Stones CornerSTUDIO

Former Moulin Rouge and Lido dancer, author of the bestselling book ‘Memoirs of a Showgirl’, star of her own stage show and mother of two – Shay Stafford has just spent the past three years teaching Xtend Barre at Sydney’s top studios following a stellar career on the Paris stage.

As a certified Pilates Mat and Reformer instructor, Shay built up an enviable private clientele at the exclusive Sydney health club, training CEOs, pre and post-natal women, retirees and a parade of professional dancers. She also worked as Sarah Murdoch’s personal trainer, teaching her Xtend Barre for more than a year.

“It’s been almost twenty years since I left Brisbane to dance in Paris,” says Shay. “I’m so excited to be finally coming home and bringing Xtend Barre with me.

“No other exercise program gets results like Xtend Barre. The classes fly by because each one is challenging yet elegant, inspiring and most of all FUN”

It’s possible there are fitness instructors in Brisbane who are as technically qualified as Jess, but you won’t find one who is more enthusiastic, dynamic or as committed to her craft.

A dancer since she was small, Jess has performed professionally with some of the most respected contemporary dance companies in the country, including Paul Malek’s Contemporary Companies Project Y.

Trained in Matwork Pilates and currently studying Exercise and Sport Science at UQ, Jess promises to infuse her classes with all of the anatomical theory she’s learned in lecture halls, and all the fun she otherwise injects into her everyday life.

“I love Xtend because it combines Pilates principles with sculpting ballet techniques,” she says. “After years of going to the gym, to boxing and to bootcamps, I’m a total convert. I have finally found something that sculpts and lengthens my muscles, creating the long, lean body I’ve always wanted.”

Did we mention she’s also a former Broncos cheerleader and does a mean Paso Doble?

She practiced criminal law (and was very good at it too) for many years, but Brisbane-born Shauna never really got out of her system the ballet or championship Irish dancing she had done from the age of six to seventeen.
Now working as a freelance copywriter, she relishes the opportunity to get out of her writing cave and into the studio. ‘Teaching Xtend has reawakened all the muscle memory I thought I’d lost’ she says. ‘And there’s nothing I love more than seeing others make the same discovery, finding that inner ballerina once again.’
A Stott trained Pilates mat instructor, she’s a stickler for technique and relishes the opportunity to help people find, and Xtend their limits. ‘I want to see your legs shake, I want to see you sweat, but above all, I want to see you leave with a great big smile on your face. That’s what makes me happy.”

A high-flying lawyer and former federal police agent by day, an Xtend Barre instructor by night (and occasionally really early in the morning), Sheree brings to the Xtend Brisbane team a unique and varied skills set.

From the Australian Youth Ballet and the Royal Academy of Dance syllabus as a young girl, Sheree segued into legal studies before graduating at the top of class at the Australian Federal Police academy. As you do.

She worked for many years as a high-level agent, rising to become a member of the Prime Minister’s personal protection detail, before deciding to pursue law in the banking and financing sector – with a few triathlons along the way.

But it’s in the dance studio that she feels most at home, channeling her three year-old self who made her ballet stage debut as a butterfly in an end of year production.
“The women that attend Xtend classes are a wonderfully eclectic group with varying skill levels,” Sheree says. “The one thing they absolutely have in common though is a passion for movement and dance. And it’s a complete joy to help them realise that passion.”

Samara has worked in the entertainment industry as a dancer and model. She has performed in many corporate events, national advertising campaigns, television commercials, dramas and films including The Great Gatsby. Most recently you could find her dancing her heart out aboard Sydney Showboats and across the seas at the 2016 Auto Expo in India modelling for Mercedes Benz.

After being introduced to Xtend Barre and realizing it not only strengthens but also sculpts your body, she chose to study Pilates and Xtend Barre to become a qualified teacher. She has also continued to further her training by studying pre and post natal Pilates.

For the last four years Samara has filled her days with teaching at all of Sydney’s top studios and she is delighted to now be apart of the Xtend Barre Brisbane team. “Xtend brings all of my passion for Dance, music and fitness together and combines them in a fun, addictive and motivating workout, however my favourite part is seeing the clients lives change as they bring health, fitness and even more happiness to their lives.”

A dancer since she was seven, Bridget trained in the Queensland Ballet Junior Program and received Distinction in all RAD Classical exams. Bridget is now a fully qualified RAD teacher and holds a Certificate 3 in Fitness.

Bridget has lived and breathed the fitness industry her whole life. She grew up in the community of her parent’s family owned gym in Tarragindi, which has been successful training locals for more than 20 years.

Currently completing a degree in Marketing and teaching classical ballet to budding little ballerinas in local dance schools, Bridget is now also proud to share her passion for health, fitness and dance with the Xtend Barre Brisbane community.

“I love how Xtend takes the principles and foundations of classical ballet to a whole new level, turning it into a fun and challenging workout for everyone. The energetic vibe and encouraging environment Xtend creates makes it a workout unlike any other I have experienced!”

Dance, pilates and the noble art of teaching. Put these three things together and you have the essence of what Meka Ingram brings to our Xtend Barre studios.

A graduate of QUT’s Bachelor of Fine Arts Dance degree, Meka also completed her Graduate Diploma in Secondary Education. Now, by day she is a high school dance teacher and by night she continues to nurture her love affair with Pilates.

Meka became a Polestar Pilates Mat instructor in 2014. This allows her to combine her twin passions for teaching and movement.

She loves to see the transformative effect that prolonged exposure to Pilates can have on clients who come to her class.