…A Dancer’s Journey to Pilates

Yvonne Kuang was naturally gifted with agility and versatility – actively engaged in ballet & modern dance, taekwondo, wushu, swimming, running, and ice-skating from childhood into her adult years. In pursuit of higher education, she achieved her B.A. in arts & social sciences, majoring in Chinese Studies at University of Malaya in 1996 — all whilst maintaining devotion to her love for performance arts.

For more than 10 years, Yvonne performed full-time as a dancer and choreographer. Through her interaction in the world of performing arts, she developed an interest in the fitness industry. She was trained and certified in 2003, teaching Les Mills Body Jam & Body Balance, as well as instructing dance and yoga classes in various gymnasiums and corporations.

In 2004, Yvonne began her journey of Pilates – nurturing a seed that was planted during her teen years by her ballet teacher from Royal Ballet Academy. She received training in the various pieces of Pilates apparatus – mat, reformer, cadillac, chair, and barrels – consecutively in Malaysia, Australia, and Canada; completed the ISP (Injuries & Special Population) rehabilitation course; and was successfully certified as a Stott Pilates instructor. Signature Pilates Studio was founded in 2005.

In her years of training individuals, Yvonne’s students have ranged from as young as 5 years old to senior citizens — from as fit as professional sports & aerobic competitors, yoga & fitness instructors to individuals suffering from chronic pain and injuries, expectant and post-natal mothers, and ‘special needs’ children.

Yvonne’s Pilates-based physiotherapy experience include the following: skeletal musculature issues (spinal problems, spondylolisthesis, scoliosis, & bulging disc), scapular and shoulder region impairments (rotator cuff tendonitis & thoracic outlet syndrome), and lower extremities injuries (piriformis syndrome, sciatica, and knee & ankle injuries). She has successfully instructed expectant mothers through pre-natal fitness to birth & post-natal recovery, easing them through associated aches and complications common during pregnancy. Yvonne also possesses a gift for working with special needs children, engaging her young pupils with a child-like and positive demeanor. Her students have included children with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyper-active Disorder).

Yvonne’s personal background as an athlete, fitness instructor, & performance artist has also given her the eye for training others in similar fields of occupation. She has coached Les Mills indoor cycling & Body Pump instructors (release tight thighs & ease knee pain), personal fitness trainers (relax overused muscles), yoga instructors (compliment body movement & strengthen overstretched muscles), golfers (alleviate ‘golfer elbow’ and hip & lower back pain), mountain climbers (achieve more flexibility for scaling), sports aerobic competitors (develop strength & agility), and ballet dancers (develop core strength & overall body balance to counteract hyper-mobility).

Pilates fitness instruction has been a rewarding pursuit for Yvonne. Her active background – and personal experience with various work & sports-related injuries – have given her a high sensitivity and warm compassion for those in physical pain and discomfort. She views Signature Pilates Studio as a conduit through which she can use her gifts to help others in need.