Polestar Educator Nichole Anderson has been teaching for 10 years. Her first comprehensive was with Bob Schroedter and Cynthia McGee LaPortilla in 2004. Nichole began as a Polestar Mentor under Educators Amy Broekemeier and Dannielle Holder in Salt Lake City, Utah where she taught group and private Pilates from 2010 – 2016. She has assisted Transition courses with Shelly Power and led her first Comprehensive in Miami 2018. Nichole is the assistant director of education for Polestar Pilates International and manages domestic education in the United States.
NA: I have recently been interested in visiting doing a tour of Norway. After getting into Norse mythology, I have been interested in seeing the landscape of the myths.
Polestar: What are your current inspirations?
NA: I am currently inspired by how magnificent and adapting our bodies are. The more I see and experience movement, the more I realize how infinitely capable our bodies are of anything and everything. Gone are the days of seeing people through the lens of their physical limitations, and I am excited to be a part of a movement that encourages people to move. I just finished a Yoga teacher training with Heather Seagraves which has served as another inspiration to my movement practice and teaching.
Polestar: What are you reading?
NA: I am always reading about 7 books at a time. Among them, I have been reading The Modern Herbal Dispensatory: A Medicine-Making Guide by Steven H. Horne and Thomas Easley, After the Ecstasy, the Laundry by Jack Kornfield, and Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman. I can also always be found with a mystery novel for rainy days and airplane rides.
Polestar: What is your favorite Quote?
NA: One of my current favorites (poem) is “And For No Reason” By Hafiz… (Look it up!)
Polestar: What do you love about teaching?
NA: I love seeing people have that “aha” moment in their bodies. The moment when they realize they are in control of how they feel and move. When they take ownership of their movement and from that, open up into creativity with their bodies.
Polestar: What do you hope to convey in your teaching?
NA: I hope to convey that each person is the greatest authority of their body. I hope that students can feel empowered through listening and observing their bodies. Through this they can make decisions one where they can move safely with the most ease and freedom.
Polestar: Describe your movement style?
NA: I would describe my movement style as improvisational and imaginative. I like to include imagery and improvisation into my movement and I enjoy creating a space for people to improvise in their own bodies based off of images they create or images that are suggested. It is always impressive to see what movement comes out of it
Polestar: What is your favorite apparatus?
NA: My favorite apparatus is always shifting and changing. My current favorite apparatus is the trapeze table. I like the stability of the table combined with the freedom of being directly attached to the springs – how you can move your limbs independently from a pulley system (like the reformer).
Like the Blog? Sign up for the Polestar Life Weekly Newsletter
You can find Nichole on Instagram @nicholemoves
