This is the second in our series of Getting to Know Your Instructor. Meet Katrin Neue, dancer, mother, Pilates instructor and Somatics Exercise Coach….
When you were younger what did you want to be when you grew up? 
I always wanted to be a teacher or dancer! It became a combination of both and my first professional training was to become a dancer and dance teacher.
What inspired you to become a Pilates teacher?
I wanted to teach more after dancing for a while and I really enjoy working with people from all walks of life. I just love teaching movement!
What’s your favourite thing about teaching?
That it’s an experience you try to get across rather than just intellectual knowledge when you teach movement. It’s wonderful to see clients gaining more and more control and looking and feeling more graceful.
What’s your least favourite thing about teaching?
When the occasional client thinks its possible to learn everything perfectly in one session.
What’s your favourite Pilates exercise? Why? 
Uh, there are a few, but I’d say the mermaid, as it’s so multidimensional!
What Pilates exercise do you like the least? Why?
I’m not a big fan of back work on the long box and prefer the seated version. I tend to use my lower back a bit too much!
Describe your teaching style in less than ten words.
Personal, most of the time humorous, curious.
What are your top three tips for a client starting out with Pilates?
If you’re not coming to class, you’re not going to get better. Give yourself a good couple of classes not too far apart to feel what difference it makes!
Breathe and don’t stress yourself. Learning a new movement repertoire is like learning a new language.
Try to integrate what you do in class in your daily life – make it a habit to check for unnecessary tensions and monitor your posture!
What are your top three tips for clients on progressing their Pilates practice?
Mix it up! Mat is great and Reformer is great, but the real boost comes from getting to know the repertoire on different equipment. You’d be surprised how movements translate from one to the other.
If something starts feeling too easy, let us know so we can help you find a new challenge in the movement. Improvement is infinite.
Go for details. How elegantly and precisely can you perform a movement?
Who is someone who inspires you? Why?
My primary school teacher for what felt like endless patience with everyone. She was able to deviate from the plan with a story and smoothly bring everyone back to learning enthusiastically. In movement, my late Ballet teacher Erika, who was there with all her heart and at over 75 still could perform some of her Balanchine solo parts!
When you’re not teaching what do you like to do? 
Play with my energetic son, knit jumpers and sleep. I love dancing too!
Tell us one thing we might not know about you.
I often have to think longer about a German expression than an English one and often start talking English to my German family!