Kathy Buck Thomson

Kathy Buck Thomson is a native Californian, born and raised in Modesto in the Central Valley.

Kathy began her dance career as a teenager, with a scholarship to the San Francisco Ballet. In her early 20s, she moved to New York City, where she studied at Alvin Ailey’s studio and immersed herself in the dance world.

It was during her time in NYC that a dancer friend suggested she try the Pilates Method as a way to improve her technique. Kathy saw Its value immediately, and within a few months she was offered a full scholarship at the new Martha Graham School, becoming one of the first dancers in the world to be certified to teach Graham technique.

When Kathy later suffered a serious dance injury, the Pilates Method accelerated her rehabilitation. The Pilates community was small and close-knit in those days, and Kathy was fortunate to get to work with some of Joseph Pilate’s first generation of disciples, including Carol Trier.

Years later, with her dance career winding down, Kathy returned to California and decided to make Pilates her new profession. She studied with master teacher Carol Appel in San Francisco, and ultimately founded and ran two successful Pilates studios in Palo Alto and Menlo Park.

Kathy loved her life in the Bay Area, but after 20 years in the heart of Silicon Valley, she was ready for a change of scene. So she moved her family to the Sacramento suburbs and started looking for her next new gig.

Thanks to a bit of serendipity, Kathy’s quest brought her to Deirdre Hawkins’ wonderful Performing Arts School in Folsom. Impressed with the quality of the students and teachers, she saw a unique opportunity to combine her two passions, Pilates and dance, into a single, focused program.

As Kathy says, “I can’t wait to show the Hawkins students what Pilates can do for their dancing. They’ll see why it’s so popular with professional dancers and athletes all over the world. With my trained dancer’s eye, I’ll design a customized exercise program for each individual, enhancing their strengths and overcoming weaknesses.

“And for you parents, you’ll find that Pilates is unlike any other workout you have experienced. You’ll positively feel like a dancer!”