DJ Gray is a Certified Pilates teacher, Teacher Trainer for Pilates Mat Class and Pre-Trainer in GYROTONIC®.
DJ has been teaching Pilates for over 20 years in both California and New York. She began her movement training at the age of 7, as a competitive swimmer. She continued the sport throughout her college career, earning the title of a 4 Year All-American. In her final year of college, DJ found her passion in dance. To achieve a dancer’s physique and deeper connections that aids in dance technique, DJ turned to Pilates. The core movement technique of Pilates enabled her to establish a deeper understanding of dance, leading to a strong foundation, and knowledge in injury prevention and healing techniques.

DJ has worked on Broadway as a performer and an associate choreographer of several Broadway shows. She recently moved to Bloomington to join the staff at Indiana University, as a Professor of Practice teaching Musical Theatre dance to the BFA students. She continues to teach private Pilates and GYROTONIC movement at Lotus, an independent studio in Bloomington. She earned her Teacher Training in Mat Pilates from the Kane school in January 2020. She is teaching her first course at Indiana University this Spring, under the umbrella of the Kane school. Extending knowledge of skills and insight is a true passion for her. To pass on the art of Teaching is a dream realized.

DJ taught the first Core Muscle Anatomy and Comprehensive Mat training in the spring semester 2021 at Indiana University Bloomington. Email: dtothej@mac.com

Fran is the owner of Saugatuck Studios and the creator of Power Plate Pilates®. She comes from a clinical research background and parallel background in Pilates. After studying chemistry and then becoming a chemist, she quickly learned she needed to be around people and she shifted her focus from being in the lonely lab to traveling around the planet conducting clinical research for the same global pharmaceutical company.

Fran started teaching movement and received her AFAA certification in 1989 at the Vertical Club in New York City. She continued to add modalities until she was exposed to Pilates after recovering from a spinal injury. Fran received her first Pilates certification from Power Pilates in New York.

She continued her Pilates education and was lucky enough to be exposed to amazing teachers, including Juliet Harvey, Mary Bowen, Kathy Grant, Ron Fletcher, Jill Miller, Tom Meyer, and eventually found a perfect fit at the Kane School, a rigorous training program combining the classic principles of Pilates with a modern, clinical perspective on the human body. She joined the faculty at the Kane School on 19th Street New York, and continued to work in the Pilates department at Equinox in Darien, Connecticut for 11 years. After several home studios, started a Pilates studio right on the Saugatuck River in Westport, Connecticut. Fran now runs Kinected/Kane School Teacher Trainings, as well as the Bridge Program for those already certified, from this beautiful studio on the water. Email: fhoyte@me.com

Briana has been teaching Pilates for over 20 years, and exercise and dance prior to that. Briana attended her first two years of college in performing arts (dance and theatre) programs and then transferred to the University of Louisville to ultimately graduate in 2004 with a B.S. in health promotion, physical education, and sports studies, with a concentration in exercise science and sports medicine.  Briana worked at  Frazier Rehab and Neuroscience Center in their world renowned Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Clinic and Research programs. Her experience working in rehab settings and implementing the Pilates philosophy in a spinal cord injury clinic is another testament to her education, passion, and personal hands-on approach—all of which make learning with her not only professional and enjoyable, with a unique therapeutic approach.

Briana completed the Kane School’s Pilates Bridge certification program in 2019. Briana loves teaching and guiding other instructors. She has mentored, coached, and managed many accomplished instructors from varying backgrounds. After managing small and large Pilates programs from NJ to IL, in 2014 she fulfilled her dream of opening a holistic fitness and wellness studio, Roots of Integrity, in Chicago’s South Loop.

In 2015, Briana fought and beat Hodgkin’s lymphoma, taking her passion for health and well-being to a whole new level.  In the summer of 2016, she attended and completed certification for C.H.E.K. Holistic Lifestyle Coaching, Level 1. Briana is also a GYROTONIC® method pre-trainer and creator of Compassionate Movement Practice for Cancer (and auto-immune conditions). She specializes in neurological disorders, spinal cord injuries, cancer survivor’s fitness and wellness, rheumatoid arthritis, and back issues. Briana finds joy in helping her clients beyond their sessions in the studio, but also by providing them lifestyle coaching, advocating for their health, and mentoring Pilates and GYROTONIC® instructors in their professional journeys. What seems like a lifetime in the health in fitness industry—along with her own education, personal life experiences, and understanding that we never stop learning—make Briana a well-rounded and extremely distinguished teacher trainer, movement instructor, wellness coach, and business owner. Email: briana_dockins@yahoo.com

Shila Tirabassi LaGrua, LMT, CNS, owner of Body Center St. Pete, received her BFA from the Juilliard School in NYC and was an internationally touring professional modern dancer with Merce Cunningham, Lar Lubovitch, Martha Graham, Robert Battle, and Stephen Petronio. Shila was trained by Cyndi Lee at OM Yoga Center NY, where she taught yoga classes for many years, numerous yoga teacher trainings and developed the Core Yoga Program which integrated yoga and Pilates. She was certified in both Pilates Mat and Apparatus through The Kane School.

Shila retired as a professional dancer and returned to her hometown of St. Petersburg, FL, where she found Neurosomatic Therapy under the tutelage of Paul St. John. Shila devoted years of her attention to the healing arts as a Neurosomatic Specialist at the St. John-Clark Pain Treatment Center. She was also faculty at The Center for Neurosomatic Studies where she taught and developed the Therapeutic Exercise curriculum.

After opening Body Center St. Pete in 2018, Shila continues to teach anatomy and functional movement in yoga teacher trainings throughout the country, as well as retreats in Costa Rica. Proudly, Body Center St. Pete is also now an Offsite Training Center for the Kane School. Shila’s never-ending interest in the body led her to continue her education in NASM Personal Training, Prenatal Fitness, Thai Yoga Bodywork, Restorative Yoga, Postural Respiration, Muscle Activation Technique, The Schroth Method, Alexander Technique, Oov, and Feldenkrais. As a Reiki Master, she is also interested in the subtler realms of the body and believes that all body work is also energy work.

Shila compliments her practice as a Neurosomatic Specialist with her love of functional movement to help her clients find alignment, strength, and ease through manual treatments and movement reeducation. Body Center St. Pete’s mission is to bring awareness to postural alignment and its relationship to pain and discomfort and become co-healers with each individual that walks in the door. This process involves unwinding destructive biomechanical patterns by releasing soft tissue through Structural Therapy and re-defining movement through Pilates, Yamuna Foot Fitness, GYROTONIC and the Oov. Individuals are empowered through all these modalities with information and self-care tools so they can recognize when the body gets out of balance and utilize their tools to regain optimal function. Email: shila@bodycenterstpete.com

Since achieving her full Pilates certification 2004 through Pilates Academy International in NYC, Susan went on to complete 2 other International Pilates certifications giving her 3 different methods of teaching The Pilates method. Her goal has been to incorporate a multitude of modalities to offer her clients an integrated experience of wellness and fitness. Specializing in Pre/postnatal Pilates, joint and spine injuries and others joint conditions, Susan’s focus is rehabilitation and strength training and the recruitment of the deeper, local stabilizing muscles of the core and spine. In keeping with her commitment to health and wellness Susan achieved her Holistic Health license, Nutritional Consultant Certificate and her Master Health and Wellness Coach Certification, adding to the wealth of knowledge and experience she acquired over the last 18 years.

Susan opened Pivotal Pilates Fitness in 2010 and is now a teacher trainer for The Kane School Pilates Teacher Training at her studio in Matawan, NJ. Email: susan_markowitz@yahoo.com

Carson Murphy is a professional tap dancer, Pilates and Gyrotonic Method® instructor, mom, wife and studio director of sound MOVEMENT in Larchmont, NY.

Carson is certified in Pilates through Marie Jose Blom Lawrence/Long Beach Dance Conditioning and the Kane School of Core Integration; as well as a GYROTONIC® teacher for over a decade. She has studied Laban and Bartenieff techniques as well as Feldenkrais Method of Somatic Education, the Alexander Technique, is a lover of Yoga and all things that are about connecting to our magical bodies! Carson holds a BA in Dance and Philosophy from Loyola Marymount University. More about sound MOVEMENT here. Email: carson.murphy@gmail.com

I have always been a mover. Starting at a young age, I began to pursue my dream of becoming a professional dancer. This journey has taken me through many professional schools and companies throughout Canada and New York City. I have performed throughout the United States and Europe with the Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company for 14 years.

My love of movement has inspired me to work as a group fitness instructor and personal trainer. In 2003, I enrolled in Kelly Kane’s School of Core Integration for my Pilates Certification. I chose the School of Core Integration because of their focus on anatomy and biomechanics, while adhering to the system of movements developed by Joseph Pilates.

After completing my certification with the Kane School, I received my certification as a Movement and Postural Analyst through Anatomy Trains, developed by Tom Myers. Combining my experience and education in movement, pilates and anatomy, I work with my clients to obtain life-long body alignment and postural improvements by focusing on the structural health of each individual. My goal is to empower my clients to learn more about how their bodies move through space, and how they can achieve freedom of movement without pain, whether they are training, rehabilitating or looking to improve their current level of fitness. Wendee is also a certified Buff Bones instructor. Buff Bones is a medically-endorsed system of movement for bone and joint health. It integrates Pilates, strength-training, functional movement and therapeutic exercise with bone strengthening and balance techniques, and is safe for those with osteoporosis.

Wendee learned how amazing our gift of life is and the amazing abilities of the human body when she completed a dissection of a human cadaver with Anatomy Trains, Tom Myers and Todd Garcia.
She has completed FAMI One and FAMI Two: The Functional Anatomy for Movement and Injuries (FAMI) Workshop is a six-day immersion course in anatomy and injuries for movement professionals through Kinected.She has completed a variety of Anatomy Trains Masterclasses, Workshops on the Feet as well as the Hip and the Spine and Psoas with the amazing Kuan Hui Chew.

She currently completed Myokinematic Restoration and Pelvis Restoration with the Postural Restoration Institute.

She is also a certified aerial yoga instructor through Michelle Dortignac, founder of Unnata Aerial Yoga.

Wendee is excited to be an Off Site Training Center for the Kane School. Email: scarboroughpilates@gmail.com

Heidy Tejeda De Castro is the founder and owner of Pilates Unleashed Studio in Eastchester, New York. Heidy has had an interesting journey over the last 20 years. From Master NASM Personal Trainer, Zumba, and Total Body Conditioning instructor at the gym to yoga instructor first by Yoga Fit 300-hour certification 2000, then Yoga Heaven Studios 300 hours, then Jivamutki 800 advanced certification, then falling in love with Pilates and doing Power yoga training, Advanced Stott Pilates apparatus certification, and finally Pilates Kane School certified and Kane Teacher trainer program in 2018.
Over the years, Heidy has trained athletes, regular clients, and clients with on and off body challenges.

Heidy is also a transformative Coach and offer private business an personal coaching for those interested in exploring to UNLEASHED inner potential in life and in professional life.

It all has been a wonderful journey and has taught Heidy that empowering each other though movement and a healthy up lighting approach in life is one of the best spaces for her to grow and develop. During all of her trainings in which she was mentored by exceptional game changers in the fitness industry has touched her heart and been the most impactful part of the journey. She’s committed to doing that as a part of all her communities specially as a instructor teacher trainer.

Email: hpashinin@yahoo.com

Heidi Brewer, Pacific Northwest native and University of Washington alum, has worked as a dance artist in Seattle, NYC and LA since 2001. Her own work has been shown at Pieter and Highways Performance Space in Los Angeles, and at The Studio at 620 and Sarasota Contemporary Dance in Florida. She founded the LAYERS platform in LA to produce 3 workshops between 2017-2018, and returns to LA periodically to work with Pennington Dance Group. Heidi teaches community dance classes in St. Pete as well as for the Sarasota Ballet’s Conservatory program. As a dance artist she regularly works with ProjectALCHEMY as well as Jeanine Durning and a collective of incredible women including Clare Croft, Andee Scott and Mary Williford-Shade, and creates her own work throughout Tampa Bay and Southern California. She is a Certified Pilates teacher through the Kane School & kinected in NYC, where she also works as the Communications Director. She is also a certified Oov Instructor and works as a Pilates instructor & Kane School teacher trainer at Body Center St. Pete in FL. She and her husband Will are proud cat parents to Penny.

Maria has spent her whole life dancing and expressing herself with movement in her home country, Spain. While being a professional dancer in NYC, she discovered Pilates about 15 years ago, and she fell in love with it. Because Pilates combines the art of movement of body and concentration of mind, she decided to become a teacher.

She wanted to learn at the highest level and to make sure that her formation was excellent, she studied in one of the best Pilates Schools in NYC: Kane School (Kinected). Shortly after, she passed her Pilates Method Alliance exam to become a PMA instructor.

Since then, she has been continuing her education taking workshops, classes, and online courses to expand her knowledge on different areas such as anatomy, posturology, injuries, physical conditions, and how to work with different type of clients. She has been working with clients suffering from hip replacements, disc herniations, stenosis, scoliosis, osteoporosis, arthritis, knees and shoulders injuries and cancer. She also enjoys working with athletes and dancers. She has an extensive education in Pilates training for both tennis players and golfers, and she also created a Pilates program for football players that she put in practice with NFL players.

She moved to Florida from NY in 2015. After working in a couple of different Pilates studios, she joined the St. John Clark Pain Treatment Center in Clearwater. Pilates is a perfect fit for their Neurosomatic Therapy treatment based on the alignment of the body. It is at the clinic, where she learned even more about the body and its conditions, especially with their posturology course.

Maria brings to the Pilates field a plethora of experience delivering caring and wellness service to a variety of different clientele. Maria attributes her success to her training at the world-renowned Kane school, her desire for learning more, and her ability to work closely with her clients to achieve their goals. She recently became a certified personal trainer through NASM, and is working toward training teachers to become Pilates instructors through the vigorous Kane School Certification program.