Christi Allen, owner and instructor at Pilates
in Paradise, is a Certified Pilates Instructor Level 5 through
world renowned Romana's Pilates. Christi has 1500+ hours of
training in the Pilates Method from Master Teachers from all
over the country.
Christi began her fitness career in 2000 as a personal trainer.
This is where she was first introduced to "pilates".
Even though it wasn't the real thing, it was just enough to
peak her interest. In June 2002, after much research and 120
hours of private instruction (at least 75 was required) with
a certified Romana's Pilates instructor, Christi began her
studies in New York under pilates protege, Romana Kryzanowska,
and her daughter Sari Mejia Santo, and grand-daughter Daria
Pace. Christi not only spent many hours in New York with many
great teachers, but she also spent many hours in South Florida
working with Level 3 Instructors completing the program in
November of 2004.
Christi also believes, like Joseph Pilates, that Pilates
is a lifestyle. That lifestyle not only includes exercise,
but eating well, sleeping well and having a sound mind. Christi
shares this understanding and passion through her certification
as a CHEK Level 1 Nutrition and Holistic Lifestyle Coach.
She offers one on one, group, or internet coaching.
Also in her tool belt is many different energy medicine courses.
Christi brings a different element of understanding the power
of the mind, intention and touch. Her extensive and varied
background allows her to offer special one and half hour lessons
offering special stretching and energy work before or after
a pilates lesson.
Christi also hosts a radio show every Saturday morning on
96.9fm in the Upper Keys and 93.5fm in the Lower Keys at 8:00am
called Living Fit with Christi Allen. Listen live at www.keysradio.com.
Tune it to learn more about mental, physical, spiritual and
environmental health, all aspects of Living Fit!
Check out her blog at
christiallen.blogspot.com
Kerri Ann began dancing very
early, though her formal training began at eight years old
in the Charleston Ballet Theatre School. She graduated high
school from North Carolina School of the Arts with an emphasis
in ballet performance in 1993. She then began her professional
dance career with the Charleston Ballet Theatre, performing
with the Company for four seasons. This afforded her the opportunity
to dance in many of the Classics as well as contemporary works.
In 2003, she completed Romana's Pilates Teacher Certification
Program in NY, where she apprenticed with Joseph Pilates'
protege, Romana Kryzanowska. Since that time, Kerri Ann has
been an instructor at Pure Joe Studios in Washington, DC and
Reston, VA; and, more recently a guest teacher on the island
of Bermuda, at Bermuda Bodyworks. Currently Kerri Ann is a
Level IV Instructor Trainer at Pilates in Paradise in Key
Largo, Florida.
Kerri Ann took her first Nia class at a hospital in Charleston
during a long health struggle. It was, by far, her best experience
in that hospital! Years later, and thankfully much stronger,
she trained for her White Belt with Denise Medved. It was
that Nia experience that profoundly changed her perspective
and life. Nia has been teaching her to heal herself in many
ways, everyday, ever since. A beautiful compliment to her
work as a Pilates instructor, Nia is a natural progression
in her life of movement. Having recently had an amazing Green
Belt experience in Montreat, NC with Carlos Rosas, she feels
that her apprenticeship of Nia has just begun and that being
a student of the greater work, both in Life, and in Nia, is
a Joy!
She is happy to be living in Key Largo, teaching and sharing
the Joy of Movement through Nia & Pilates! Kerri Ann will
always be a student and is grateful to be a teacher.
www.themovementprinciple.com
"We HIGHLY recommend Kerri
as a Pilates Instructor. Kerri was certified as a Romana's
Pilates® Level IV Instructor Trainer in September 2008.
Our records also show she is current with our annual Continuing
Education (CPE) requirements. To verify this instructor's
current status, or learn more about instructor leveling or
certification visit us on our website at
www.romanaspilates.com" Daria Pace, Principal
Officer, Level 2 Instructor Trainer, Romana's Pilates®
Michelle De La Torre is a certified Pilates
instructor through Romana’s Pilates. She has 900+ hours
of training in the Pilates method. She has just recently completed
her training under Kerri Bender, Level 4 Instructor for Romana’s
Pilates, & Daria Pace, granddaughter of Romana Krysanowska,
in Key Largo & Ft. Lauderdale. Michelle was first introduced
to Pilates in 2003, by Christi Allen, owner & instructor
at Pilates in Paradise. It was here that she was motivated
and inspired to learn the ways of Joseph Pilates and his protégés.
The history and integrity of this program sparked Michelle’s
interest. Michelle started taking Pilates after the birth
of her son, Ryan. “ Pilates finally help me reconnect
with my body”, she says. Pilates allows you to strengthen
your body without stress and complication. Romana’s
Pilates has proved to Michelle to be a personal challenge
beyond her dreams. After a 1 and ½ year apprenticeship,
Michelle is excited to share her knowledge with everyone.
“Pilates has helped change my mind & body”
 After
30 plus years in Oceanographic Research, Jim wanted a change
in life. Pilates gave this to him both physically and mentally.
In 2007 he walked into Pilates in Paradise in Key Largo Florida,
just to see what Pilates was about. There he met Christi Allen
and Kerri Bender. He took an introductory session with Kerri
and was hooked on the program! That day he knew he would continue
doing Pilates for the rest of his life.
In October 2008 Jim decided to work on becoming an instructor,
and after a long, physical year he is now a certified Romana’s
Pilates Instructor. Along the way he met and trained with
Romana Kryzanowska and Sari Mejia, “just to mention
a few of the most talented instructors in the world of pilates.”
“I owe many thanks to both Christi and to my training
instructors Kerri Bender and Jamie Trout for their support
and patients during my life time of training.”
Jamie Trout(a guest teacher)is first and
foremost a classical ballerina. The Atlanta, GA native studied
at the prestigious North Carolina School of the Arts under
the tutelage of Melissa Hayden and upon graduation joined
Ballet Austin. Later Jamie danced for Duende, Atlanta Ballet,
Ballet Concerto, and Ballet Theatre of Miami. As a performer
with these companies and others, Jamie has performed in London,
Honolulu, Budapest, and New York.
The discipline and grace Jamie honed in the dance world afforded
her to easily transition as she trained and became a certified
Pilates Instructor in 1999. Jamie trained directly with Romana
Kryzanowska, Joseph Pilates’ protégé,
and continued her training with Sari Mejia Santo as she became
a Romana’s Pilates® Instructor Trainer. Jamie has
taught Pilates in: Atlanta, GA; at The Ritz-Carlton Spa in
Key Biscayne, FL; and True Pilates New York in NYC; before
joining Pure Pilates in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.
Jamie brings to Pilates her strong background of ballet,
a unique beauty of motion, and a sincere talent to instruct.
Jill Stevens: A lifelong learner, educator,
author and woman who once struggled with weight issues, Jill
Stevens first learned of Nia in the summer of 2008. Not one
to hesitate when something feels right, Jill took her White
Belt Intensive in December with a unique, wonderful Black
Belt Trainer in South Carolina, Stephaney Robinson.
Nia has opened many doors of movement, expression, breathing
and joy in Jill that she is thrilled to now share with others.
Originally from New Hampshire, Jill moved to South Florida
in the early ‘90s. She resides in a lovely garden, tree-house
in the Upper Keys; owns the Center 4 Learning, a tutoring
business; and writes fiction/non-fiction (for herself and
for others).
First and foremost Jill considers herself a student of life.
She is always reading, exploring and learning something new.
She has attended and holds degrees from the University of
Miami, Nova Southeastern University and Seton Hill University.
She studies natural health and practices Dr. James L. D’Adamo’s
ground-breaking work published in the series “Eat Right
for Your Blood Type”.
A sign hangs above a door in her home that reads:
Work like you don’t need the money.
Love like you’ve never been hurt.
Dance like nobody’s watching.
Until Nia, that last line never resonated for Jill. Seriously,
how can one dance as though no one is laughing let alone watching!
But now, thanks to Debbie & Carlos, Jill can embrace Nia
and “dance like nobody’s watching” even
when at the front of the room teaching class!
From Jill ~ Before Nia I experienced life as a disconnect.
I was disconnected from my own body. I knew my flesh and bones
were there, connected, yet I had no real understanding of
to how to explore, experience and enjoy simple movement. Instead,
I was fearful of my own body. I held myself stiff, ridged
and was downright horrified if anything ever produced a snap,
crackle or pop! I allowed myself to believe my body was fragile
and unable to do much but get me from point A to point B.
Nia opened wide an avenue of utter ease in which I finally
felt comfortable to move, to explore, to sense, and to find
joy. As a Virgo, and someone with self-critical tendencies,
Nia has allowed me to embrace “sucking”. In Nia,
I am okay with not achieving immediate perfection of each
movement. Instead, I allow myself to “suck” so
that while learning, I may embrace the Joy of My Body’s
Way.
Words, tools of my profession, can hardly do justice to the
Joy I experience while dancing and sharing Nia. For me, Nia
is my way of scattering Joy to those I dance with and to those
I teach.
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