Our Bios
The Pilates Movement offers high quality training in the authentic Pilates Method. Only those who have completed an extensive certification program, consisting of over 600 hours of apprenticeship, will be accepted to teach at this studio. Like snowflakes, no two people’s bodies are the same. That’s why it is necessary to go through a very thorough training which teaches the entire system of over 500 exercises, modifications, variations, injury prevention, how to handle current injuries or physical limitations, safety on the equipment, and most importantly how to adjust to different people. Each of our instructors must keep up with their training by attending Continuing Education courses, conferences, and taking sessions from master teachers.
Jennifer Ruggiero
Owner/Instructor
Jennifer’s love for movement started at the early age of seven. A native of Westchester County, she has been studying ballet and modern dance for over twenty-two years. Jennifer was first introduced to Pilates in 1995, while earning a BFA in Dance Performance at SUNY Purchase. Recovering from a stress fracture in her foot, she took Pilates sessions in place of her technique classes. After noticing the amazing result of her rehabilitation, she pursued teacher training upon graduation in 1998. She completed the intense 600 hours of training under Romana Kryzanowska, a Master teacher trained by Joseph Pilates, and completed her training in April of 2000.
Jennifer’s teaching experience began at SUNY Purchase with the Purchase Dance Corp. As a performing member, Jennifer was also the rehearsal director for the children in the annual production of “The Nutcracker” for The Purchase Dance Corp. In addition to teaching Pilates, Jennifer has been a rehearsal director and dancer for The Dance Theatre in Westchester and a company member of DePersis and Dancers. For five years, Jennifer was a full time Principal Instructor and for two of those years, Program Director for re:AB® Pilates. She has also taught Pilates at Peridance, Drago’s Gym, The Pilates Studio, Equinox, New York Health and Racquet, and Casa Day Spa.
She has continued her education with Romana Kryzanowska, Sari Santo, Brooke Siler, Bob Liekens, Michael Fritzke, Ton Voogt, Cynthia Lochard, and Cary Regan, as well as attending conferences for teachers. Her love of movement and teaching others has inspired her to open The Pilates Movement. Pilates has changed her dancing, changed her body, and most importantly, the quality of her life. She is excited to expand her teaching to reach many others and help change their lives as well.
Feather Davis Feather has been teaching movement since 1994 and graduated from The Pilates Center in Boulder, CO in 2005. She is also Pilates Method Alliance Gold certified and has completed 200 hours of yoga training at Sonic Yoga in NYC. Feather has always had a love for movement. She finds the human body to be facinating and enjoys helping her clients acheive their goals ranging from being a better runner to becoming pain free. Feather also has an interest in the social sciences which led her to a degree in Psychology from the University of Cental Florida. She finds her Psychology background to be very helpful in developing a complete program for her clients that is both for the mind and the body. Feather joined the staff at The Pilates Movement in December 2006. |
Lacey Mathis Lacey has recently returned to New York City after teaching Pilates in Los Angeles and Florida for the past two years. She is very excited to be back and able to share her love of the healing practice of Pilates with The Pilates Movement studio. Lacey is a Los Angeles native, who graduated with a B.A in Sociology from the University of Colorado, at Boulder. She is a yoga and running enthusiast and finds Pilates to be the perfect compliment to an active lifestyle. She received her comprehensive Pilates training at The Kane School in New York City. Lacey is very capable of creating effective and fun workouts, with an emphasis on body awareness, strength and stability.Robyn Anguish Robyn is originally from Dallas, Texas where she grew up dancing throughout the United States and Europe. Robyn attended Old Dominion University in Virginia where she graduated in 1999 with two Bachelor of Arts degrees, one in Theatre and Dance and the other in Communications with an emphasis in Mass Media. After college, she moved to New York City to pursue a dancing, modeling and acting career. Within nine months, she was dancing with the National Tour of Peter Pan. After returning from tour, Robyn entered the Pilates Studio of New York’s authentic teacher training program. She was first introduced to Pilates in college by a dance professor and fell in love with the method. After training under the tutelage of Romana Kryzanowska trained by Joseph Pilates himself, for one year she became a certified instructor. Robyn has also been very fortunate to study under master teachers Sari Meja Santo, Michael Fritzke, Ton Voogt, Bob Liekens and Brooke Siler. She has been teaching for 5 years throughout New York including re:ab, Drago’s Gym, Premier Physical Therapy and the Brearley School. As well as teaching Pilates, Robyn continues to dance, model and act on television and in movies. She is currently teaching private Pilates sessions on the Upper East Side and looks forward to sharing her knowledge and love of Pilates with the Pilates Movement.Stephanie TorbikStephanie Torbik graduated cum laude from Oklahoma City University with a degree in dance management. Upon completion of her degree, she moved to NY to pursue a career in dance (both teaching & choreographing). Stephanie began studying pilates in 2000 and soon after became an authentically certified instructor under the tutelage of Romana Kryzanowska. She continues her training under such master teachers as Michael Fritzke, Ton Voogt, Sari Pace, Bob Liekens, and Brooke Siler. After teaching in several well known studios in New York City, Stephanie decided to try her hand at teaching abroad. She traveled to Australia, spent eight months teaching in Adelaide and Sydney, and was lucky enough to work closely with master teacher, Cynthia Lochard. Upon her return to NY, Stephanie has taught at Fiore Pilates, Park East Pilates, the Center Studio and The Pilates Movement. She is so happy to be returning to the Pilates Movement family! In addition, during the past eleven summers Stephanie has taught dance and pilates at the prestigious Belvoir Terrace Camp for girls in Lenox, MA. The last six years, she has had the privilege of heading their dance department. A. Lynne BallietteLynne Balliette has been a certified Pilates instructor since 1998, receiving her initial training from Romana Kryzanowska in New York City. She holds certifications from Romana’s Pilates, The Pilates Studio, and The Pilates Guild, and is a gold-certified instructor and member of the Pilates Method Alliance, an international professional association for the Pilates method. Lynne was the first full-time Pilates instructor in the Dance Department at Goucher College, Maryland, where she taught from 1998 to 2001. Over the years, she has appeared in television news programs, newspaper articles, and an instructional DVD on Pilates. Prior to her Pilates training, Lynne received an M.F.A degree in dance performance and choreography from the University of Michigan and danced and choreographed professionally in New York. She has studied anatomy and kinesiology extensively, most notably with Irene Dowd, and will complete her master’s degree in movement science from Teachers College, Columbia University in May 2009. |
