East Hill has a new place to breathe, move, and reconnect with your body, and it’s already becoming a neighborhood favorite, at least for me! Gadsden Studio, founded by longtime Pensacola photographer Arielle Langhorne, is a thoughtfully designed Reformer Pilates studio that feels like an exhale the moment you walk through the door. Boutique, serene, sun-lit, and intentional in every corner, it’s one of those spaces you simply want to spend time in.
The Gadsden Studio Owner, Arielle LanghorneWhat makes Gadsden Studio especially unique is Arielle herself, a woman whose story is as layered and inspiring as the space she’s created.
Before Pilates entered her world, Arielle built a 28-year career as a photographer, specializing in newborn imagery long before it became its own celebrated niche.
“I did a little bit of everything at first — wedding, engagement, children, even dogs — but babies were always my heart,” she told me. Originally from France, Arielle studied medicine with plans to become an OB-GYN before life and love brought her across the world to Pensacola. That deep connection to caring for infants never left her. “Handling babies came naturally. It’s something I’ve always loved.”
Her photography career flourished, but a second passion began unfolding. It was her sister, an avid Pilates lover, who encouraged Arielle to try Reformer Pilates again after an initial, underwhelming first attempt years ago. Everything changed when she found the right instructor.
“I worked with Chelsea at Pure Pilates and she just made me fall in love with it,” Arielle said. “I was going at least twice a week, and I just wanted to get better. That’s when I found out they had a teacher training program.”
At the same time, she was in the early planning stages of expanding her photography studio. She began to imagine something more dynamic, a hybrid space where both of her passions could coexist.
“I wasn’t sure I’d have enough photography clients to make a big studio worthwhile,” she said. “So I thought, what if I use both of my hobbies in the same place?” With the help of designers and engineers, she reworked the layout: one room dedicated entirely to Pilates, and the other to her photography work.
The result is seamless, beautiful, and deeply intentional. Everything has a place and everything is placed perfectly.
What surprised Arielle most wasn’t the physical transformation Pilates brought her, though she says her back pain disappeared, her core strengthened, and she can do moves now she never imagined possible. It was something else entirely.
“What I really love is the community,” she shared. “People come in, and they feel good when they leave. I’ve had clients say they look forward to class all day because they know they’ll feel better, taller, stronger, proud of themselves.”
Pilates changed her own life too.
“I used to run and do other bootcamp workouts,” she said, “But nothing changed my body like Pilates. I wasn’t using my abs properly before; everything went into my lower back. Pilates taught me how to move differently. My body changed. My pain went away. It’s never too late to learn.”
As someone who has now taken both a Yoga Abode pop-up class in the Gadsden courtyard and a private Reformer session with Arielle, I can say: the experience absolutely matches the intention. Her cueing is gentle but precise, the atmosphere is warm, and the space itself makes you want to stay and breathe for a while.
As someone who got a behind-the-scenes look, interviewed Arielle, and took a class myself, I can’t recommend Gadsden Studio enough. The Pilates is incredibly effective, the environment is stunning, and Arielle’s warmth and expertise make the experience special from start to finish.
East Hill gained something truly beautiful with this opening, a studio built on passion, purpose, and the belief that it’s never too late to feel stronger in your own skin.
