Whitney Fortmueller

  • Founder of rise
  • Barre + Pilates Instructor
  • BFA certified

Growing up in the musical theater performer world, dance classes and movement were always a big part of Whitney's life. She completed her barre teacher certification with Xtend Barre in Los Angeles, California in 2015. She furthered her training by obtaining a Mat Pilates certification with Pilates Instructor Academy in 2020, Barre Prenatal & Postnatal certification with Barre Intensity in 2020, and dived deeper into the original Lotte Berk barre method by getting an additional barre teacher certifcation with Barre & Soul Academy in 2023. Whitney is proud to be a Barre Fitness Alliance approved instructor. Her teaching style is precise and fun, with a focus on endurance and self-compassion. In addition to teaching, she also works as an actress. She's super grateful to now have the opportunity to spread her love of barre & Pilates to the lovely people of Luxembourg!

Geraldine Panzenboeck

  • Barre + Pilates Instructor

Geraldine is from South Africa and has been teaching Pilates since 2011. She is so excited to be part of this incredible team. She loves Pilates and is passionate about encouraging others to move their bodies and reach their full potential through exercise and movement. In 2023 she completed her Barre teacher ceritifcation through Barre Intensity. She is continuously wanting to improve her teaching techniques and her ability to be a great coach for her clients through creative teaching.

Alisha Leyder

  • Barre + Pilates Instructor

Alisha is originally from Luxembourg but spent the past five- six years studying and working abroad (Spain and Germany). She is a professional dancer with a big passion for fitness. Her biggest aspiration is to get people to love moving their own body and to be aware of their body. There is nothing more that she loves more than motivating people to work on themselves phsyically but also mentally through classes.

Natalya Welch

  • Pilates Instructor

Natalya discovered Pilates 10 years ago, and quickly fell in love; though it wasn't until she suffered a back injury, that she realised the magic of this amazing exercise for rehabilitation. This gave her the push to switch from a corporate career to pursue her passion, and become a Pilates instructor. She completed her training in Mat and Reformer, and began teaching in Luxembourg. Her other loves include being a vegan foodie and travelling. Originally from London, she's lived in Australia, Singapore, and now Luxembourg with her family, which includes: rescued pup - Nova, and a very demanding toddler. Her training in pre and post-natal Pilates was key to help her body bounce back after childbirth. She loves working with all bodies, and gets ultimate satisfaction when helping people to improve their mental and physical wellbeing through Pilates.

Merve Duman

  • Pilates Instructor

Merve is passionate about any kind of movement that nourishes the body and the mind. In that sense, Pilates comes first for her. It is her way of taking care of herself and others, her go-to place to get energized and calm her mind. She has been passionately teaching mat and reformer Pilates since 2014. Her adventure with Pilates is a never ending discovery about the body while she improves her teaching skills by learning about new approaches.

Melina Bount

  • Barre + Pilates Instructor

Melina was born in Athens in 1996. In 2017, she successfully passed the ballet and contemporary dance entrance exams of the Ministry of Culture of Greece and attended the professional dance school "Aktina", from which she graduated in 2020. Following her studies, she became a certified teacher in the Pilates method and the NunaCo. Barre Movement training. She has attended numerous workshops such as Hofesh Shechter technique, Gaga technique( Batcheva company), Martha Graham technique, contact improvisation technique, as well as seminars on movement combined with speech and movement in relation to music. She also has a true love for Aikido, Yoga, video editing, and psychology. She wants to bring all of her body knowledge to the classroom in creative ways and help her students develop a deep connection with their bodies!

Anna Occhipinti

  • Barre + Pilates + Aerial Instructor

Anna Occhipinti, an Italian native, has led an inspiring journey encompassing diverse fields. Her passion for movement began at a young age when she started with ballet and later delving also into athletics. Her background gave her a deep understanding of body mechanics and the importance of a strong, balanced physique. After her ballet and athletic careers, Anna's curiosity led her to explore the world of Pilates, Barre, Body Flying, Tabata and various other disciplines. Recognizing the immense benefits of these practices, she pursued various certification as an instructor determined to share her knowledge and enthusiasm. With her background also as an Industrial Engineer, Anna applies a methodical and analytical approach to her teaching, ensuring clients receive a comprehensive understanding of the exercises and their impact on the body. Her dynamic and energetic style fosters a positive and supportive environment, promoting a sense of camaraderie among participants.

Elizabeth Mae Oei

  • Pilates Instructor

Elizabeth is a Nationally Certified Pilates Teacher, Biomechanics Coach, Accredited Rehab and ACE Personal Trainer from Singapore. Having experienced the benefits of Joseph Pilates' work in enhancing her own performance in various sports, Elizabeth embarked on her Pilates Teacher Training in 2014 and continues to upskill to help her clients move and feel better. Experienced with scoliosis, back, knee, shoulder conditions, pre and post-natal, she specializes in Postural improvement, Core Strengthening and Weight-loss. She advocates that movement is medicine for the body and mind and is very happy to be here to help you reach your goals in a sustainable way and learn from you.

Rhiannon Morgan

  • Ballet Barre Instructor

Choreographer/dancer/actress and dance pedagogue of multiple origins living in Luxembourg, Rhiannon Morgan began her training at the Conservatoire de la Ville de Danse et Musique du Luxembourg.She pursued her training at The Rambert School of Dance in London where she obtained her BA in Ballet and Contemporary Dance. In 2010 she obtained her Master's degree from the prestigious London Contemporary Dance School in The Place. As a professional dancer since 2012, she collaborated with Akram Khan for the opening of the London Olympic Games, Cocoon Dance Company,Henri Oguike Dance Company, Nicholas Vladyslav, the National Theatre of Northern Greece, Jean-Guillaume Weis, Anu Sistonen , Corps in Situ Company, Marguerite Donlon and La Baraka Company. In 2019, she founded the dance collective Lucoda (Luxembourg Collective of Dance) with choreographer/dancer Giovanni Zazzera. Lucoda was fully involved in “Esch 22, European Capital of Culture” with three innovative projects. As a choreographer she was selected in 2016 to join the Grand Luxe Network (a professional network bringing together 8 partners from the Greater Region) with her creation “Adh(A)ra” and become an associate artist of the 3 CL- Luxembourg Choreographic Center. Finally, transmitting her passion for dance has always been at the forefront of her career. Rhiannon has led classes and workshops to amateurs, professional dancers and people with limited abilities all around Europe. It is with immense joy she joins rise to share her knowledge, energy and enthusiasm with all the beautiful students!

Tracey Wingrove

  • Aerial Instructor

Tracey has always had a passion for dance, exercise and fun! Originally from London GB she moved to Luxembourg in 1997. It wasn’t until in 2011 when she broke her ankle in 4 places that her rehabilitation took her down a journey of falling for Zumba dancing. This kick started her desire and passion to teach and within 1.5yrs she had become an instructor teaching up to 5 classes a week, alongside her full time IT job.

In 2016, she expanded her training and became certified in Anti-Gravity Ariel Yoga® which opened more opportunities to share her enthusiastic bubbly style of teaching. Since then she has taken her certification in TRX Suspension training®, Fly High Yoga, Bungee SuperFly® and on her way to becoming a Barre Movement certified instructor. Currently teaching Body Flying, which allows her to combine her knowledge and training of aerial fitness and TRX movements. A mature instructor who teaches from the heart and soul, and never fails to show her clients compassion, empowerment and a whole heap of craziness, her classes are totally unique.

Heleyde Villafañe-Blotevogel

  • Pilates Instructor

Having discovered Pilates 10 years ago, Heleyde quickly became an avid student turned Mat Pilates teacher this year. Coming from Puerto Rico and living in the USA, North Africa and Europe with her family, she finds Pilates to be her anchor, her way of balancing her well-being in different environments and stages of life. And after suffering a debilitating back injury she concluded that the key to pain management and rehabilitation is without a doubt movement through Pilates. Her mat training and lower back pain management knowledge helps people find comfort in consistently moving again to improve their overall health. Heleyde is excited to help get people moving. There is nothing like a class of pilates to lift the mood!

Sandra Sinfield-Hain

  • Pilates Instructor

It was whilst living in Bahrain that Sandra first began Pilates, and found it such a wonderful way to work out, improving muscle tone, strength and postural alignment. Sandra found Pilates a safe and yet challenging way to move during three pregnancies. Seeing the benefits of the practice, she attended Stott Pilates teacher training in reformer, mat and barrels (beginner, intermediate and advanced), in Bahrain and The Hague, Netherlands (2005-2007) to help others feel better in body and mind, irrespective of their physical shape. Sandra teaches with precision, compassion, and usually a dose of humour, often including pelvic floor exercises. She is also a qualified beloved yoga teacher (yin and hot yoga).

Africa Rufete Buck

  • Pilates Instructor

Africa is half Spanish and English. At 16 she moved to London to pursue her dreams as a dancer. She completed her Contemporary Dance degree at Trinity Laban. Studying Laban made her connect more with the movement; to no longer remember dance steps, but rather be present in space and time with movement. Another training course was at Jasmin Vardimon Dance Company Program, where she gained essential tools in theatre, authenticity, creativity and performance. Through her dance training she embodied the 34 exercises of Pilates, which motivated her to pursue L3 Mat Pilates at HFE company. She understood better that studying pilates is no longer doing the exercise with preparation for dancing, but rather concentrating the exercises focusing on ABC.

Her professional life does not end here, she also is person who loves being with children and during her career has had experience teaching dance for all ages including yoga/mindfulness for children. Her purpose in her profession is for people to enjoy and benefit by understanding the movement.

Katia Venda

  • Pilates Instructor

Katia is a certified Pilates instructor with a particular story and a deep commitment to wellness and self-care. Born and raised in Luxembourg with Portuguese roots, she discovered Pilates as part of a personal health journey. After struggling with weight for much of her life, she turned to Pilates, not only achieving significant weight loss but also discovering a practice that balanced strength with inner calm. Inspired by this transformation, she pursued formal training to bring the benefits of Pilates to others.

What started as simple at-home workouts quickly transformed into a deep, lasting passion. Determined to dive deeper, Katia earned her instructor certifications, including Matwork Levels 1 and 2, Pilates & cancer, as well as pre-and postnatal and post-surgery. She combines traditional Pilates methods with fitness elements, creating sessions that are both effective and accessible for all levels. Her approach is professional, yet empathetic, understanding firsthand how intimidating it can feel for newcomers - especially those who may believe Pilates is only “for fit people”. Her goal is to make every student feel welcome, empowered and capable.

With a full-time job in finance, Katia understands the demands of a busy life and the importance of mental resilience. Her classes are designed to leave clients feeling both physically strengthened and mentally refreshed, ready to face the challenges of everyday life with renewed energy.

Sabrina Gonzaga

  • Pilates Instructor

Originally from Brazil, Sabrina holds a Bachelor's degree in Physiotherapy. In 2009, while living in Auckland, New Zealand, she became a fully certified Polestar Pilates Instructor after completing comprehensive training in Mat, Reformer, and Studio Series. With a strong focus on injury prevention, she discovered that Pilates offers the perfect solution for helping patients transition from post-injury recovery to active, conscious, and fearless movement. Passionate about empowering individuals, Sabrina is committed to helping clients regain strength and confidence through mindful, therapeutic exercise.

Bern Victorio

  • Barre Instructor

A lifelong learner, she's constantly seeking new knowledge and techniques to deepen her practice and enhance her teaching. With over 12 years of experience in the fitness industry, she's a certified instructor in Yoga, Pole, Aerial Arts, and Barre, with a strong foundation in Exercise Science. With a diverse background in various techniques, she emphasizes moving well, and prioritizing injury prevention to ensure students feel empowered and safe as they pursue their fitness journeys.

Bern embraces harmony in contrast, balancing disciplines that cultivate strength with practices that quiet the mind, such as Yoga Nidra and Sound Bath meditation. As a DJ, she channels creativity through music which you will see in her classes. As a mother of two teens, she finds inspiration and growth in the dynamic journey of parenthood. Bern loves bringing people together, whether it’s over delicious meals or through group classes. She thrives on variety and is always eager for the next adventure!

Dora Tsirogianni

  • Ballet Barre Instructor

Bio coming soon...