Diane Diefenderfer

Founder of Studio du Corps

  • Diane is a second- generation Pilates teacher with over 40 years experience in the Pilates Method. She holds the honorable distinction of being awarded a Master Teacher Certification from legendary teacher and mentor, Ron Fletcher. She is PMA (Pilates Method Alliance) Gold-certified and NCPT (Nationally Certified Pilates Teacher).

  • Diane enjoyed a 20-year career as a professional ballet dancer as a soloist with the Frankfurt Ballet, Eglevsky Ballet and Los Angeles Ballet. A knee injury in 1978 first led her to discover the Pilates Method at the Ron Fletcher Studio of Body Contrology in LA where she spent the next 8 years studying and teaching. Diane also studied privately with Romana Kryzanowska.

  • A year after introducing Pilates to Orange County at Studio du Corps in 1987, Diane founded the first Pilates program for the Dance Department at the University of California, Irvine. An Associate Professor for the Claire Trevor School of the Arts, Diane has been on the faculty of the Dance Department since 1988 teaching all levels of ballet technique and Repertory as well as Pilates Mat and Reformer classes for the Dance Wellness Program.

  • Diane is a Distinguished Faculty member with Pilates Anytime and part of the Legacy project for the online site. She began the Pilates program for the Human Resources Department for the City of Irvine, taught mat classes at Irvine Regional Medical Center and for cancer survivors at Hoag Hospital. Diane has been a featured presenter of lectures, master classes and workshops worldwide including: Pilates Method Alliance conferences, Pilates on Tour, Body/Mind/Spirit Conferences, Fletcher Conferences, Disney Ice Arena workshops, South American Pilates conference, Equinox Clubs, Tsukuba University/Japan, Korean National University of the Arts and Orange Coast College to name a few.

    She is a contributing author to Women’s Health and Wellness Across the Lifespan, Lippincott Williams & Wilkens and Dance Injuries: Reducing Risk and Maximizing Performance, Human Kinetics.

    Diane has conducted the renowned Studio du Corps Teacher Training Program since 1995 and continues with daughter Laura Hanlon (since 2020) proudly upholding the legacy for the next generation of Pilates teachers. description

Laura Hanlon

Pilates Instructor, Director of Teacher Training

Laura Hanlon has been practicing Pilates for over 15 years, and has taught extensively in both New York City and Southern California. She completed the 450 hour Pilates Teacher Training Program at Studio du Corps/Pilates Center of Orange County, and was certified by the Pilates Method Alliance. Laura has continued her Pilates education with additional Pre and Post Natal trainings and is a featured instructor on Pilates Anytime, most recently creating and debuting the “Total Body Renewal Challenge.”

After graduating from the University of California, Irvine with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Performance, Laura danced professionally on the national tour of “Dancing with Your Stars,” and performed in numerous showcases throughout New York State. She has held the title of Pilates Manager, Teacher Trainer and Senior Instructor for numerous Equinox Clubs, and is still a proud part of their Group Fitness team.

Largely in part to her background, Laura is extraordinarily passionate about the Pilates Method and her clients’ progress in reaching and exceeding their personal goals. Laura specializes in strengthening and lengthening the full body for dancers, athletes and anyone else interested in building long lean muscles and becoming a stronger and better version of themselves from the inside out!