My life-long love affair with dance and movement began with my first dance lesson at 5 years old. Even at such a young age, the sense of fulfillment I felt in integrating my body, mind and spirit was thrilling. I had found the place that even today, almost 55 years later feel most comfortable. When I was 12, I started traditional ballet dance classes ,eventually studying in New York at the best schools with the most amazing teachers. Yet, although I loved to dance ,ballet was very hard on my body and I found myself in pain much of the time. As a result, I embarked on my own personal journey to find a way for my body to enjoy dancing and moving but without pain. I myself have "Scoliosis" and have gone through my own injuries stemming from that imbalance.. On a personal level, I have found that concentrating on the core muscles not only in the abs, but also in the buttocks, lower back, and hip/thigh area have been the key to my physical well-being. . I do NOT work in gyms but rather teach women how to incorporate exercise into their lives without having to take more time to go somewhere else..My areas of expertise are Pilates,Yoga,Strength/Flexibility training, and of course dance. Major areas of study have been Exercise physiology,Kiniseolgy,and the Alexander Technique. My teaching and training methods focus on correct alignment, technique & building a better understanding of the components of "balance". As I said before, I concentrate on strengthening the"core" muscles: abdominals ,buttocks,and upper thigh/hip area.Upper body weight work is another option.I also like to incorporate relaxation exercises,intermittent stretching, and breathing techniques. I have also developed a Chair Exercise Class based on the principles of Pilates and Yoga designed for women who have a difficulty doing floor exercises and concentrates on the balance aspects of Pilates and Yoga based exercises. I have women from 50 years old to late 90's enjoying and benefiting from this training method. I have been lucky to be one of those people who has always enjoyed exercise ,however as a woman who just turned 60,I am also very sensitive to the many issues that can keep women from exercising .My passion for teaching now comes from my personal recognition that life is truly very short and the belief that in order for women to continue to be vital,independent and in control of their lives there is a need to stay strong not only mentally and emotionally but physically as well.At this stage of the game, I’m aware that each and every day, every moment is a gift. Letting our bodies be an obstacle to enjoying this gift becomes a tragedy. Our bodies were made to carry us through life. At every stage of life,ignoring them lessens life's possibilities and takes away from our joy and quality of life. Committing to a life long fitness program is a commitment to living life the way we choose and not the other way around.
