Our Story
Since founding Konnect Pilates in 2002 in Mission Viejo located Orange County, Viktor and Kelly Uygan have been committed to their passion for creating unique programs that allow clients to reach their potential by conditioning their bodies and achieving a mind-body balance. With more than 30 years of experience as professional Ballet Dancers and personal trainers, Viktor and Kelly have had great success in their disciplines and found their backgrounds easily transfer to Mind Body Conditioning. They are both Certified PMA instructors, Master Teacher trainers with the world-renowned Balanced Body, Inc., and hold certificates in Pilates, BodyCode, Ki-Hara, CoreAlign, Anatomy, BODHI, MOTR, Balanced Body Barre along with The Konnector and Pink Ribbon programs. Konnect Pilates is a qualified Teacher Training center and a Southern California flagship education studio for Balanced Body Inc. Viktor and Kelly value their highly trained team and together they apply their skills with a caring and encouraging emphasis to help each person achieve their fitness goals and balance within their mind and body.
Our Studio
Konnect Pilates Orange County has been open since 2002 and houses over 5,000 sq. ft of state of the art Pilates and body mind innovative modalities. At Konnect you will find a comfortable, relaxed and non-competitive atmosphere. You will experience wonderful energy while working with its warm and welcoming staff. Our highly skilled and fully comprehensively certified instructors are not only fully trained with the Pilates method but a wide variety of continuing education including; the Pink Ribbon Program, Bodhi suspension system, MOTR, CoreAlign, Balanced Body Barre and BodyCode. We are ready to get you on your way to a new you! At Konnect Pilates our instructors are some of the most caring people you will ever meet. They will guide and encourage you through fresh new concepts of fitness at any level or need designing an exercise program that brings you great results. It is our goal to help improve the outer you while at the same time pampering the inner you for a greater mind-body balance!
Konnect Pilates
Where Mindful Movement Matters
About 27 years ago, Viktor began studying with Master Pino Carbone, creator of the BodyCode System and owner of the Gyrotonic center in Florence, Italy. Viktor’s long history in dance and fitness led him to Pilates after moving to the United States in 1992. Viktor continued to study and practice Pilates and was officially PMA [Pilates Method Alliance] certified in 2001 by DK Body Balancing through the University of Nevada. He is now owner and an instructor at Konnect Pilates as well as the inventor of the “Konnector”, a break-through accessory used in this form of exercise on the Pilates universal reformer.
Alexandra Zaldivar: Having danced since she was 3, Alexandra has always been physically active and enjoyed learning how to push the bodyís limits and boundaries. She has trained with the Vaganova method and completed 2 years as a Dance major at CSULB while dancing with Leverage Dance. Then was accepted into SUNY Purchase College in NY as a Dance Major. Alexandra experienced a subluxation of the patella and found that Pilates was effective in the healing and rehabilitation process realizing her passion was in healing people. In 2012 she completed her fully comprehensive BASI Pilates Certification.
Alexis has always been active, whether it be through sports or music. Growing up near Chicago, she had plenty of options to pursue both. Playing Field Hockey and Soccer became a large part of her life, but with a severe knee injury, her ambitions to play Field Hockey at a collegiate level were put on hold. Going through reconstructive surgery and intensive rehabilitation to replace her ACL, she realized that she no longer wanted to put herself through the strain and stress that these sports demanded from the body.
Lynea’s passion for Pilates developed quickly after feeling the benefits in her own body. She has reached her own personal goals of strength and flexibility through Pilates. She hopes to impact in each of her clients a personal balance and understanding of his or her own potential, through correct exercise and movement. Lynea holds her comprehensive Pilates certification through Body Arts and Science International, founded by Rael Isacowitz. She continues her education, studying the Body Code System under Viktor Uygan and Pino Carbone.
Kari began dancing ballet at a young age.She studied primarily under Lila Zali and performed with Ballet Pacifica for over 10 years. Kari attended summer programs on scholarship including Pacific Northwest Ballet and the Yorkshire Ballet Seminar in Ilkley, England. Kari studied at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX on a dance scholarship and has a liberal arts degree from Cal State Fullerton. Throughout her dance instruction and career, Kari became interested in Pilates. Kari did her certification through DK Body Balancing accredited by the University of Nevada Las Vegas and approved by the Nevada and Arizona State Boards of Physical Therapists. After college, Kari worked in a corporate environment for several years most recently at New Century Mortgage as a Business Analyst. Kari loves to work with people and shifted focus from her corporate career to Pilates Kariís hard work in her former business environment and her dedication and love of ballet make Pilates instruction a perfect match for her.
A native of Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, started dancing at the age of 11 with the Ida SauvÈ Dance Studios. He has performed with such companies as; Feld Ballet/NY, Les Ballets Jazz de MontrÈal, Theatre Ballet of Canada, National Dance Theatre of Bermuda, California Riverside Ballet and Ballet Pacifica, during his 17 years as a professional dancer. While Dancing at Ballet Pacifica, Mr. Gervais was introduced to Diane Diefenderfer, a wonderful ballet teacher as well as a most respected Pilates teacher and studio owner. Michel had the privilege of working with Ms. Diefenderfer for two years in the Pilates technique, as her student. After retiring from dance, Mr. Gervais was invited by Viktor and Kelly Uygan to join their staff at the ArtForm Studio and train in the Body Code System. Michel is now a certified Body Code System instructor and also uses the Pilates technique in training his clients. He is also a sought-after ballet teacher and choreographer who has worked with; Hong Kong Ballet, London Rambert Dance Co, American Ballet Theatre (Summer Intensives), Canadian Dance Teachers Association, Ballet Pacifica, Idyllwild Arts Academy, Orange County High School of the Arts, Universities of California, Irvine and Riverside, National Dance Theatre of Bermuda and the South County Classical Ballet where he was Artistic Director for the 2006-2007 season.
Marianne, a Salt Lake City, Utah native received her BFA in Modern Dance, Minor in Health Education and a Secondary Teaching Teaching Certificate from the University of Utah. Following college graduation she was a Dance Director and Health Education Teacher in the secondary school system. Marianne started practicing Pilates in 1997, moved to San Diego in 2000, and completed a comprehensive Pilates certification through the PhysicalMind Institute in 2001. Marianne has also taught group exercise courses in BOSU Integrated Balance, LESMILLS BODYPUMP and BODYVIVE. She spent 8 1⁄2 years teaching Stroller Strides, Fit4Baby and Body Back for Fit4Mom, San Diego (formerly Stroller Strides) and 9 years as a Pilates/Group Fitness Instructor and Pilates Coordinator for Tri-City Wellness & Fitness Center in Carlsbad, CA. Marianne is also an ACE Certified Personal Trainer. In 2017, she received her comprehensive Pilates certification through BASI (Body Arts and Science International). She looks for every opportunity to continue her education in the Pilates Method and other methods of physical training. She believes that everyone will benefit from practicing Pilates and gives clients practical ways to incorporate the work into other physical activities and activities of daily living.
Heidi Coles began studying body placement, anatomy, and Pilates in 2004 under the instruction of her mentor, Karen Clippinger- now retired associate professor of dance at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), World Renowned Kinesiologist, Author, and Body Arts Science International (BASI) faculty member. Heidi graduated with her Bachelor’s Degree in Dance from CSULB.
Kelley Brown is originally from Northern California. She has studied various dance forms including Jazz, Ballet, Lyrical, Modern, Tap, Contemporary, Military and Hip Hop for the past 25 years. Kelley received her Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Dance Performance with honors, along with a minor in Leadership and Organizational Studies from Chapman University.
Taryn began figure skating at the age of 3 and introduced dance into the mix when she was 8. She continued figure skating for the next 15 years, competing and completing her senior gold medal tests, eventually moving on to dance full time. Pilates came into the mix very early on as a form of physical therapy for a back injury sustained from the daily impact figure skaters face. It was the only thing that could keep the rest of her body fit and able to train while protecting, healing, and correcting the misalignments that caused such injuries. After skating, she spent a few years traveling with LA Dance Magic and dancing professionally before deciding it was time to invest in her Pilates education further. Having taught dance for almost 8 years, teaching Pilates felt like a seamless and rewarding transition. She received her training from Balanced Body right here at Konnect from Viktor and Kelly. She has experience working with clients of all all levels, backgrounds, and capabilities. Most importantly, she loves to teach because of the encouraging yet challenging environment Pilates inspires.
Suzie started dancing at the age of 5 and enjoyed ten years with Ballet Pacifica where she met Kelly and Viktor.
This could be you!!!Become A Pilates Instructor
Perhaps you practice Pilates, have fallen in love with it, and realized that you now want to teach Pilates and bring its many benefits to others.