Nebraska’s first pilates studio.
Still setting the standard.
Established 2000
Nebraska’s original Pilates studio. Built to help you stay strong, capable, and move with less pain as you age.
Lincoln Pilates Method opened in 2000 as the first dedicated Pilates studio in Nebraska.
Founder Monica Dawson built the studio on a single premise, that good training is precise, individual, and progressive.
For more than two decades, we have held that line. Before boutique fitness was fashionable.
Before “core workouts” were everywhere. Before group classes became the default. We were already here, coaching one client at a time, building bodies that hold up for the long term.
The studio is now owned and operated by Connor Dawson, who carries forward the same standards Monica set.
Experience matters.
Longevity matters.
And standards matter.
Train for the body you want to have in twenty years.
Our Philosophy
We believe in training that holds up.
Not for a season.
For decades.
The body adapts to how you ask it to move, so we ask carefully.
Every program at Lincoln Pilates Method is built around three principles.
- Strength that supports the spine.
- Mobility that protects the joints.
- Stability that improves balance.
Nothing random. Nothing fashionable. Nothing that does not earn its place in your session.
Our clients are thoughtful adults who value quality. They want less pain, better posture, real strength, and the ability to keep doing what they love without limitation.
They want a coach who pays attention and a program built for their body.
That is what we do.
Our Team
Connor Dawson
Owner & Lead Instructor
Connor grew up in this studio. He has been around the equipment since the age of five, learning the work long before he ever taught it.
His academic background is in nutrition and exercise science, with a degree in health and wellness coaching from Arizona State University. He is certified through Polestar Pilates and holds the Nationally Certified Pilates Teacher (NCPT) designation, the highest credential in the industry.
His personal training background is in serious strength work, which shapes how he programs for clients who want to feel powerful, not just flexible.
His approach is precise and progressive.
No random workouts.
No filler.
Just programs that work and clients who feel the difference.
Tyler Rediger
Instructor
Tyler came to Pilates Method after building a serious career in sports medicine.
He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Athletic Training from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a Master’s degree from the University of Texas at Tyler, where he served as the primary athletic trainer for collegiate basketball and track and field programs.
He is also the head athletic trainer at Lincoln Southeast High School.
Tyler brings a clinician’s eye to every session. He has worked with athletes recovering from injury, returning to sport, and building durability for the long haul.
As a Pilates teacher, he is exceptional.
Clients leave his sessions feeling worked, understood, and clear on what they accomplished and why.
Mary McGahan
Instructor
Mary came to teaching the way many of the best instructors do, as a serious client first. She trained at Lincoln Pilates Method for over six years before pursuing her certification through Polestar Pilates.
A lifelong runner and 28-year Air Force veteran who then retired from the Nebraska Air National Guard, she brings the same discipline and attention to detail to every session that defined her military career.
Her sessions are detailed, attentive, and grounded in real athletic experience.
Trisha Sonksen
Instructor
Trisha is certified through Balanced Body, one of the foremost Pilates education programs in the country.
She is also a licensed massage therapist, which informs her instinct for working with bodies that carry tension, restriction, or compensation patterns.
Her own athletic background in mountain biking, cycling, and running gives her a strong understanding of how to train endurance athletes and outdoor enthusiasts who want to perform well and recover faster.
Monica Dawson
Founder
Monica founded Pilates Method in 2000, making it the first dedicated Pilates studio in Nebraska.
She trained under Elizabeth Larkam as well as Shelly Power of Polestar Pilates and brings more than 26 years of teaching experience to her work.
Her background in group fitness instruction shaped her early teaching, but it was the precision and individual focus of Pilates that defined her standards, the same standards that still guide the studio today. She continues to teach actively.