About & Team — The Longline Atelier

Q: I have an injury or recent surgery — can I join?

Often, yes, but through private reformer first. Any flagged injury is routed to one-to-one sessions with Selin Kaya until an instructor clears you for group classes. We coordinate with your physiotherapist where relevant.

2016 · Two Reformers

Defne Aydın signed a lease on a quiet Cihangir first floor and moved in two reformers and a mirror. The first term ran with eleven members and a hand-written timetable taped to the door. That timetable is still framed by the desk.

2019 · The Barre

A wall barre and Mert Çelik joined, adding standing long-line work between reformer days. We capped every group at six and never lifted the cap — even when the waiting list grew past a term.

2022 · Rehab-Safe

Selin Kaya brought a clinical Pilates practice and a working relationship with two neighbourhood physiotherapists. Private reformer and injury-return programming became a proper column of the studio, not an afterthought.

Eleven years, still six to a class.

Defne Aydın

Founder · Reformer Lead

STOTT Pilates certified in 2013, classical ballet before that. Eleven years teaching reformer, she authored the studio’s alignment-line cueing and still teaches the 07:15.

— sets the front page

Mert Çelik

Barre & Conditioning

BASI-trained, a former company dancer. Nine years at the barre; his classes live on small pulses and the endurance that turns posture into a habit.

— rules the columns straight

Selin Kaya

Rehab-Safe & Private

Clinical Pilates background, works with two Cihangir physiotherapists. She runs every private reformer hour and all injury-return programming.

— reads the fine print

Step 1 · Day one

Send a note

Use the contact form or the class-fit tool. We reply the same working day and hold a provisional spot in the next open class.

Step 2 · Within a week

Intro session (45 min)

A posture and goal assessment plus one guided class. You leave with a written class-fit column — which classes, which days.

Step 3 · Week two

Choose a plan

Barre monthly, a reformer 10-pack, or private reformer. No pressure, no upsell; we recommend the smallest plan that fits your goal.

Step 4 · Weeks 2–12

Build the habit

Two to four sessions a week, individually cued inside groups of six. We track the alignment line and adjust load as control improves.

Step 5 · Every term

Re-read the page

A short re-assessment each term. We update your column, retire what you have outgrown, and set the next goal.

“Six months in, my desk-neck is gone.”

I came for tone and stayed for the posture. The reformer never once felt like a gym — it felt like being read to. Only note: parking on Sıraselviler is a fight, so I walk.

— Ayşe M., 38 · Reformer 10-pack · March 2026

“Selin got me back after surgery.”

Post-op, my physio wanted supervised movement only. Twelve private reformer hours later I’m in the Saturday mat class. Careful, patient, never rushed. Wish the waiting list had been shorter.

— Deniz K., 51 · Private reformer · January 2026

“The 07:15 is my favourite hour.”

Small room, six of us, Defne calling the line. Barre monthly is the best value in Cihangir if you actually turn up. The changing room does get busy at 18:00, so I switched to mornings.

— Elif D., 43 · Barre monthly · February 2026

Cancellation policy

When you cancel	What happens
More than 24 hours before class	Full credit returned to your pack or month
6–24 hours before	50% credit; the other half is forfeited
Under 6 hours / no-show	The session is used in full
Illness or force majeure (with notice)	Rebooked at no charge, no penalty

Private reformer hours cancel on 48 hours’ notice for full credit. Memberships pause for up to two weeks per term on request.

How long is a class?

Reformer runs 50 minutes, barre 45, mat and breath 40. Your first Intro session is 45 minutes including the posture assessment.

I’ve never done Pilates. Where do I start?

With the Intro session. We assess posture, run one guided class and write you a class-fit column. Most new members begin on reformer twice a week before adding barre.

I have an injury or recent surgery — can I join?

Often, yes, but through private reformer first. The class-fit tool routes any flagged injury to one-to-one sessions with Selin Kaya until an instructor clears you for group classes. We coordinate with your physiotherapist where relevant.

What should I bring?

Grip socks and a water bottle. That’s the whole list. We lend grip socks free to members and supply all equipment.

How small are the classes really?

Reformer and barre are capped at six; mat at eight. We have held that cap since 2016 and will not lift it, even when the waiting list is long.

Is there a waiting list?

For private reformer, usually two to three weeks. Group classes open at the start of each term; join the reserve list and we contact you the same day a spot appears.

How do payments work?

Memberships are billed monthly; packs are paid once and valid four months. We take card and bank transfer at the desk — no online payment, no auto-renewal you have to chase.

Reserve Your Column

Send a note today and we’ll reply before the studio closes.

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A Small Studio, Set by Hand

How the Paper Came to Print