Club Pilates

Bios

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  Femi

  Femi’s love for the human anatomy and movement led him on a journey to becoming a doctor of physical therapy. As a graduate student at New York University he learned the art of healing various musculoskeletal dysfunctions, while he acquired his strength and conditioning specialty. Femi first experienced Pilates practicing as a strength and conditioning coach, while working on his doctorate. His passion grew as he experienced how Pilates connected the mind and body during movement. He also treasures how much Pilates allows him to mentally engage and guide his patients to achieve complex movements. In 2015, After a few years practicing on the Reformer, Tower and Chair, Femi completed the comprehensive instructor training through Polestar Pilates at Hospital for Special Surgery. Femi enjoys traveling, weight lifting, and outdoor activities that allow him to enjoy the beauty of nature. With every session, Femi’s goal is to use his excitement and passion to assist his clients in getting one step closer to achieving their physical goals.

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  Grace

  Grace has been practicing Pilates for over 20 years and received her Pilates certification from Kane School of Core Integration / Kinected Pilates Center NYC. Her training includes Reformer, Cadillac, Chair, Barrel as well as comprehensive studies in musculoskeletal anatomy. In addition she is well versed in the hands on touch method, body bio mechanics and dealing with injured populations. Grace has completed the FAMI workshop (functional anatomy for movement and injuries) which gives her an even more in depth education on the body and its application to movement. Her goal is to make her clients feel more confident, body-aware, stronger, flexible and centered.

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  Jeanne

  Pilates Instructor

  My first love and career was dance. I have been dancing ever since I can remember and couldn’t imagine making a living for myself any other way. With a little bit of luck and determination, I was able to achieve my dream of becoming a Radio City Rockette. By far my most loved professional dance experience and certainly the most demanding. Pilates came into my life while I was exploring non-surgical options hip injury, a common occurrence among dancers and I knew instantly that I had found another passion. I became a certified instructor with Stott Pilates in 2010 and have been teaching ever since. In addition, I received certifications in both Xtend Barre and Body Art, a holistic, full body workout based on the principles of Yin and Yang, dance cardio formats as well as others. Whether on the Pilates reformer, the mat, or at the barre, I strive to create an encouraging and fun environment for my students so that they too can enjoy discovering new abilities in their quest for physical and in turn mental health. I truly hope my students leave my classes as fulfilled as I do. The gift that they give me with their time, energy and desire to learn and grow is what I am most grateful for.

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  Jodi

  Instructor

  Jodi is a Certified Pilates Instructor educated at Balanced Body University. Jodi’s passion for Pilates began with a bodily injury that paved the path for her recovery through the methodology demonstrated through the Pilates principles. Jodi’s experience has fueled her desire to become a versatile instructor, skilled to adapt to develop her clients’ strengths and improve upon their weaknesses, while ensuring an overall effective Pilates workout. She has also specialized in pre-natal and post-natal Pilates as well as training NFL football players to strengthen and recover from season to season. Jodi strives to continually further her education in order to acquire new skills that she can pass on to other clients and instructors. She is excited to be a part of the team and become a key inspiration for her clients’ aspirations to make the changes to promote a healthier and happier lifestyle.

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  Claudia

  Pilates Instructor

  Originally from Argentina, Claudia developed a passion for Pilates in 2011. After taking her first class at Club Pilates, she immediately went on to become a Certified Club Pilates Instructor! She is very passionate about her members and that comes out in her classes. In addition to her Pilates experience, Claudia attended the medical school Universidad Nacional de Cordoba in Argentina. Claudia's classes are filled with her contagious positivity, and fueled by her love of Pilates!

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  Ashley

  Pilates Instructor

  Ashley is a Club Pilates Teacher and a Registered Yoga Teacher at the 500 hour level, certified through Yogaworks and the Yoga Alliance. Ashley’s passion for teaching body movement moves well beyond Yoga, as she has fully immersed herself in the Club Pilates Teacher Training Program. Ashley’s teaching style is precise and clear. She expresses the Club Pilates method in an intelligent, challenging and nurturing way. Ashley is a devoted student of Pilates and Yoga and pursues continuing education workshops regularly. Ashley’s continuing studies are applied to her understanding and teaching of Pilates through seamless breathing, a steady gaze, and thoughtful movement. Ashley practices Pilates because it is fun, interesting, a never-ending self-study, health producing, and stress relieving.

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  Kara

  Pilates Instructor

  Kara comes from an athletic background, and an IT band injury brought Pilates into her life nearly a decade ago. Pilates transformed her approach to fitness, building body awareness and control through breath, alignment, and precise movement. Kara is certified in Pilates through the Kane School. She is also a registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) through the Hudson Yoga Project. She graduated from the University of Chicago with a degree in Biological Sciences, where she became fascinated with the nuts and bolts of how living organisms function. After a long stint in marketing, tech and data analytics, Kara is devoting her full energy towards helping people feel great in their bodies. Her approach to Pilates is detailed, anatomical, and above all else - safe, fun and effective.

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  Bonnie

  Instructor

  Bonnie moved to New Jersey in 2014 after graduating from Grand Valley State University with a BA in Dance and BBA in Marketing. She’s is the Artistic Director of BOM DIGGS, a modern dance company based in NYC, as well as a current performer for Shawnbibledanceco. Branching out to find ways to sustain dancing as long and healthy as possible, she fell in love with Pilates and started her certification at Gramercy Pilates in NYC.

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  Leeza

  Instructor

  Leeza is life-long athlete. She spent her youth playing volleyball, running track and cross-country skiing through snow-packed stretches of Saint Petersburg, Russia. Her passion for physical fitness was complimented by her curiosity for how the body works. Accordingly, she chose to study microbiology during college and then received a Nursing degree from Phillips Beth Israel School of Nursing. She moved to America in 1995 and settled in New York City, where she expanded her fitness profile to include cycling, weight lifting, yoga, and Pilates. Her focus on core work and control drew her deeper into Pilates and she decided to become a Pilates Instructor through the Club Pilates Teacher Training Program. Leeza leads her classes with decorous blend of hands-on instruction and encouragement. Her goal is to have her students feel strong, capable, energized, and healthy.

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  SoYeon

  Pilates Instructor

  SoYeon has been practicing Pilates regularly since her childhood in Malaysia, where she grew up. She has always been passionate about Pilates since it helped her condition & strengthen her growing body. But she had to put her Pilates practice on hold when she moved to America for college. She received her architecture degree from Rhode Island School of Design and has been working as an Architect in NYC for the past 7 years. While working, she found Pilates again as it provided her with energy and mental release from her demanding job. The clarity of mind she experienced from practicing Pilates regularly inspired her to leave her job and pursue her passion! She recently received her certification through the Club Pilates teaching program, and she is committed in promoting positive mental and physical health at this studio. She employs her creative mind and her attention to detail into each class by designing an unique fun classes for her clients, ensuring no two classes are the same!

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  Caroline

  Instructor

  Caroline may be a familiar face to you from our front desk at West New York since 2017. She is thrilled to be an instructor after completing the Club Pilates 500 hour Teacher Training. Caroline grew up in North Carolina as a dancer, and began her musical theatre career at a young age. She went on to receive her BFA in Musical Theatre from Wright State University in Ohio, and moved to the New York area after graduating to follow her passion for performing. She found us in her neighborhood right after moving and rekindled her love of pilates, which she began taking in North Carolina in middle school. As a dancer, Caroline is fascinated by the way the human body moves. She loves the complete mind and body connection pilates has, reminding her so much of dance. She looks forward to incorporating this passion, as she blends breath and movement through all of her clients, leaving everyone feeling strong, confident, and connected at the end of each class.

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  Mallory

  Instructor

  Mallory Galarza is a New Jersey native and began her movement training as a dancer at local studios and The Ailey School in Manhattan. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University with a BFA in Dance. Mallory completed her Polestar Pilates Teacher Training under the direction of Kimberly Gibilisco in 2017. She has also had the pleasure of teaching and studying Pilates internationally with Alexander Bohlander of Germany and Anna Mora of the Netherlands. Mallory dreams of dancing professionally, using her somatic training in Pilates and yoga as a supplement to physical health and mental wellness.

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  Edlyn

  Pilates Instructor

  Edlyn was born and raised in Puerto Rico and has been living in NY/NJ since 2007. She started practicing Pilates back home when she was part of Ballet Concierto de Puerto Rico and it was required to do a Pilates based warm up before class. It was then that she knew Pilates was something she’d do for the rest of her life because of how good her body felt afterwards. Edlyn received her Pilates Certification through Ellie Herman Studios in Brooklyn. She’s also certified in TRX, Pre/Post Natal and Kettlebell. Edlyn has also completed the FAMI workshop (Functional Anatomy for Movement and Injuries) and the Barefoot Training through EBFA (Evidence Based Fitness Academy). She has experience working with clients who present injuries, surgeries, scoliosis and other imbalances.

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  Bailey

  Pilates Instructor

  You might recognize this face from behind the front desk at Club Pilates West New York! Bailey is overjoyed to be moving from the desk to the studio as an instructor after completing the 500 Hour Club Pilates Teacher Training Program. Bailey is originally from Birmingham, Alabama. She grew up dancing and performing, and continued that through college when she got her BFA in Musical Theatre from Wright State University. She moved to West New York in early 2018 and began working at Club Pilates. When she’s not teaching or practicing Pilates, you can catch her working part time at lululemon in Manhattan. Bailey is very passionate about fitness, wellness, and self-care, and she hopes to spread that passion to others through teaching. She hopes to pursue a career in musical theatre and acting in the city, and is super excited to use her Pilates training to continue on her health and wellness journey!