Introducing the team
vania dunn - owner, founder, instructor
Vania grew up in east Auckland, and has always loved fitness and played sport, playing representative level Basketball and Netball as a teenager and into her 20s. Married in 1999, her and Reuben now have four awesome kids and a busy family life.
Prior to children, Vania studied at Auckland University completing a BSc in Psychology, followed by a BHSc (Physiotherapy) at AUT. She grew a passion for all things related to pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period and alongside private practice, focused on working in this area in her early years as a Physiotherapist. On becoming a mother herself in 2004, she moved from having the head knowledge, to experiencing firsthand all the changes that accompany motherhood. This further cemented a desire to support and encourage other mums. She says,
"I realised how hard and isolating it can be. How it is so very easy to "lose yourself" to the task of motherhood. There is so much pressure for a woman to be successful in every area of life, and we push ourselves so hard to try and have it all. I have learnt that women will be both better mothers and better people when they can take time to nurture and love themselves. I know women are better mothers, when they feel confident about who they are; when they have energy and health to run and play with their families and friends. And most of all, when they are connected with and supported by other women."
Studio Thirty Five (originally "pure mama") has evolved as a result of this passion to build into other peoples lives - inspiring others to take care of themselves and recognise the worth and value within themselves. No longer just focusing on mums, but also extending this same underpinning philosophy to classes open to all who would like to partake.
No longer a registered Physiotherapist, due to focusing on raising her family, Vania re-trained in clinical Pilates in 2015 with Stability Plus in Auckland (advanced mat instructor certification and also pre and postnatal Pilates). Vania teaches both mat classes and the postnatal mamas & bubs classes at Studio Thirty Five.
alicia mitchell - instructor
Alicia grew up in Napier and has always been very active with a love for dance. From a young age dancing became a passion. At the age of 18 Alicia auditioned and was accepted into The New Zealand School of Dance. In 2005, after completing her training Alicia decided to combine travel and dance. Travelling throughout Australia, United Kingdom and New Zealand mixing it up with contemporary, hip hop and corporate dance.
After injuries she turned to another passion of hers, Pilates. Pilates was always apart of her life as it formed an important partner to dance movement.
Alicia started teaching Pilates in 2013 and is a Polestar, Stott Pilates and Barre trained instructor. She is passionate about Pilates and loves the interaction with different clients. Alicia finds it rewarding helping people achieve their goals, pushing them to that next level or being a part of somebodys rehibilitation. She is a very strong believer that Pilates offers many great benefits to your body and mind.
Alicia is an exceptional instructor and began teaching classes with Studio Thirty Five in April 2018. She is teaching both mat and our highly anticipated barre classes which kick off July 2018.
FAQ
How many people come to your classes? Both our Mat and Barre Pilates classes have a maximum of 5 people. Keeping our classes small allows us to better connect with you and to give you the attention you deserve. Postnatal mamas and bubs classes are even smaller - with only four to a class. And of course we encourage you to bring your baby with you to this one.
How long does a class run for? All classes run for 55 mins. We encourage you to arrive 5 mins early to get yourself settled in. If you are coming to a postnatal class, the studio will be open to you for 15mins prior to come and get settled with your baby. We always endeavour to start classes on time. However, particularly with the postnatal classes, we are sensitive to the needs of new mamas and their babies.
Do I need to bring anything with me to class? It's essential you bring your own socks to wear on the mats for hygiene reasons. Aside from that, make sure you are wearing comfy clothes you can easily move in. In winter it might be wise to layer up. Feel free to bring your sense of humour too. We love a good laugh in class!
Can i buy a concession? You sure can! In fact that's how we work! Concessions at Studio Thirty Five run on a term by term basis. You pick the class and time that works for you and book in your spot for the term. Generally we encourage clients to come to the same class each week, but if you know ahead of time you will be away, we can often find an alternative class for you as a one off. We offer concessions for both one class per week and two classes per week.
What if i only want to come to a class here and there? You can totally do that too. Just use our online booking system to join in wherever spaces are available. We encourage you to come regularly though, as you will see the best benefits of Pilates classes by committing to regular practice.
How do I get there? Check out the map for our location. Once you are on Pioneer Road, and find number 35 on the right, drive past the main entrance approximately 50m to a second gravel driveway entrance. Drive on up and into the parking area.