We’re Turning 20 and we’re Just Getting Started
This June, Studio Evolve turns 20 and I couldn’t be more excited to celebrate with our community.
While 70-80% of boutique fitness studios close before their 10th anniversary, we’re still here and in the same brick-and mortar location in Wallingford, 2 blocks up from GasWorks Park. We’re holding strong to the same core values we opened with - that movement should feel good in your body and that everyone deserves a place where they can move, be welcomed and feel seen.
Living up to our name, these 20 years have been a real story of evolution. We’ve watched our home neighborhood of Wallingford, as well as Seattle at large, grow and change. We’ve seen Pilates surge in popularity, going from a niche form of exercise to one of the hottest things on social media. And, most importantly, we’ve grown our own tight-knit community of staff and clients.
When everyone else was adding more reformers, increasing class sizes and getting Instagram-ready, Studio Evolve kept its focus on the real bodies in the studio - with our signature focus - shame free, personal and genuinely encouraging. The antithesis of “bro” gym culture. This was true on day one and is still true today.
“I’ve never been interested in building the kind of studio that is just about the numbers, packing people in the room or feeling the burn. When the industry moved to focus more on aesthetics, we stayed true to our original vision and built our niche. If you love to feel strong, but never want to step foot in a gym again, we’re here for you.” Martine Dedek, Founder
“Come as you are” isn’t just a motto - it’s how we actually run the place. Whether you’re recovering from injury, want to say Yes! to more hiking trips (or more walks with your dog around the block), or just need some time to do something good for yourself, we’re here to help you discover movement that you actually look forward to, making it sustainable for your long-term wellness.
We started in 2006 with just two owner-instructors, one somatic bodyworker and a handful of clients. Initially we only offered private Pilates sessions by appointment and somatic bodywork (SPRE). We have grown to 12 current instructors, hundreds of Private sessions/month, 20+ classes/week and more than 150 active clients, including more than 20 who have shown up more than 250 times, AND one client that has been with me before we even opened our doors.
From the beginning, my vision was to offer multiple modalities under one roof so that as our clients’ needs shifted over time, we could keep serving them. Today that means Pilates privates, a range of semi-private Reformer classes, Gyrotonic, SPRE Bodywork and Breathwork. You can’t find that combination anywhere else in Seattle.
Twenty years in one neighborhood is significant. These past couple of years, we’ve been leaning into that - hosting food, clothing and book drives for the broader Wallingford community, and looking for more ways to show up beyond our studio walls this year.
I’ve also started doing something new - coaching other boutique wellness studio owners who are navigating the same challenges I have been figuring out for 20 years. If that’s you, I’d love to connect!
We are celebrating all month with our current community - and we’d love to welcome some new faces too. We’re raffling off a complimentary 2-session Intro pack for anyone who’s been curious about Studio Evolve. If it’s been on your mind, this is a pretty good sign. Enter the raffle below.
