Hello! I’m Dominique, a born and raised Reno local, Pilates instructor, psychology graduate, community builder, and the woman behind Studio Lié.

I have been teaching Mat Pilates since 2021 and continued my education in 2022, expanding into Reformer Pilates. I have been teaching both Mat and Reformer ever since.

My teaching is rooted in the principles of Contrology, the original name Joseph Pilates gave his method. Contrology is the practice of control through the mind and body, focusing on control, concentration, breath, awareness, and discipline.

I also hold a degree in Psychology with a minor in Addiction Studies from the University of Nevada, Reno, and previously worked as a drug and alcohol therapist. My background in psychology, addiction, and working with people through difficult chapters of their lives has heavily influenced how I approach Pilates and movement.

I believe the mind and body are not separate. They constantly influence one another, and the control, discipline, concentration, and awareness we practice in our bodies can become tools we carry into everyday life.

And if you’ve taken one of my classes, you probably already know that I am not the quiet, soothing Pilates instructor sitting in the corner whispering, “and breathe.”

I am loud. I am bold. I am energetic. I love music. I love pushing people. I love making people laugh. And I genuinely believe you should have fun while you’re doing something hard.

My classes are challenging, contemporary, energetic, and unapologetically fun. I love the foundation of traditional Pilates, but I also love bringing in modern movement and athletic elements.

Somewhere along the way, I even earned myself the unofficial title of “Pilates Bootcamp Sergeant,” which I have decided to fully embrace.

But being challenging doesn’t mean everyone has to do the same thing.

Your body is your body. Your experience is your experience.

Some days you’re going to absolutely crush your workout. Other days, you might need to modify half the class. Both are a part of the process.

I will meet you where you’re at. I will support you when you need a modification. But I’m also probably going to push you a little. I’m going to encourage you to get back into the movement, try again, hold it for five more seconds, or do something you didn’t think you could do.

Because I want you to leave class knowing you are capable of more than you thought you were.

That’s a huge part of what Contrology means to me.

Joseph Pilates originally called his method Contrology, the practice of control through the mind and body. I think there is something incredibly powerful about that. The control, discipline, concentration, and awareness we practice in our bodies can teach us something about how we show up in the rest of our lives.

That became the foundation for Studio Lié.

MY STORY

My story doesn’t start with Pilates.

It starts with a lot of life happening before I ever found it.

I grew up in a family impacted by domestic violence and addiction, and I learned pretty young that life doesn’t always look the way you think it is supposed to. During my childhood, I became involved with The Children’s Cabinet, where Marcell Lagrone was my case worker during a difficult time in my life.

As I got older, I eventually made the decision to leave home. I left right before COVID and, in a lot of ways, had to figure out adulthood on my own.

Walking away from my family was not an easy decision. There was a lot of grief, uncertainty, and growing up that came with it. But I also knew I couldn’t keep living in an environment that wasn’t healthy for me.

So I started building my own life.

And then I found Pilates.

I discovered Pilates in 2019, and it completely changed the way I looked at movement.

It wasn’t just “go work out and burn calories and lose weight.”

There was control.
Concentration.
Discipline.
Breath.
Awareness.

And honestly, I loved that it required me to actually be present in my own body.

Pilates became my foundation.

Through it, I found confidence I didn’t know I had. I learned to trust my body, challenge myself, and reconnect with a part of myself that I had spent years disconnected from.

Pilates saved me.

I started teaching Mat Pilates in 2021 and continued my education in 2022, expanding into Reformer Pilates. I’ve been teaching both ever since.

I also went to the University of Nevada, Reno, where I earned my degree in Psychology with a minor in Addiction Studies. I’ve always been fascinated by why people do what they do, how our experiences shape us, and how much our environment can influence who we become.

That eventually led me into working as a drug and alcohol therapist.

That chapter of my life taught me a lot. It reinforced something I had already experienced personally:

Healing isn’t just mental.

It’s physical.
It’s emotional.
It’s social.
It’s the people you surround yourself with.
It’s learning how to take care of yourself.
And it’s learning how to let other people show up for you.

But after finding myself through Pilates, I started realizing what was still missing.

Community. Family. Connection.

So I built it.

I began creating the community and chosen family that I needed. I found people who showed up for me, people I could laugh with, grow with, struggle with, and celebrate with.

That experience became just as important to me as the work I had done within myself.

And that is a huge part of why Studio Lié exists today.

I know what it feels like to need people.

I know what it feels like to start over.

I know what it feels like to be hurting, to feel isolated, and to not know exactly where you fit.

And I also know what it feels like to find people who show up for you.

That is what I want Studio Lié to be.

A place where you can walk through the door exactly as you are.

A place where you can work your ass off, laugh until your stomach hurts, modify an exercise without feeling embarrassed, challenge yourself, meet new people, and maybe walk out feeling a little better than when you walked in.

And I believe movement, fitness, and community should never be a luxury.

They should be accessible. They should be affordable. And they should be spaces where everyone has the opportunity to participate, regardless of their background, body, experience, or where they are in life.

Because being able to take care of yourself should not be something only available to people who can afford it.

A place where you can walk through the door exactly as you are.

Because I don’t believe connection stops with yourself.

Connecting with yourself is one step. Connecting with your community is another.

And I think we need both.

That is the heart behind Studio Lié.

Pilates gave me a foundation. It helped me find confidence within myself and within my body. Then I found the missing pieces in community, connection, and the people I chose to build my life around.

And now I want to create that space for other people.

That became Studio Lié.

A FULL CIRCLE MOMENT

There is another piece of this story that I couldn’t leave out.

Years after Marcell was my case worker through The Children’s Cabinet, Marcell and his wife, Tish Lagrone, went on to create Redirect Athletics in 2017, a Reno nonprofit dedicated to supporting and empowering at risk youth and teens through boxing, athletics, mentorship, and community.

And somehow, throughout different seasons of my life, I kept finding my way back to them, even well before Redirect Athletics.

When things were hard.
When I was going through loss.
When I felt isolated and alone.
When I was hurting.
When I hurt myself or hurt others.
When I needed community.

I kept finding my way back.

Now, Studio Lié is proudly part of Redirect Athletics.

And that is probably one of the biggest full circle moments of my life.

I went from being a kid who needed people to show up for me, to push me, and love me, to becoming an adult who wants to create a space where I can show up for other people.

And that is really what Studio Lié is about.

I believe connecting with yourself is incredibly important. Learning to understand your body, your emotions, your strengths, your limitations, and your needs matters.

But I don’t think we’re meant to do all of that alone.

We need people.

We need community..

That’s what I want Studio Lié to be.

Not a place where you have to look a certain way to belong.

Not a place where you have to already be strong, flexible, athletic, or “good at Pilates.”

And definitely not a place where you have to take yourself too seriously.

Lets move.
Lets sweat.
Lets laugh.
Lets challenge yourself.
Lets meet people.
Come exactly as you are.

Because Pilates is the movement, but the connection is the reason.

And if Studio Lié can help even one person feel a little stronger in their body, a little more connected to themselves, or a little less alone in their community, then I think we’re doing something pretty damn meaningful.

This studio is the result of everything I’ve lived, learned, lost, rebuilt, and found along the way.

And now I get to build it with you.

Marcell LaGrone and Dominique

A LITTLE DEDICATION

For little Dom, and for every child who deserves to feel loved, supported, seen, and believed in.

I’m grateful for every person, every experience, and every place that helped shape the person I am today. My story wasn't perfect, but it brought me here, and I wouldn't change the people and lessons that helped me along the way.

I hope every child gets the chance to find their people, discover their strength, and build a life they’re proud of.

For little Dom. For the kids still finding their way. And for everyone who chooses to show up for them.

GIVE BACK TO REDIRECT ATHLETICS

I was given a chance. Now, I want to help give that chance to someone else.

Redirect Athletics gives youth and teens access to mentorship, athletics, community, and opportunities to grow.

Help give a child the chance to find their people, their confidence, and their path.

DONATE TO REDirect athletics here