Heather Simmons Alexander has been studying the work of Joseph Pilates since 2000 and under the direction of Master Instructor Romana Kryzanowska was certified instructor in the True Pilates Method since 2000. While in Los Angeles, she studied frequently with Master Instructor Jay Grimes.  Heather continues their tradition of authentic Pilates and stays true to the Method that Joseph Pilates created.  Heather has also been studying the work of Kit Laughlin, author of Overcoming Neck and Back Pain and was excited to take his first Stretch Therapy workshop offered in the USA in 2011.  She has taught in Los Angeles, Seattle, and most recently, Chattanooga, TN.


 


unnamed.jpg

Angeline Shaka started training in the Pilates method of body control, or contrology, as a dance student in New York City. This led to her certification to teach Pilates by Master Instructor Romana Kryzanowska in 1997. Since then, she has worked with trainers such as Alycea Ungaro, Gina Papalia, and Kathy Buccellato in New York, Los Angeles, and Texas. Having earned her PhD in culture and performance, she is also a dance professor at the undergraduate and graduate levels, teaching at UNC-Chapel Hill and UNC-Greensboro. She continues teaching and exploring the classical method of pilates training, and brings to her classes a concise focus on alignment and dynamics. 


Emilie Young first discovered the Pilates method while completing her undergraduate degree in visual art at Appalachian State in 2012. Emilie recalls her first classical Pilates mat class at the university and the newfound sense of strength and connectedness that she was able to cultivate after just one workout. Having endured back pain and postural issues from a young age, Emilie quickly realized that Pilates would become a lifelong study for her. She continued her study of the Pilates method for the remainder of her undergraduate career and returned to the university in 2015 to earn her comprehensive Classical Pilates certification from the Pilates Training Program at Appalachian State, led by her mentors Marianne Adams and Rebecca Quinn. 

Emilie works full-time as an elementary art teacher in the Raleigh-Durham area, but loves to step into the role of Pilates instructor in her free time. She brings her passion for working and connecting with people to the work she does, whether it is in the elementary school classroom or the Pilates studio. She is thrilled to continue her journey as an instructor and lifelong learner of the Classical Pilates method at Alexander Pilates!


Monica Matherly is a lifelong fitness devotee. She found group mat Pilates classes as a therapeutic response to low back pain over 20 years ago and discovered classical private Pilates instruction a decade ago after chronic low back pain sent her searching for relief. Amazed at how just five sessions resulted in meaningful improvement, she got hooked. Inspired by her classically trained instructors in Richmond, VA; Detroit, MI; and NYC, she immediately enrolled in a classical Pilates teacher training program after a 33-year successful career as an executive in financial services. She is a third generation instructor, trained by Alycea Ungaro at Real Pilates in NYC, who studied under Romana Kryzanowska, Joseph Pilates’ hand-picked protégé. She is thrilled to be giving to others what her instructors gave to her, which is a love of living life free of pain and the ability to do the things she loves to do in life with confidence and energy. She is the mother to two young women, and a soon-to-be grandmother. A recent transplant from NYC, she resides in Raleigh with her husband of 33 years, and is enjoying all that the Triangle has to offer!


Caitlin4.jpg

Caitlin Roffman brings her West Coast classical training to the East. She left a fast paced career in the music business to pursue her lifelong passion for wellness.  Struggling with some health issues of her own, she was introduced to Pilates as a method to alleviate her symptoms.

Caitlin completed her year long Pilates training course in Los Angeles in 2013 and has worked with a wide-range of clients including new moms, men and women overcoming injuries and athletes. She welcomes hard work and understands the pressures of life and how to overcome injury or illness.  She is learning every day and helping clients grow stronger, breathe better and overall feel good on the inside and out. 


thumbnail_image0.jpg

Jessica Alexander is a dancer and Pilates instructor happy to be returning to the Triangle. She received her BFA from Purchase College SUNY and completed her Polestar Pilates training in California. She is a Polestar Pilates Graduate, Nationally Certified Pilates Teacher, and a trained pre- and postnatal instructor through East River Pilates. Jessica believes playfulness is an important aspect of movement and encourages her clients to use their imaginations along with anatomical knowledge to increase their awareness and challenge themselves with joy.