MISSION VIEJO, CA – Dignitaries, long-time customers, and members of the business community gathered Friday with Ladera Ranch residents Viktor and Kelly Uygan for a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the grand reopening of the studio they founded in 2002. The Uygans felt a party was in order after completing a renovation and expansion of their space in Vista Paint Plaza on Alicia Parkway. About 40 guests joined the Uygans for tours of new equipment, hors d'oeuvres, champagne, and a demonstration of the Konnector®, an invention of Viktor’s that improves the Joseph Pilates’ reformer machine. “Konnect is a good name for our studio,” says Viktor. “Our clients come to our studio to connect their mind and body, and to connect with other people.” Konnect’s rebranding included an all-new website complete with a blog and links to their extensive video library on their YouTube channel.
Differentiating Konnect from other Pilates centers begins with owners Viktor and Kelly, both former ballet dancers and personal trainers with more than 25 years of experience. Their backgrounds allowed a seamless merge into to mind-body conditioning and they built the reputation of their studio on using Pilates for specialized dancer training. Konnect Pilates is increasingly known for their certified teacher training program through Balanced Body, Inc., the world's largest provider of equipment and education in the Pilates field. Kelly holds certification as a Post-Rehabilitation Breast Cancer Exercise Specialist. She leads the studio’s Pink Ribbon Program that offers specialized Pilates for breast cancer patients.
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The studio instructs a wide range of individuals across age and gender demographics including dancers, pregnant women and back pain sufferers. “Our instructors have a passion for creating a variety of programs that allow our clients to reach their potential by conditioning their bodies and achieving mind-body balance. We are not the typical Pilates studio.” Viktor says. Konnect’s veteran instructors all have certifications in Pilates, BodyCode, Ki-Hara, CoreAlign and Pink Ribbon programs. They offer more than 40 classes in a fully equipped facility with a comfortable, relaxed and non-competitive atmosphere.
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“This is not a one-size-fits-all studio. In our client’s first session, we ask a lot of questions, learn about past and current injuries, fitness history, their goals and needs. This lets us create a workout specifically tailored for that person. If we couldn’t offer one-on-one interaction and instruction, we wouldn’t like what we do.” Explains Kelly. “Our clients tell us how much they enjoy having us as their instructors. That’s a fantastic feeling and a great compliment!”
Konnect Pilates