Today we’d like to introduce you to Silja Meier Burns.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Movement was always a part of my life. As an aspiring ballerina in my youth, I loved how it felt to express myself with my body. Ballet led me to train after high school to see if a professional career was for me, but an invitation to go whitewater rafting changed that path. At 19, I was learning how to navigate whitewater, and discovered an entire world of adventure and new movement challenges through outdoor sports. Rock climbing, mountain biking, whitewater kayaking, and hiking became how I stayed fit and strong, providing endless lessons of resilience and perseverance despite any pain it caused. However, nothing compared to the complete physical challenge of dance and ballet that my body still craved.
Then out of the blue, a QVC pilates “performer” showed up at my doorstep as a birthday gift from my mother, with a note that read “open a pilates studio one day?” and the seed was planted. My search for a qualified Pilates training program led me to STOTT PILATES (now Merrithew Health and Fitness), and by September of 2001, after two years of saving, I had enrolled in a 600 hour, ten month long comprehensive training program and relocated to Toronto to start my new career as a Pilates professional. From the moment I saw the line of Reformers, Chairs, and professional Pilates equipment in the STOTT Headquarters Studio, I new I wanted to have my own studio. Another world of possibility opened before my eyes! After the first two months of anatomy and mat-work training, my body felt better than it had in years and I was hooked.
Fast forward through multiple teaching positions and two children later, the opportunity came to branch out on my own. But not before discovering AntiGravity Fitness and the incredible benefits of aerial yoga and spinal inversions. In April of 2019, I found the perfect location in downtown Bluffton, SC that could house both modalities, and I added the bellicon mini-trampoline for low impact lymphatic and cardiovascular health to the mix. Dancing Hammock Pilates and Movement was born!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Is life ever a smooth road? In the early days, I would say that my biggest struggles were financial, because I knew nothing about how to market myself. I worked for a private club and did not have many clients. I was raising my son (he is 21 now) and my husband was a boat captain. His work was seasonal, and we went into a bit of debt just paying for living expenses. A few years later I was approached by another instructor I met at the club who was opening her own studio, and she asked me to join her. That was a huge win, and my client load and experience slowly increased. Eventually, I was the top earner in that studio.
Personal training, whether in Pilates or weight/strength training, is a relationship based business. Trainers and clients form a bond and trainer preferences are made. Unfortunately for her when I left, I negatively affected her bottom line because clients followed me. It felt horrible to know that I caused her stress, but it is the nature of the business. Later on, I would find this same challenge to befall me when instructors that I helped build a client base for also left to create their own dreams.
When I first opened, I was the only group Reformer studio in Bluffton. I got busy, teaching up to 40 hours per week. The studio went through multiple reformations, an expansion, doubling of my rent, Covid, and on the personal side, a divorce. I essentially became a single mother responsible for the entire financial load of my family. So the real challenge became stress, overload, and burnout. As soon as I added another instructor, I was able to breathe a little, but my plate remained very full.
Todays challenge is competition. Pilates Reformer classes are booming, and everyone wants a piece of the pie. Marketing and getting the word out is still the biggest struggle. Social media can help, but it is not my forte and I struggle with consistent posting. I am thankful for articles like this to that will help expose what Dancing Hammock Pilates offers, but also about Pilates in general. The more we get ALL people moving, the better it is for the entire industry and the population at large!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Dancing Hammock Pilates and Movement?
Dancing Hammock Pilates + Movement (DHP) is a locally owned and operated boutique Pilates studio that offers group and private sessions led by highly trained and certified Pilates and fitness instructors. Created by Silja Meier Burns, a Hilton Head Island native with a love for movement health and wellness, DHP combines the benefits of spinal decompression in the AntiGravity aerial hammock, core strengthening exercises on Pilates apparatus, and lymphatic health on the bellicon mini-trampoline with modern fitness science. The result is a complete system of movement wellness that changes lives for the better.
Our specialties start at the core with both classical and contemporary Pilates repertoire. We teach people to move with confidence on Reformers, Towers, Chairs, and Mats in group class or private setting. AntiGravity Fitness classes in the aerial hammocks are offered on a weekly basis, or in private sessions and reduce compression in the spine and body. Lastly, feeling the burn on the bellicon mini trampoline will make your body thrive on a cellular level!
Our ultimate goal is to help clients reduce pain and get stronger. The highly trained Instructors at DHP meet each client at their own level, encouraging and guiding them every step of the way. Experience and education is our kryptonite, and it shows with every class.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I am not so much a believer in luck as I am a believer in the hand of God in my life. Faith in His goodness, consistent prayer, and constant gratitude gets me through each day, despite whatever challenges get thrown my way.
Pricing:
- NEW CLIENT INTRO SPECIAL: 2 Classes in 2 Weeks for $49
- NEW CLIENT INTRO SPECIAL: 3-Private Sessions for $199
- Group Reformer/Tower Classes $38
- First Time Flyer AntiGravity Class $10
- Private Movement Session $99-119, Duets $55 per person, Trios $45 per person
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dancinghammock.com
- Instagram: @dancinghammock
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dancinghammock/
