Club Pilates

Bios

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  Leeza Bushmakina

  Leeza is a life-long athlete. She spent her youth playing volleyball, running track and cross-country skiing through snow-packed stretches of Saint Petersburg, Russia. Her passion for physical fitness was complimented by her curiosity for how the body works. She chose to study microbiology during college and then received a Nursing degree from Phillips Beth Israel School of Nursing. She moved to America in 1995 and settled in New York City, where she expanded her fitness profile to include cycling, weight lifting, yoga, and Pilates. Her focus on core work and control drew her deeper into Pilates and she decided to become an Instructor through the Club Pilates Teacher Training Program. Leeza leads her classes with decorous blend of hands-on instruction and encouragement. Her goal is to have her students feel strong, capable, energized, and healthy.

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  Adriene Ingalls

  Adriene Ingalls, MA, CPT, E-RYT 500, RPYT, SYT, RS, FMT2, CFSS, IMTC, RTP, ST, C-IAYT, is a Second Generation Classical Pilates Instructor, Yoga Therapist, Yoga Instructor, Thai Bodywork Practitioner, Somatic Movement/Manual Therapist, Stretching/Flexibility Specialist, and Personal Trainer with over 20 years experience teaching Yoga, Pilates, Stretching, Movement Therapy and Personal Training. Adriene was privileged to study directly and extensively for several years with two protégées of Joseph Pilates: the late Romana Kryzanowska, and the late Kathleen Stanford Grant. Adriene holds six full pilates certifications (3 classical and 3 contemporary) as well as specialty certifications in Pilates for Pregnancy, Scoliosis, Osteoporosis and Rehabilitation. She was one of the first Pilates Instructors to be awarded the Gold Certified Pilates Instructor Designation by the Pilates Method Alliance. As a Master Instructor, Personal Trainer and Movement Specialist, Adriene has presented Instructor Certifications, Masterclasses and Workshops in Classical Pilates, Yoga, Yoga Therapy, Functional/Resistance Training, Muscle Release Techniques, Stretching, Flexibility/ Mobility Training and Post-Rehabilitation throughout the United States and abroad for the past fifteen plus years and also works closely with several Osteopaths, Chiropractors, Physicians and Physical Therapists in New York City and Westchester, New York. In addition, Adriene works with a variety of Professional Athletes, including football (NFL) & baseball (MLB) players as well as several Hollywood Stars and Professional Musicians. Adriene is also a Multi-certified Yoga Instructor and Yoga Therapist. She is certified in the Hatha, Vinyasa, Ashtanga and Kripalu Styles of Yoga, and holds specialty certifications in Prenatal-postpartum Yoga, Yoga for Scoliosis, Yoga for Osteoporosis, Yoga for Heart Disease & Cancer, Thai Yoga Bodywork and Yoga Therapy. Adriene has been extremely successful with hundreds of clients using several types of somatic, energetic, and other bodywork techniques which have been effective in alleviating chronic pain and injury as well as promoting health & wellness. Adriene's interest in, and extensive study of anatomy, biomechanics, yoga therapy, a variety of bodywork techniques and rehabilitation has led to her specializing in working with people with chronic pain and injuries, Seniors, Athletes, Prenatal/Postpartum, Osteoporosis, Heart Disease, Cancer and other special populations. Adriene worked as a Master Spinning Instructor for over four years certifying hundreds of Spinning Instructors throughout the United States. She was also a Master Instructor for Resistaball and Peak Pilates. Adriene is a NYC Marathoner, Competitive Cyclist, Avid Weight Lifter and Classical Pianist who lives in NYC.

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  Ashley Buckner

  Ashley discovered Pilates after working a desk job that left her feeling physically exhausted and misaligned. After a failed attempt at self-guided work outs on traditional gym equipment, her mother suggested she try a Pilates DVD. After quickly noticing a difference in her core strength and flexibility after just a week of practice, she was hooked. Ashley received her Pilates certification through Club Pilates’ 500-hour comprehensive program in Los Angeles, CA. New to New York City, Ashley brings an energetic and upbeat style to the East Coast; thanks to her past as a cheerleader in her home state of Florida! When not practicing Pilates, Ashley can be found nestled in a NYC coffee shop with a good book, or roaming around the city in hopes of meeting new dogs.

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  Irene Kontalipos

  Irene was born and raised in NYC. She received her Pilates certification from Lindafit for mat Pilates and The Lab for her apparatus certification. She specializes in injury rehabilitation as well as pre/postnatal Pilates. Her classes are challenging and rewarding.

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  Kenzie Caplan

  Kenzie was born and raised in Los Angeles, and received her B.F.A in Drama and Psychology from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. She was a dancer throughout her childhood, with a passion for musical theater and jazz. Kenzie discovered Pilates while in physical therapy for hypermobility and a joint disorder. After years of looking for relief, Pilates provided her a safe way to strengthen without pain, lengthen without hyperextension, and increase proprioception While at Tisch, she was introduced to Alexander Technique, Laban Movement Analysis and Feldenkrais Method, all of which she has found benefit from and loves to incorporate in her Pilates practice and training. She received her 600 hour-all apparatus certification through CorePilates NYC.

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  Michelle Cabana

  Michelle is a Pilates instructor through the Club Pilates teacher training course. Michelle has extensive experience in physical fitness. She has certifications in Zumba, Will Power and Grace, Group Step and Group Kick. Teaching for the last ten years, she loved the energy people would feel from her high impact cardio classes and the satisfaction of helping people stay fit -- and having fun while doing so. She career has been focused on health and fitness, not only as a fitness instructor but she also has a degree in the field of Radiologic Technology – giving her unique insights into the body, health and exercise. In the medical field, she observed how many patients lacked a strong core and poor spinal health. Now through Pilates, she can be one of the many instructors to help people realize the importance of posture and inner core strength. She believes this is a key element to longevity. A fit body is a happy body and a happy mind. Always learning and growing. She plans to pursue a degree in Nutrition in addition to continuing her advanced Pilates certifications.

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  Dana Tenengauzer

  Dana is a classical Pilates instructor dedicated to sharing her love and passion for Pilates with her clients. Dana has always loved movement and dance and has been practicing Pilates for over 17 years. Dana received her Comprehensive Pilates Certificate through Core Pilates NYC. Continuing Education Workshops including Pre and Postnatal, Anatomy, Back Care and Special Cases. Dana is a certified Buff Bones instructor, a preventive care and workout for people with osteoporosis. Dana provides a well-balanced workout, and will help improve her clients’ flexibility, posture, ability to perform movements and body strength. For Dana Pilates combines a great and healthy workout for the body and peace for the mind.

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  Blythe Knapp

  Blythe loved her time exercising as a way to de-stress from the craziness of the auction and estate liquidation world and thus began her fitness career 20 years ago as a personal trainer, quickly specializing in special populations, pre and post rehab and clients’ who needed functional movement. Pilates and water exercise certifications became the way to go. Blythe has worked throughout NY City in private, group training, management and education for Asphalt Green, NYSC, 92nd Street Y and Moving Strength and has taught trainers the NASM CPT and AFAA PT curriculums and anatomy classes for over 15 years throughout the Northeast. She has completed several Pilates courses and received her full apparatus Certification through Stott Pilates. “Fitness has given me the outlet to help people change their lives for the better; this in turn, changes my life for the better...exercise keeps you going in a positive way both in mind and body so do what you can each day to make yourself stronger and healthier overall. Your body is your temple - train to make that foundation stronger and support yourself for life!”

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  Kristina Kurakina

  Kristina came to NYC in 2002 as an exchange student, fell in love in New York and decided to stay. After earning a BS in Economics at the State University of Immanuel Kant in Kaliningrad, she graduated from Long Island University in Brooklyn, NY and obtained an MBA degree in Finance. In 2014 Kristina realized that her true passion is health and fitness. Kristina received her Pilates Apparatus and Mat Certification under Michael Feigin at Fitness Guru in Dumbo, Brooklyn. The 450-hour certification in Contemporary Pilates enriched her knowledge of body anatomy, injury prevention, and improvement of physical strength and flexibility for clients of all ages and fitness level. Upon completion her Pilates Certification, Kristina interacted with people of all backgrounds, with a focus on learning and understanding each client’s needs and motivations. She honed her patience, sensitivity to people’s challenges, expectations and needs, and drive to go the extra mile to provide an exceptional service experience. Fitness gave her a new perspective on mind-body relationship. Through connecting both she found mindfulness, freedom and happiness. She trilled to share all with her clients. Fluent in Russian and English, Kristina is also a Certified Nutritionist. She enjoys running, hiking, spending time in a nature and daily meditation, but most of her time she spends at Club Pilates.