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| Here’s what happened… so far
Growing up on a dairy farm in the Midwest, it was normal for family members to put in a 70-hour workweek of hard physical labor without complaint. Now matter how difficult the circumstances, a job on the farm was always done without shortcuts. This is where I learned the value of never compromising my integrity. More about that later…
The path to becoming a Pilates and movement educator truly began when I was teenager and studied any dance book or video I could get my hands on. I performed in my backyard where the small fruit trees marked the end of the stage. The grazing cows behind the fence were my captive and forgiving audience. With a few hundred dollars I earned from my first part-time job, I bought a car so I could drive to my first real dance class. One dance class led to three and then led to nine each week. That early training eventually led me to a University dance program as I continued a full schedule of dance classes, rehearsals and a part-time job. My exhausting schedule caught up with me and I began to suffer chronic foot and ankle injuries. As a student with no health insurance or resources beyond 3 slices of cold pizza, I took matters into my own hands. I relied on my education in kinesiology, anatomy, dance, Pilates and various movement therapies to rehabilitate my own injuries.
An extensive assessment process, I started journaling the results of exercises I would customize to my needs or invent from scratch. Once I graduated, I began to share my work with clients in a Pilates studio environment. This led to other instructors looking to me for answers to challenging situations with their clients. Seeing that there was a need for better conditioning techniques and educational programs motivated me to start my own Pilates business. Having my own studio with a staff of professional instructors, I now spend my time teaching and lecturing in universities, clinics, athletic clubs and studios throughout the United States.
My journey started with learning the value of integrity on the farm and has fueled the development of a Pilates Instructor Training program that offers a step-by-step process on becoming a professional Pilates instructor. I hold a B.F.A. in Dance from Western Michigan University where I was named the Presidential Scholar in Dance and earned the Irving S. Gilmore Emerging Artist Grant. I have produced Pilates videos for home use and my clients today include professional athletes, dancers, competitive ice skaters and everyday people looking to transform how their body looks, feels and moves.
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