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Barbara Grant
Barbara Grant is the Founder and Director of Retrofit Bodyworks. A dynamic and sought after teacher, she infuses her classes with a depth of knowledge and a love of movement gleaned from a lifetime of movement training. She has been a featured presenter at international Pilates and Yoga conferences in Canada and the United States, and leads her popular Pilates in Paradise Retreat to Mexico. She is a member of the Pilates Method Alliance and holds an advanced Pilates Teaching Certification from the Physical Mind Institute. She has trained in Pilates, yoga, dance and movement with master teachers from around the world including renowned Ashtanga yoga master David Swenson. A former professional dancer, Barbara has performed, choreographed, taught and produced dance across Canada, spending several years as a guest artist of the Danny Grossman Dance Company.
Since establishing Retrofit Bodyworks in 1999, she has orchestrated its development as one of Toronto’s premiere centers for Pilates and mind-body wellness. She continues to work with a wide range of clients including national and international athletes, fitness enthusiasts, expectant mothers, and those in treatment for chronic disorders. Because her comprehensive and unique Re:Conditioning the Body and Mind method is so effective and enjoyable, the majority of referrals to the studio come from other enthusiastic clients.
Kirsten Boorman
Kirsten Boorman, Senior Associate Director of Retrofit Bodyworks™, is a certified Pilates instructor, accredited by the PhysicalMind Institute. She brings to Retrofit her knowledge of fitness and conditioning from years of competitive gymnastics, modern dance, track and field and sailing. In 2004, Kirsten also completed an intensive teaching training course with renowed Ashtanga yoga master David Swenson.
Kirsten has taught in many fitness clubs and movement centres around Toronto, training dancers, decathletes, triathletes, marathon runners and Olympic synchronized swimmers. She joined Retrofit as Senior Associate Director in 2000. Kirsten is extremely well versed in anatomy, mind/body awareness and the structural integration of the Pilates method, which serves her well in dealing with a client base that ranges form the fitness enthusiast to those in chronic pain.
Eve-Marie Breglia
Eve began practicing yoga with Sharon Gannon at Jivamukti Yoga while living in New York City, pausing only to heal a broken back and to answer the demands of her documentary filmmaking. She has practiced ashtanga yoga for years, completing her teacher training with Ron Reid and Diane Bruni at Downward Dog Studio in Toronto. Eve has also studied with Matthew Sweeney and participated in teacher training with Chuck Millar and Maty Ezraty of Yoga Works acclaim. With a background in competitive tennis, white water kayaking and dance, she has a comprehensive approach to her yoga teaching, emphasizing awareness and integration of fluidity, strength and flexibility. Ever inspired and invigorated by the challenges, beauty and profundity of yoga, Eve hopes to instill within her students the joy and awe she feels through the practice.
Jillian Camarta
Jillian is a Pilates instructor and professional dancer in Toronto. After practicing Pilates for 13 years, she became certified as an instructor at the STOTT Pilates Institute. Originally from Winnipeg, she studies dance and Pilates at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, the Alberta Ballet, and Ryerson University. She is thrilled to be a member of the Retrofit Bodyworks team.
Marea Christakis
Marea's interest in Pilates goes back 15 years and continues to grow every day. She originally began to pursue a career in communications, but her love of the Pilates method kept pulling her back. She finally decided to become fully trained at Stott's on all of the equipment including mat, reformer, ball, cadillac and barrels in 2006. She then went on to receive her certification in Hatha yoga and personal training which she has found not only enhances her Pilates teaching method but also her experience. She is continuously taking courses, workshops and seminars for the benefit of her clientele and to widen her scope in the fitness field. Her love for Pilates and people in general has made this a very gratifying career choice for Marea and she looks forward to seeing every client day after day. She has joined Retrofit in 2007 and looks forward to helping others reach and surpass their personal goals on a regular basis.
Michelle DeBrouwer
Michelle DeBrouwer holds an Honours B.A. in Dance from the University of Waterloo. She is a certified teacher with a Diploma from the Royal Academy of Dance and is a guest teacher at the George Brown College Dance Department. “Miss Michelle” is founder and artistic director of Swansea School of Dance. She dances professionally with Company Blonde, which she co-founded in 1999. She has been teaching Pilates since 1997 and joined the team at Retrofit Bodyworks™ in 2000, Michelle strongly believes in the Pilates method to maintain a healthy mind body connection. Workshops with Diane Miller, Irene Dowd as well as her Yoga practise refresh and inspire her teaching.
Michelle Hales
After participating in Pilates classes for many years, Michelle decided to earn her certification and pursue a teaching career in 1998. She joined Retrofit in 1999. Michelle has taught in various fitness clubs and Pilates studios in Toronto, working with a varied clientele – from marathon runners and dancers to those needing rehabilitation for back, knee and hip problems. Michelle believes that Pilates helped her throughout her pregnancies as well as with her post-pregnancy return to a fit body and mind. Her true belief in the principals of Pilates guides Michelle to motivate others.
Minaqua McDade
Minaqua McDade has been a Pilates instructor since receiving her certification from Stott Pilates in February 2001. She started at Retrofit Bodyworks in the spring of 2002, and loves all the friendly people at the studio. Additionally, Minaqua has furthered her knowledge of Pilates and anatomy through participating in a variety of workshops. Some of these include: Pilates on the Bosu, Pre-natal Pilates, Functional Fitness for Golf, Low back/pelvic Stability and Shoulder Stabilization. After a history of chronic low back pain, Minaqua discovered Pilates, and found that using Joseph Pilates' method consistently helped relieve the pain. Eventually she decided to share the joy of Pilates with others by becoming an instructor.
Melissa McNamara
Melissa began working at Retrofit as part of the Administrative team in 2002 and has since made the leap to pursuing her full certification in the Pilates method. She received her mat work certification from Body Harmonics and went on to fulfill training in mat,
reformer, ball, cadillac, chair and barrels at Stott Pilates in 2006. Her interest in anatomy and biomechanics led her to further education courses in injuries and special populations. Melissa has a background in performing, specializing in improvisation and physical
theatre. She has taught drama, improv and creative movement stories to children for several years, inspiring Retrofit's Pilates for Kids class. An avid runner, Melissa accredits Pilates to relieving chronic back pain, restoring and improving her running practice.
AnnaMarie Pozzobon
As a long-time fitness enthusiast, AnnaMarie approached her first Pilates class thinking she’d impress the instructor with what she could do. Instead, she found class after class to challenge her in unexpected ways, and within months found that dramatic changes had taken place in her body. In addition to developing a new strength and awareness, chronic issues such as carpal tunnel syndrome and low back pain seemed to have disappeared. Motivated by her own results, AnnaMarie began instructor training through the PhysicalMind Institute and since 2002, has been teaching Pilates in the west end of Toronto. She joined Retrofit in the spring of 2005.
Carrie Lynn Nieves
Carrie Lynn Nieves has nine years of experience with the Pilates Method. She received her Mat, Reformer and Barrel ceritifcations from Counterbalance Studio Pilates and has been teaching Pilates since 2002. Her ongoing
professional development has included workshops with Dianne Woodruff, Irene Dowd, Karen Carlson, Dianne Miller, and Laura Allard. These have explored the topics of Pilates, anatomy and other movement and exercise
modalities. In August 2007 Carrie was certified by Dianne Woodruff to teach the Level 1 3D Workout(TM). She has been a teacher at Retrofit Bodyworks Pilates
Studio since the summer of 2003.
Ruth Ruttan
Ruth Ruttan has over 14 years of experience with the Pilates method and received her Mat and Reformer certification from STOTT in Winnipeg in 2003. It was after a dance related injury in her late teens that Ruth was first introduced to Pilates as part of her rehabilitation. The experience changed her life, allowing her to continue pursuing a professional dance career. She went on to study contemporary dance at Concordia University (Montreal), York University (Toronto) and The School of Toronto Dance Theatre.
A Toronto native, Ruth has spent the past seven years in Winnipeg teaching, dancing and directing a dance school. Ruth currently dances professionally for Lightening Strike Productions (Toronto) and Ruah Dance Co. (Winnipeg) which she co-founded in 2001.
Ruth continues to train and study STOTT Pilates with a special interest in dancers as well as Injuries and Special Population.
Sahara Morimoto
Sahara Morimoto is a professional contemporary dancer and an assistant teacher to Peggy Baker at the National Ballet School. Sahara became enamored with Pilates during a dance workshop. She loved the experience so much she perused a career as a Pilates Instructor, receiving her certification through Stott Pilates’. She is a graduate of Canada’s National Ballet School, and holds a Bachelor of Dance from Rotterdam Dance Academy and has studying Irene Dowd’s work developing her knowledge and applying it to her Pilates teaching and dance practice. Sahara loves the environment of Retrofit and is thrilled to be part of the team.
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