Club Pilates

Bios

• Katie Amrein

  Area General Mangaer | Pilates Instructor

  Katie has been teaching Pilates since 2009, she is Power Pilates trained and PMA certified. With over 10 years of experience in the fitness industry, Katie focuses on providing an open and inviting space for members where they can feel confident and discover the many benefits of Pilates.

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  Sarah Chaves

  Pilates Instructor

  Sarah Chaves is passionate about health, wellness, and fitness. She is a strong believer that being active is not only good for the body, but also the mind. She started her fitness journey at the age of 4 with ballet, pointe, tap, and jazz. In fact, she continued taking dance classes throughout high school and college and also incorporated fitness classes and gym training. Once college ended she had a hard time finding a dance studio, so her fitness regime mainly consisted of training at gyms, taking group classes, outdoor running, walking, and hiking. After taking several years off from dance, she wanted to find something similar that she could do as an adult. She eventually found that Pilates Reformer was the perfect fit and became instantly hooked. She started off taking 2 classes a week, then 6 or 7, and ultimately enrolling in Club Pilates' 500hr training program to become a certified Pilates Mat and Reformer instructor. She is passionate about Pilates because it combines strength training, flexibility, mind body awareness, postural alignment, ballet movements, and even cardio with the jump boards.

  Certifications:

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  Somer Connolly

  Pilates Instructor

  Somer started doing Pilates in New York at the age of 13. She fell in love with the slow, safe movements that protected her from injuries throughout her soccer career. She started teaching Pilates during college, and continued her anatomical education by becoming a movement specialist and comprehensively certified Pilates instructor through STOTT Pilates in Toronto, Ontario. Pilates is her life, her passion, and her mission is to share this healthy movement lifestyle with everyone she can. Check out her classes for a mix of classical and creative contemporary moves!

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  Tania Drago

  Pilates Instructor

  Tania is an incredibly talented and passionate Pilates Instructor . She is an enthusiast in Pilates Barre, Yoga, and aerobics. Fusing all of these together is what makes her a rising Club Pilates Instructor . Tania is also Reiki (Level 1) certified and has a love for crystal healing. She has been certified in Crystal Healing 101 & 102. Tania’s next goal is to become a Yoga instructor . She continues to further her education in order to expand her knowledge in the fitness world. In doing so, she’s able to help others achieve their wellness goals, allowing her clients to have a much healthier & happier lifestyle.

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  Nadia Drake

  Pilates Instructor

  Nadia always had a passion for challenging movement and exercise. However, after a bad car accident in 2009 doctor recommended to do Pilates. She had joined studio as a member at first but it didn’t take long to fall in love with Pilates. Her desire to share it with everyone led her to change a career. She had also received her TRX and Barre certification, and currently she is working on her Physical Therapist Assistant degree . She loves meeting amazing clients and help them on their journey to improve their posture, flexibility, and deeper awareness of movement and strength! When Nadia is not teaching classes she spends her day in the garden, reading a book, or painting.

• Michelle Feddon

  Pilates Instructor

  Michelle fell in love with Pilates when she first experienced it as a student in 1999. She was initially certified in Pilates mat through PhysicalMind™ in 1999, taught by Michael Wright of Body College in D.C. In 2000, she completed a year of Pilates Allegro/Reformer Certification Training with Polestar Pilates, instructed by Shelly Power and Brent Anderson. In 2001, she completed an intensive 455-hour Pilates Apparatus Certification with Core Dynamics Pilates under the direction of Michele Larsson and Kevin Bowen, a program that places its focus on historical Pilates, requiring an understanding of human movement and the ability of the teacher to instruct correctly to a diverse clientele. Michelle’s specialty is efficiently seeing and correcting posture faults and movement limitations in her students. Michelle is a third generation Pilates teacher! (Joseph Pilates taught Eve Gentry, who then taught Michele Larsson, who in turn taught Michelle.). She received her Physical Therapist Assistant A.S. degree in 2007 and has maintained her PTA license since that time. For the past twelve years, she has specialized in working with the senior population. Michelle received her Barre Above teacher certification in 2019 and implements this training in her group classes. Extensively educated in Pilates for Pregnancy, Pilates for Osteoporosis and Pilates for Scoliosis, Michelle is also trained in rehabilitating the body towards functional, pain-free movement. She has a passion for movement and health and is so excited to be a part of the excellence that is Club Pilates!

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  Kayla Finley

  Pilates Instructor

  Kayla’s Pilates training began at a young age as her competitive dance career became increasingly demanding. After following her passion for dance and choreography to the collegiate level at The University of Tampa she became certified by Leslie Guerin in her Lotte Berk Method barre class, BarSculpt. While choreographing for several dance studios, teaching BarSculpt classes and working as a waitress in her families Portland, Maine restaurant, Leslie’s offer to personally train her in Pilates Academy International’s “All Populations Reformer levels I and II” as well as PAI’s “Anatomy, Biomechanics and Posture Analysis” was an overwhelming yet incredible opportunity she could not refuse. It was then that Kayla developed a deeper appreciation for the human body and passion for teaching. Kayla has taught dance, barre and Pilates classes throughout Maine and Florida and takes pride in the close and long-lasting relationships she has built with her students and clients. Once she discovered Club Pilates she knew she had struck gold, as she believes it is the perfect fitness environment. A studio where instructors effectively bring high energy to every class and feed off the high energy of the clients in a welcoming and interactive way. Club Pilates sparked a fire in her to continue her Pilates education and join a tribe of powerful humans that dedicate their lives to bettering those of others. After completing her Club Pilates certification she has over 800 hours of Pilates certification training and 8 years of teaching experience. She craves the opportunity to learn more about the human body and how to heal it naturally. While teaching at Club Pilates she continues to develop her business plan of opening a Pilates fusion dance studio where her dancers are trained with a strictly even mix of ballet and Pilates while adult classes exist in a fun, young and exciting dance environment. She looks forward to seeing you in class!

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  Holly Hendricks

  Pilates Instructor

  Born and raised in Southern California, Holly grew up with a passion for outdoor sports and physical fitness. From an early age, she competed in softball and swimming, and loved horseback riding, surfing, and skiing. While completing her degree in Communications at the University of California, San Diego, Holly was eager to find a strength training routine that not only challenged and improved her body, but also helped calm her mind and promote a sense of balance. After taking an intro reformer class at Club Pilates, San Diego in 2016, Holly became hooked on a practice that both satisfied her fitness goals and promoted a healthy mind and spirit. Holly also fell in love with the fantastic community that Club Pilates provides in the form of expertly lead instruction, motivating support from teachers and fellow members, and an environment of the best equipment and accessories to achieve a full-body workout. Over the period of several years, Holly decided to pursue instructor training so that she too could inspire and encourage others in their Pilates practice. As a current resident of St. Petersburg, Holly continues to enjoy many outdoor activities as well as the beautiful Gulf Coast beaches. She and her husband, Erik, are thrilled to be expecting their first baby later this year, and Holly continues to be impressed at how versatile and relevant Pilates is for her even during all the physical transitions of pregnancy. Holly loves engaging with her clients, learning their goals and interests, and helping them enjoy a fulfilling mind/body Pilates practice.

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  Monet Izquierdo

  Lead Pilates Instructor

  Monet was born in NYC and in 2001 her family moved to Sweet Home Alabama. She went to a small Jesuit college called Spring Hill and graduated with a Biology degree in 2014. In college, she was introduced to fitness and became a fitness instructor at Pure Barre Mobile in January 2013. Her passion for fitness and community really grew from there! In 2015 Monet and her dog moved to Tampa and fell in love with the Tampa Bay area. It was here that she was given the opportunity to become a Cycle instructor and then a Pilates instructor in March 2018! She loves this community so much and was given an opportunity to become a Lululemon Ambassador in October of 2018 after her campaign "Why I Love My Body".

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  Greg Katz

  Pilates Instructor

  Originally from South Africa, Greg has a diploma in Sports Management and an Advanced Certification in Nutritional Science. Greg has always had a passion for the field of health and fitness. He has extensive experience in Sports Management, and has taught and coached sports to children in schools and sports centers as well as exercise classes designed for children with special needs. Greg has been an avid marathon runner for the past 20 years, is a running coach, and has run in many marathons throughout different countries as well as The New York City Marathon. While living in London for several years, Greg became very interested in Pilates. He acquired his Pilates Reformer certification in London and worked as a Reformer instructor there for two years, as well as a certified Spin instructor. Greg then moved to California where he progressed in Pilates by studying his Mat Certification under the late well-renowned Julian Littleford. From there, he moved to NYC as a freelance Pilates instructor with experience training all types of clients of various injuries, misalignment and rehabilitation through the use of all Pilates apparatus. Greg comes to our studio with a passion for Pilates and many years of experience in the health and fitness industry!

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  Jessica Obiedzinski

  Pilates Instructor

  Jessica Obiedzinski is a PMA certified instructor trained in New York City. In 2013, she studied under Lawson Harris who is the protege of one of the Joseph Pilates’ Elder instructors, Carola Trier. Her Mat certification comes from the Pilates Sports Center based out of California (2009) for an athlete’s approach to Pilates for rehabilitation. In 2018, she re-certified through the Kane School in New York to deepen her anatomical approach to teaching. She also holds her RYT 200 Yoga Certification from a1000yoga academy in Bangalore, India and is also certified in Interval Weight training for those gym buffs. Continuing education is of high importance to her having attended the Kane school in New York City and Progressive Pilates in Brooklyn for workshops focusing on Male Clients, Pre and Postpartum, Barrel/ladder apparatus, Lower Back pain, Pelvic Floor, Ankle, Shoulder Girdle, Knee function, Diastasis Correction, Kinesiology, and the list continues to grow. She has also attended the Center for Neurosomatic Studies in Clearwater for a certification in Posturology for Scoliosis pain management and Gait correction. Jessica has a Bachelor’s Degree in Dance and is an active Performing Artist in the community. She also holds a Master’s Degree in Cross Cultural Tourism and Hospitality Management both from the University of Florida. Jessica uses her training of proper spinal postures to focus on Joseph’s ideology for anatomical alignment and rebalancing the spine’s full functioning movement potential. As a teacher, her sessions consist of turning imbalance and pain into strength and mobility, promoting the body’s multi-dimensional movement. Her eye for detail and alignment keeps even those long time practitioners delving even deeper into their practices. She also loves to get “geeky” with beginners, teaching fundamentals in a playful way. See you in Class!

• Catherine Plumley

  Pilates Instructor

  Catherine has always had a love and passion for fitness. She received her Bachelor’s in Exercise Science from Florida State University in 2009. She is a former dancer and was lead to pilates to help overcome her many dance injuries and a diagnosis of scoliosis. She fell in love right away and saw all the improvements her body made. She learned that scolosis was not just something she had to live with but something she could embrace and grow from. While her dancing career came to an end her love of pilates continued to grow. She completed her mat and reformer teacher training at Harmony Pilates in Kailua, Hi. She currently teaches Group reformer classes and privates. She enjoys keeping pilates fresh, challenging, and discovering the physical and mental strengths we all have within us. She looks forward to seeing you in class and can’t wait to show you that pilates is for everyone!