Joke Martin Duchêne
I was born in Belgium and studied ballet at the Stedelijk Instituut voor Ballet in Antwerp. I began my professional dancing career in the Netherlands Dance Theatre (NDT), directed by Jiri Kylian and then danced in companies such as the Cullberg Ballet in Stockholm, directed by Mats Ek, and the Ballet du Grand Théâtre in Geneva.
I then became freelance and toured as a soloist with the Ballet de L’Opéra de Lyon. I worked as a rehearsal assistant at the Grand Théâtre de Genève and also taught repertory classes in various ballet schools.
I then redirected my career and became a Body Control Pilates® teacher. I founded my studio, The Thinking Body, in Geneva in 2002 and have been teaching for over 20 years. Thanks to the experience I've gained over the years, I'm able to offer tailor-made classes for everyone, including rehabilitation after injury, physical aches and pains associated with ageing, breathing and well-being.
Who We Are
Hélène Bourbeillon
Former professional dancer with a passion for movement, the body and the whole human being, I've been teaching Pilates classes in Geneva for over 10 years. Fascinated by the workings of the body and the individual behind it, my teaching incorporates fascia, and I'm delighted with my clients when they notice a reduction in back pain, discover better posture, and rediscover strength, tone, relaxation, mobility and flexibility - in short, quite simply, a sense of well-being!
Born in Brittany in 1977, I always knew I wanted to DANCE! At the age of 13, I left my family and moved to Paris to study dance. After graduating from the Conservatoire Supérieur de Paris, with the BAC in my pocket, my career took off with the Jeune Ballet de France and then the Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève. These years on stage gave me the chance to work with exceptional choreographers and to travel the world, from prestigious stages to the most unexpected venues.
My curiosity about how the body works and the dynamics of ‘how we move’ naturally led me to Pilates. Seduced by the holistic approach of this method, and while I was experiencing movement from the inside out, I quickly felt the need to deepen my knowledge of physiology and biomechanics. Gradually, this curiosity got the better of my dancing, and it became obvious to me that I should put an end to my artistic career.
I obtained my first certification at the Swissbody school in Geneva and, from 2013, I started teaching Pilates to a wide range of people, all different from each other. It didn't take long for me to ask myself: why is this exercise suitable for one person but not another, when I teach it in the same way? Always keen to discover new perspectives, I continued my training with Karin Locher, exploring Pilates through the neuromyofascial system. My fascination with fascia and biosensitivity led me to expand my knowledge, and I've had the privilege of working with Célina Hwang as a trainer until 2019.
In 2022, despite my expertise in anatomy and movement, I had to undergo an operation for a hip prosthesis because of persistent daily pain. Although difficult, this experience enriched me in many ways. It enabled me to see my job in a new light, to refine my understanding of the human body and to be more attuned to the challenges faced by my customers. As touch has always played an important role in my career, I decided to develop this skill so that my students could benefit from it. In 2024, I obtained my diploma in classical massage, delighted to add a new dimension to their well-being.
And when I'm not in the studio? You'll probably find me recharging my batteries in nature, on a hike, with my nose in a book, or just doing nothing!
Fanny Léchot
Human health and well-being are at the heart of my interests. That's what brought me to Geneva, to the FPSE and then to Granada in Spain. I graduated with a degree in psychology and very quickly turned to therapeutic massage in order to consider the human being in all its richness: psychic, emotional and physical. Thought patterns are intimately linked to physical and emotional attitudes. Naturally, the Pilates Method was an obvious choice for me, because its approach is holistic and its benefits are countless. I began training on the floor and on machines in 2006-2007, with the Pilates Institute. The Swissbody school gave me more material to explore, and it was through Karin Locher's and Célina Hwang's training that I felt the full potential of the Pilates method through an understanding of the osteomyofascial system (bone, muscle and fascia). In 2018, I took part in workshops at Thomas Myers' Anatomy Trains school. This 21st century anatomy brings another dimension to understanding how the body works and to any body practice.
I continue to study Biotensegrity, which sees the body as a vast system made up of elements of tension (the soft tissues: fascia, muscles, tendons, aponeuroses, ligaments) and compression (the bones) that is always trying to balance and distribute the force passing through it in a global manner. Our body is an intelligent organism, which adapts and manages itself as efficiently as possible. By engaging it in multi-directional movements, mobilising it and using compression (massage and support) as well as vibration, movement will unfold in an increasingly natural, simple, fluid and light way across this adaptable and modular intranet. Cell renewal is activated, and our health is once again in our own hands.
I'm further expanding my knowledge and explorations through the BioIntegrityoga 2020-2021 and Yintegrity 2023 yoga courses with Célina Hwang. Through Yintegrity, which is somatic Yin Yoga, I take my students on a journey towards themselves, towards their own sensations, relaxation and restoration of the nervous system, as well as the body's capacity for self-healing.
Joy is at the heart of my work, because ‘a joyful heart improves health’. My classes take place in a spirit of exchange, listening and curiosity.
