfully considered.
At Luxe Pilates, that care is felt in the way classes are structured, in the way instructors guide you through movement, and in the way you are seen as an individual in the room. It’s a space that clearly reflects the person behind it. Thoughtful, intentional, and grounded in real experience.
At the centre of it all is Andrea Chappelle-Pinnock, the founder of Luxe Pilates.
Let’s start at the very beginning…
The connection between Luxe Pilates and SPRING came about in a way that feels very true to this industry, through community.
Abby Price, one of our longest-standing SPRING educators, had recently started teaching at Luxe. She has been part of SPRING since the early days, leading teacher training programs when we were still developing our Teacher Training platform out of our New York home studio, East River Pilates in Brooklyn.
Having experienced both environments firsthand, she immediately recognised the alignment. She understood Andrea’s approach, the way Luxe operates day to day, and the level of care that defines the studio. So when the opportunity arose, the connection felt natural.
SPRING Founding Lead Educator, Abby
Abby, you’ve been part of both the SPRING and Luxe communities. What was it about Luxe, and Andrea’s approach, that made you feel there was a natural alignment?
There are so many similarities between SPRING and Luxe Pilates. In my experience, I’ve sensed so many similarities between Kimmy, SPRING co-founder and Andrea, founder and owner of Luxe. I can link this back to my first time meeting both of these fabulous women, many years apart.
I will always remember and be so grateful for the day I met Kimmy back in 2017 in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. I was finally auditioning to teach for East River Pilates, where SPRING began. Right away, I felt a sense of ease, lightness and genuine optimism in Kimmy’s presence. She was rocking a bright, colorful jacket, a big smile on her face and her usual sparkle was really sparkling that day. There were no airs about her. She was approachable and authentic. She was somehow simultaneously upbeat and down to earth. She just made me feel right at home.
This past September, I finally met Andrea at the gorgeous Luxe Pilates in the quaint coastal town of Niantic in my home state of Connecticut. I wasn’t sure what to expect and was so pleasantly surprised to have found such a gem right here in my old stomping grounds. Looking back on my first meeting with Andrea, I had a very similar feeling to when I’d met Kimmy nearly a decade ago; I just felt right at home.
Both of these communities have something special and rare about them. I find as I continue on in this industry that these qualities are hard to find, especially all at once. I’m not sure how I got so very lucky to work with such brilliant, organized, driven, forward-thinking folks!
SPRING has always had a rare balance between professionalism and compassion. It can be hard to find both of these qualities in the Pilates industry. I have recognized the same professionalism and compassion in Andrea and the way she so intentionally and thoughtfully runs her business.
Both SPRING and Luxe are communities that are committed to growth, approachability, inclusivity and providing the very best within the industry.
Andrea Chappelle-Pinnock: Building something that lasts
After more than a decade in the health and wellness industry, Andrea founded Luxe Pilates with a clear intention to create a space where every client receives the personalised attention they deserve. That intention is evident in every part of the studio experience.
Her approach blends classical Pilates principles with a modern understanding of movement and injury recovery. This allows her to meet clients exactly where they are, whether they are managing chronic pain, rebuilding after injury, or simply wanting to move more freely and confidently.
There’s a quiet confidence to the way Luxe operates. Nothing feels rushed or overly complicated. The focus remains on thoughtful, precise teaching delivered with genuine care.
Luxe Pilates’ Founder, Andrea
Andrea, you founded Luxe Pilates after more than a decade in the health and wellness space. What was your intention behind creating your own studio?
After spending over a decade as a personal trainer, Yoga instructor and High School Head Track & Field Coach, I created Luxe Pilates because I wanted a space where people could feel truly seen and supported, not misled, not intimidated, and not treated like a number. And honestly, a big part of it was when I looked around the area, there just weren’t Pilates studios available the way there should’ve been. I saw a real need in the community, and I wanted to bring high-quality Pilates to people locally.
I was also inspired by the opportunity to educate the community on what Pilates actually is. A lot of people think it’s just stretching, or it’s only for a certain type of person, and that’s not true. My intention was to build a studio that is personal and relationship-driven, where I know my clients, their bodies, and what they’re working through personally, emotionally and physically.
Luxe is really about giving this area access to Pilates and helping people understand it. While also being a place that is welcoming especially for people who think Pilates “isn’t for them”, or those well into their pilates journey. At the end of the day, Luxe Pilates was intentionally created to make Pilates feel approachable, personal, and sustainable.
Luxe has such a strong sense of care and personal attention. How have you intentionally shaped that experience for your clients and instructors?
Luxe Pilates was shaped very intentionally, because care & attention can’t just be a vibe, it shows up in the day to day. It is important to me that relationships and trust are built from the first day clients walk through the door. That is why I take the time in the initial consultation process, to understand the person's why, make them feel comfortable and teach the Pilates principles. I do this while communicating like a real and relatable person!
In every class, I’m watching bodies closely, offering modifications, and cueing in a way that makes people feel supported, not called out. As for the instructors I bring into Luxe, I'm just as intentional and purposeful with the process.
Skill matters, but energy and personality matters too. I want someone who’s approachable, reliable, and naturally supportive, because that is what our clients personally respond to. Luxe Pilates exists with the focus on clients and instructors feeling smarter, stronger and more supported in their bodies.
A studio shaped by its community
Luxe Pilates has become known for its small group Reformer classes, where attention to detail and individual experience are consistently prioritised.
That level of care hasn’t gone unnoticed. Luxe was recently voted #1 Pilates studio in the area in The Day’s Best of the Best. This recognition reflects both the standard Andrea has built and the trust of the community that continues to support it. It’s the kind of milestone that belongs just as much to the people who walk through the doors each day as it does to the studio itself.
Andrea and Abby, SPRING’s Educator team at Luxe Pilates in Connecticut
A natural alignment
When SPRING first connected with Andrea, there was an immediate sense of alignment. We share a commitment to clear and effective teaching. We believe that inclusivity and high standards can exist side by side. And we agree that learning does not stop once a certification is complete.
These are principles Andrea has embedded into Luxe Pilates, and they are the same principles that continue to guide SPRING.
From one connection to something bigger
What began with Abby has grown into something much more meaningful.
A studio in Connecticut, an educator connected to SPRING, and a founder leading with intention have come together to form part of a broader global community.
Abby, how does it feel to see this partnership come together, knowing you’re part of both worlds?
Seeing this partnership between SPRING and Luxe come together feels incredibly gratifying. It’s an honor and a privilege to be part of this merging of worlds! I know I’m in the right place and that I’ve found my people. That sense of building and growing that I’ve felt working for both SPRING and Luxe now feels like exponential growth.
For a long time, I’d been visualizing this moment but wasn’t sure exactly how and where it would all happen. It feels like things have come full circle. I feel satisfied yet excited. I feel proud. I feel eager and ready to begin!
Why this matters for future teachers
For anyone in Connecticut who has been thinking about becoming a Pilates instructor, this moment is significant. Finding the right place to begin matters. The environment matters. The support matters. The people you learn from matter.
At Luxe Pilates, students step into a space that already holds a strong standard of teaching, while also being supported by SPRING’s global education framework and mentorship. This combination of local community and global perspective allows new teachers to build real confidence as they step into the industry.
Photo courtesy of Luxe Pilates
Andrea, as you bring teacher training into Luxe, what excites you most about supporting the next generation of Pilates instructors in Connecticut?
Honestly, it’s exciting because it’s bigger than just Luxe Pilates. It’s the chance to help shape the future of Pilates not only in Connecticut but globally. To be able to be part of leading instructors who will make a real difference in the Pilates and Wellness community is very rewarding. What I'm looking forward to the most is being able to help coach and educate instructors, to not just become “certified,” but to be prepared to lead a room with confidence and skill in their own way!
Having this opportunity to create a strong Pilates community in Connecticut, where instructors feel connected and clients benefit from consistently high-quality teaching is really meaningful to me.
For someone in Connecticut who’s been thinking about becoming a Pilates instructor, what would you say to them now that this opportunity exists locally?
My advice is that if anyone feels pulled toward teaching Pilates, there’s usually a reason, and I encourage following that feeling. Now that teacher training is available locally at Luxe Pilates, you have a chance to turn that feeling into a real path, one that can genuinely change lives, including your own. Teaching Pilates is meaningful and responsible work, and deserves a high standard.
But you don’t have to be the perfect mover to be a great teacher! If you want flexible work, meaningful work, or even a long-term career path, teaching Pilates can become that opportunity for you. The need isn’t just in Connecticut, it’s everywhere as more people are discovering the benefits of Pilates the demand for skilled, supportive Pilates teachers is rising with it. Having an opportunity locally here in Connecticut at Luxe Pilates means you can learn consistently, have a community, and actually get mentored, not just certified.
Looking Ahead
This partnership represents more than a new home studio. It reflects how this industry continues to grow through relationships, shared values, and people who genuinely care about the work.
From Andrea’s vision in Connecticut to SPRING’s global Pilates teacher training platform, this is what it looks like when those elements come together. At the centre of it all is a founder who has built something truly worth being part of.
Connecticut, this is your moment to move into your dream career.
Curious about Pilates teacher training?
SPRING’s Pilates Teacher Training is proud to call Connecticut home, hosted exclusively at Luxe Pilates in Niantic.
[Explore SPRING Movement’s Pilates Teacher Training at Luxe Pilates →]
Your Dream Career Starts Here.
