Meet the Team
BodyBella Pilates Studio is the vision of Principal Instructor Mel Harrison. She has built something genuinely special in the Hutt Valley, a boutique studio where every client feels known and supported.
In 2024, the Hutt Valley community agreed, voting BodyBella one of the Top 25 Health & Wellness providers in Upper Hutt in the Health4You awards.
Like any good thing, it doesn't happen alone. Here are some of the people Mel collaborates with to make BodyBella the best it can be. In the studio, you may also meet Penny, who teaches classes on public holidays and when Mel is away.
Mel Harrison, Founder & Principal Instructor
Mel opened BodyBella in 2020 with a clear intention:
to create a boutique Reformer Pilates studio where every client feels genuinely supported and part of a community.
With a background in both Mat and Reformer Pilates and specialist training in menopause wellbeing, she brings intelligence, warmth and variety to every class.
Small classes are deliberate at BodyBella.
Mel wants to know your name, your history, and what you're working towards. She will help guide you with modifications suited just for you. Whether it's your first session or your five hundredth, she'll meet you exactly where you are.
Behind the Scenes
Every good studio has a support crew. You might have met ours in the classes.
New Photo is coming!
Vee, Website & Technical Guru.
VL Studio
Vee keeps the BodyBella website looking sharp, running smoothly, and doing its job. From design and navigating the hurdles of popular platforms to proofing the email newsletters, she's the person behind the scenes making sure the digital side of BodyBella is as polished as the studio itself.
She also attends Reformer classes at BodyBella, which means she has a very personal understanding of what new clients need to know before they walk through the door.
Heather, Content & Copywriter.
Faking It Well Series
Heather helps find the right words for BodyBella, writing copy, shaping content, and occasionally sending Mel "we should try this" videos of varying degrees of practicality.
A devoted Pilates fan since discovering BodyBella, she brings curiosity, creativity, and just enough chaos to keep things interesting, both on the reformer and on the page.
Molly, The Studio Mascot
No team page would be complete without a mention of Molly. Mary's beloved dog has been a regular presence at the studio for years, quietly supervising classes from the reformer while everyone else does the hard work.
Mel considers her an honorary member of the BodyBella team.
Award Winning
In 2024, BodyBella Pilates was recognised as one of the Top 25 Health & Wellness providers by Health 4 You, chosen by our clients, which makes it all the more meaningful.
