top of page

Instructors

Introducing our wonderful instructors. Each one brings something unique to their class. Read below to find out where they were trained and what special skills they have learned along their Pilates journey...

Hanh Tran Pilates Instructor

Hanh Tran (Prenatal, Postnatal, Cancer Exercise Specialist, Group Classes, One-on-One Instruction)

Thuc-Hanh Tran (Hanh) received her Pilates Comprehensive Mat and Equipment certification from the Kane School of Core Integration, her certifications in Prenatal and Postnatal Pilates, Momilates®, and Stroller Moves® from Bella Bellies®; and is a licensed instructor of Pilates for Buff Bones®, a bone-strengthening program for those with osteoporosis or those seeking to prevent it. Hanh continually seeks to deepen her understanding of different topics, attending classes, workshops and seminars on bone health, diastasis recti, working with seniors, sacro-illiac joint dysfunction, shoulders, knees, neck, back… with prominent teachers like Kelly Kane, Matt McCullough, Debbi Goodman, MPT, Lolita San Miguel, Julie Tupler, RN, Rebekah Rotstein, Balanced Body Pilates on Tour among others. Her best learning, however, has come from experiences with clients vastly different from one another in body and mind who she’s been blessed to work with over the years.

Hanh also has been a professional dancer (The King and I on Broadway, the Martha Graham Dance Company..), actor, choreographer, dance teacher (most extensively at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts), refugee camp worker, health education assistant, and is mother to two amazing kids.

“I look forward to working with you towards fuller movement possibilities, optimum health, and greater enjoyment and appreciation of your body.

Shauna Jenkisson Pilates Instructor
Shauna Jenkisson (Prenatal, Postnatal, Group Classes, One-on-One Instruction)

Shauna started learning Pilates in 1995. She discovered it helped enormously in refining her dance technique. Shauna received her first Pilates certification in 2001 from Physical Mind Institute where she studied with master trainers Lesley Powell, CMA, and Doris Pastpelleur-Hall.

She received an additional certification in 2006 from IM=X Pilates where, as a master trainer, she certified students in NYC and Arizona in the IM=X Pilates method.

Shauna earned her holistic health certification from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition in 2001. Shauna’s lively teaching approach inspires people to achieve their fitness goals and enjoy a higher level of grace and confidence.

Dorela Cheban Pilates Instructor
Dorela Cheban (Prenatal, Postnatal, Group Classes)

Dorela was born and raised in the USSR, but in her late teens relocated to the US in order to pursue her dreams. She has always strived to live an active and healthy lifestyle through different types of fitness training programs including spinning and boxing; but it was after deciding to try Pilates that Dorela really found her niche. Now having practiced for over ten years, Pilates has given her killer core strength, a strong sense of body awareness, and the flexibility she has always desired. Pilates also remains a positive outlet from her stressful and sometimes demanding career in the finance industry.

Dorela received her Pilates Mat and full Apparatus certification from the prestigious Kane School of Core Integration, training under founder Kelly Kane. She is excited to share her love of Pilates and is dedicated to helping her clients move their bodies in an optimal way for maximum results. Dorela’s knowledge and passion shows in her class repertoire. She uses different props to challenge and keep her clients interested but also makes sure to personalize and guide students through workouts that meet their specific needs. She teaches that body awareness, breath, discipline and control are all key cornerstones to having successful and enjoyable sessions. At the end of the day, her goal is to educate people on how to improve their lives through Pilates, while helping to inspire students of all levels reach their true potential.

Nancy Weidner Pilates Instructor
Nancy Weidner (Group Classes, One-on-One Instruction)
Nancy Weidner is certified in Pilates by the prestigious Kane School in NYC and in health coaching through the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. She believes in taking the time to consciously fill your life with nourishing activities, healthy food and supportive people that make you smile. Her goals are to help people feel better about themselves inside and out and to give them the tools to create this success. Through Pilates, Nancy’s clients can achieve self-transformation with mindful movement. They will build total-body strength, flexibility, muscle tone, balance, stamina, and confidence. Nancy’s lifelong passion for fitness and her attentive Pilates instruction help clients find joy and beauty through intentional exercise.After a career in fashion and marketing that took her to New York and London, Nancy returned to her home state of New Jersey where she now lives in Short Hills with her husband and three children.
Ashley Yehoda Pilates Instructor
Ashley Yehoda (Prenatal, Postnatal, Group Classes, One-on-One Instruction) 
Ashley is a Pilates teacher, Yoga instructor, and artist based in NJ. They began their Pilates education with Polestar Pilates under the mentorship of Kim Gibilisco while attending Rutgers University. Ashley’s primary goal as a Pilates teacher is to help clients see beyond the exercises and give them the tools to cultivate their personal movement practice. Their instructional style takes a multidisciplinary approach toward movement by drawing connections between modalities- Pilates, Yoga, movement science, and activity specific movement. Classes and sessions emphasize biomechanics, creativity, and building sustainable strength and mobility. In taking a multifaceted approach to movement, Ashley seeks to share Pilates as a body affirming practice based on choice and moving for longevity. 
julia.granacki.photo.jpeg
Julia Granacki (Prenatal, Postnatal, Group Classes, One-on-One Instruction) 
Julia is a Kane School of Pilates graduate. She received her BFA from the University of Central Florida and her health coaching certification from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, with special coursework in hormone health and a focus on perimenopause, menopause, and burnout. She believes that midlife does not have to be miserable, that it’s never too late to start aging well, and that a sense of humor is key to living your best life!

She co-hosts the perimenopausal podcast, Circling the Drain: a show about the period before you stop getting your period. She is also a three-time alumnus of the switched-up storytelling series, No You Tell It!

She studied meditation and philosophy at Philosophy Works in New York City, where she received her mantra for Transcendental Meditation in 2013. She has been an avid practitioner of both mindfulness and TM ever since.
Christie Freeman Pilates Instructor
CHRISTIE FREEMAN (Prenatal, Postnatal,, Group Classes, One-on-One Instruction)
Christie Freeman, studio owner and director of Project Pilates, first discovered Pilates in college where she received a BFA in dance from California State University, Long Beach. Christie worked part-time in the dance department's physical therapy room, this is where she realized the true benefits of a daily Pilates practice and how much Pilates can help the body. 
 
Christie received her Pilates mat and equipment certification from The Kane School of Core Integration in New York in 2005. Christie has attended additional workshops to continue her Pilates training; Pilates through Pregnancy with Debbi Goodman, MSPT, Pre and Post Natal Specialist Pilates Certification with Carolyne Anthony, is a licensed instructor of Pilates for Buff Bones®, a bone-strengthening program for those with osteoporosis or those seeking to prevent it, Kinesthetic Anatomy and Biomechanics of Motion: Spine/Trunk with Irene Dowd, Relax your Neck – Liberate your Shoulders with Eric Franklin, Hip and Knee injuries with Mark Klion/MD and the FAMI intensive taught at Mount Sinai. She is currently enrolled at Pacific College of Health and Science pursuing a degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
 
Christie hopes that all will love the way they feel as much as she does after an invigorating pilates session whether it is for fitness, injury prevention, or recovery. Pilates really does work!
bottom of page