Alexis Gosewisch, Pilates Instructor
Alexis has been an avid Pilates student for 15 years. She has shared her love and passion for the art as a teacher for 10 years. As a student of dance throughout most of her life, Pilates was the perfect transition after having her children. Alexis received Balance Body Pilates teacher training in Mat and Reformer through Pilates Core Center. She has worked with high school and college athletes, helping them find a balance to their intense training. She believes that Pilates Mind, Body, and Spirit connection are the ultimate way to strengthen your body and soul. She finds great joy in helping others, especially at Pilates Core Center. Alexis holds a BA in International Relations from the University of Delaware. She resides in Medford, NJ with her husband and three sons. When she is not in the Pilates studio you can find her cheering her boys on the field, volunteering at church and in her hometown.
Alejandro “AJ” Soto - Pilates Instructor
AJ is majoring in Kinesiology at Penn State while pursuing his Pilates comprehensive training through Balanced Body at Pilates Core Center. As an athlete, AJ recognizes the importance of mindful movement, meditation, and nutrition and not only incorporates all three into his daily life but makes them part of his teaching. AJ enjoys teaching individuals of all ages and ability levels, and his study of the body and how it moves enables him to break down exercises helping his students to get the most out of their class or session with him.
CAITLYN KRESKY – PILATES INSTRUCTOR
Caitlyn is a Balanced Body trained Pilates instructor and professional ballet dancer with Roxey Ballet in New Hope, PA. She discovered her love for Pilates when she began incorporating it into her ballet training. She values the mind body connection that is gained from Pilates practice. She notices the beneficial effects Pilates has on the body, strengthening and lengthening muscles as well as coordinating breath and movement. She appreciates the positive effect that Pilates has on the mind, helping it to gain a sense of body awareness. Both Pilates and dance require an attention to detail and emphasize quality, control, and proper alignment. Caitlyn received Balanced Body Pilates teacher training in Mat and Reformer through Pilates Core Center. She teaches group reformer, mat, and barre classes as well as private and semi-private sessions. She is excited to bring her background in dance into her classes and private sessions at Pilates core Center through a thoughtful flow of exercises constructed to fit the needs of every individual.
Carole Gorman-Swift - RYT and Master Pilates Instructor
Carole has been involved with dance, sports and exercise since a young age. She began her dance training in her hometown of Detroit, Michigan and as a college student moved to the Philadelphia area where she continued her dance and exercise training @ West Chester and Temple Universities.
Carole graduated with a B.S. in Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance from WCU and M.Ed. in Dance with an emphasis in Exercise Physiology from TU. Teaching dance in the performing arts and physical education departments of Cherry Hill East brought her to New Jersey and eventually Haddonfield where she owned her own dance studio for twenty plus years.
Carole has been @ PC2 since 2007. As a Master Pilates instructor she is comprehensively certified through Balance Body and trained in Core Align. There is a constant stream of encouragement throughout Carole’s classes and she brings a positive spirit to every session to keep sessions new, challenging and always catering to her clients’ needs.
CASEY VAN NEWENHIZEN - MASTER PILATES INSTRUCTOR
Casey Van Newenhizen grew up training in classical ballet, which in turn led her to Pilates. Her love for Pilates really began in 2017 at Bates Dance Festival. She went on to graduate from Stockton University in 2018 with her B.A. in Dance and a concentration in Pre-Physical Therapy. After graduating from Stockton, Casey received her Pilates certification through the Drexel Pilates Training Program in Philadelphia. For her, Pilates is a well-rounded way to promote wellness and injury prevention. Casey also loves how Pilates helps others bring awareness to their body and learn more about themselves.
Deepa Solanki Lemyre, RYT – Yoga teacher and studio administrator
Deepa has lived in the area for over 32 years, transitioning from a corporate career to entrepreneurial pursuits, including her studio manager role at Pilates Core Center.
In January 2024, she traveled to India to embark on a journey of self-discovery, personal healing, and growth. She trained and is certified in multi-style yoga, aerial yoga, reiki, and sound healing, focusing on Iyengar yoga. Armed with a wealth of new knowledge and skills, she is looking forward to developing a yoga program at Pilates Core Center.
Diane Grossman, Owner, RYT
Diane's expertise is in business development, operations and management. Her career accomplishments range from the establishment of individual businesses and partnerships to a leadership role in a Fortune 100 global corporation. After being introduced to Pilates and yoga to strengthen her shoulder and rotator cuff weakness and deal with stress, Diane fell in love with the benefits she felt immediately. She has been practicing now for over 10 years. Diane is trained to teach Pilates Group Reformer I and has completed her yoga teacher training through Flossie Park. She is a Certified Holistic Health Coach and received her training at Institute of Integrative Nutrition (IIN) in New York City. She is certified by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners and has obtained Continuing Education Units from Purchase College, State University of New York. Diane offers health coaching to individuals and groups. She enjoys sharing her passion for living a healthier lifestyle with her clients, family and friends.
Diane Myles, BASI Method Pilates Teacher Master Level, 1st Kyu red/black belt in Kenpo Karate
Diane has over 30 years of movement experience and holds many certifications over a broad spectrum of fitness related modalities. She expressed her passion for movement starting at a young age through dance and cheerleading carrying that passion into a successful career within the fitness industry. She was introduced to Pilates 20 years ago and recognized this form of exercise as a natural compliment to other forms of fitness and movement that would also appeal to sports enthusiasts. Diane found teaching Pilates fulfilled her passion to help others. Her attention to detail in both construction of her class and focus on her student’s form creates a well-rounded experience. Her goal for each student is to see results and feel good. She strongly believes in the principles Joseph Pilates put in place many years ago.
GWEN KELLY - RECEPTIONIST, ON DEMAND VIDEO MANAGEMENT AND PHOTOGRAPHER
Gwen has been working at the front desk as a receptionist since our reopening after the first COVID outbreak in June of 2020. She has grown up taking many types of movement classes, as well as a dance class instructed by her mother, Jessica Moss, as a toddler. While working for Pilates Core Center, Gwen has become the main overseer of the On Demand Video project, posting videos and making sure others posted certain videos within a certain time frame. Gwen also occasionally photographs for Jessica’s Pilates Teacher Training Program and creates flyers for classes to promote the Program further.
Jessica Moss - Master Pilates Instructor and Professional Dancer, Director Balanced Body Pilates Teacher Training Program at Pilates Core Center
Jessica Moss is a professional Modern Dancer trained in the techniques of Erik Hawkins, Isadora Duncan, Martha Graham, Lester Horton, and Jose Limon with extensive experience in performance, choreography, dance history, and dance education. Jessica graduated from Indiana University with a B.S. in Physical Education/Modern Dance and a B.A. in Theatre & Drama. During her dance career, she performed with various companies in Philadelphia, New York City, and traveled throughout Europe.
She began her study of Pilates in 1992 with Anthony Rabara as a way to develop strength and flexibility for dance. Jessica completed her Comprehensive Pilates Training in 2004 from Karen Carlson and Pinelands Pilates, is a National Certified Pilates Teacher and Balanced Body Master Instructor. She incorporates her experience with dance, Laban Movement Analysis, Bartenieff Fundamentals, and functional anatomy into her Pilates practice to develop movement efficiency and muscle release. She has worked at The Pilates Core Center in Cherry Hill N.J. since 2009, teaching group classes and private sessions. In March 2014 Jessica became a Balanced Body Master Instructor, is The Director of the Pilates Teacher Training Program
at PC2, teaches The Balanced Body Mat, Reformer, Core Align, Trapeze Table, Chairs, Barrels and Anatomy curriculum to aspiring teachers. In 2016 Jessica became a Specialist in Pilates Based Education for Neurological Conditions.
Julia Stremmel, Pilates Instructor, NCSA Strength & Conditioning Coach, Personal Trainer, Massage Therapist
Julia spent 17 years as a competitive classical and contemporary dancer throughout New Jersey, Philadelphia, and New York City. When she was 20 years old, she suffered a traumatic hip injury which led her to discover Pilates. She fell in love immediately with Pilates and knew she wanted to pursue it as a part of her career. She graduated from Rowan University with a B.S. in Nutrition and Exercise Science. While completing her degree, she earned her certificate in personal training and Balanced Body Reformer training. She holds a certification as an NSCA Strength and Conditioning Coach. Julia has experience as a post-rehabilitation strength coach and sports performance coach. She is a licensed massage therapist specializing in sports massage and women's health. She is passionate about educating and supporting women throughout their pelvic health journeys and plans to become a pelvic floor physical therapist. She enjoys spending time with her family and dog. Her favorite TV shows are "The Vampire Diaries" and "Gilmore Girls." She is also the biggest fan of Taylor Swift's music.
Kamara Bivins, Pilates Instructor
Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Kamara is a National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) certified personal trainer and has a certificate in Plant-Based nutrition through NASM. Currently, she is a student at the Balanced Body Pilates instructor training program for mat and reformer. Kamara follows a plant-based diet, and she has always had a love for fitness and wellness and does a variety of exercises that improves strength and stability. Her Pilates journey began in 2021 after taking a class to help with neurological conditions caused by an autoimmune disease. Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in 2020, Kamara has made it a mission to fight the disease through diet and exercise. She has a Pilates for Neurological Conditions certificate through the Neuro Studio, focusing on clients with neurological conditions, including MS, Parkinson’s disease, strokes, and many others. Kamara is an ambassador for the National MS Society and aims to support and spread awareness of the different challenges many have with the disease. She looks forward to helping clients reach their fitness goals.
K'an Mejia, Pilates Instructor, RYT, Group Fitness Instructor
K'an Mejia is approaching her 30th year in the health and fitness industry, backed by numerous nationally accredited certifications – NASM CPT, 200 hr RYT, STOTT Pilates mat 1-3, STOTT Pilates Reformer and Chair, Group Fitness, to name a few - and holds a BS in Health and Physical Education. Her teaching degree influences her unique approach, helping clients understand their bodies and movements rather than simply following instructions. Recognizing the strengths and limitations of the many modalities she was certified in, K'an created LIFT Fusion. This innovative approach combines elements of Yoga, Pilates, BARRE, Primal Movements, Calisthenics, etc, into one cohesive, efficient, and seamless sequence for a well-rounded workout every time.
Nicole Lodato, Pilates Instructor
Nicole Lodato believes that a healthy, strong body is a happy body. Nicole is a formally trained dancer who has taken her passion for teaching and expression through movement into the realm of Pilates. In her work as a Pilates instructor, Nicole channels a lifetime of active living through dance, working out and going for mindful walks, and blends her formal training in Pilates and dance with her experience with weight lifting.
Her mission is to make her classes the best hour of a person's day, and facilitate each student's growth in strength - both in body and mind - as they develop a better understanding of their bodies and gain confidence walking the world in their own skin. In addition to her Pilates practice, Nicole currently serves as the director of the competition team for Artists in Motion and a competition team choreographer and instructor at nationally-recognized dance company CaRu Entertainment. Nicole is also on the panel of judges for Elevate Dance Competition, which travels along the East Coast judging young aspiring dancers. Nicole holds a B.A. in Theater and Dance from Rowan University and is PSC trained in Pilates.
Sylvia Byrd-Leitner, MFA, CPT, RYT, Master Pilates Teacher, Co-Director Balanced Body Pilates Teacher Training Program at Pilates Core Center
Sylvia Byrd-Leitner is an impassioned instructor. Her goal is to share the wealth of knowledge she has accumulated throughout her life in the field of movement. As an undergraduate she worked as a physical therapist's aide at Moss Rehab in Philadelphia. She went on to earn her MFA in Dance/Movement from Temple University. She has performed and choreographed nationally and spent 5 years teaching dance at Rowan University before opening her own Pilates Studios. She has been teaching Pilates for 14 years. She is a registered Yoga teacher and continues to study movement and anatomy with some of the foremost and inspiring instructors internationally. What motivates her most is the joy of movement. Her keen eye has helped her bring awareness to her clients, helping them to focus on the details of their bodies in motion. As Joseph Pilates said, "A few well-designed movements, properly performed in a balanced sequence, are worth hours of doing sloppy calisthenics or forced contortion."
Taja Fooks-Thornton- Pilates Instructor
Taja is a Balanced Body trained Pilates instructor and professional dancer. Taja holds a B.F.A in Dance from Rutgers Mason Gross School of the Arts. She has traveled all over the world dancing with Disney Cruise Line and is currently a dance artist with The Company of Collaborative Arts. She fell in love with Pilates during her time at Rutgers and appreciates how much it has taught her about body awareness and injury prevention. Her background in dance allows her to prioritize mindful movement and bring light to the importance of muscle mind connection. Taja believes that Pilates is for everyone no matter the age or physical ability.
XAVIER MCKINNON - Master PILATES INSTRUCTOR
Xavier is a South Jersey native who splits his time between South Jersey and NYC. As a performer by trade, Xavier has been part of many shows in NYC and multiple Broadway touring companies. "My experience as a dancer and weight lifter has brought me to Pilates. I have sustained injuries on the stage and in the gym - Pilates has helped bring me back and has kept me from further injury. My philosophy as an instructor is grounded in honest mind/body connection, a curiosity in understanding limits and possibilities, and a desire to stay strong for long."
Xavier is Kane School certified in Pilates, specializing in injury rehabilitation for athletes.
Holistic Spa Staff
Olga Kovalyova-Saxman, LMT, NMT
For over fifteen years, Olga has helped her clients achieve their wellness and fitness goals using a synergistic approach, including massage, bodywork, movement modalities, both rehabilitative and athletic, and meditation.
She is a Licensed Massage Therapist, practicing Neuromuscular Therapy, Sports, Swedish, and Myofascial massage as well as Thai Ayurvedic Bodywork. She is a comprehensively certified Pilates teacher, Yoga, Aerial Yoga, and Core Align teacher.
Olga's purpose is to help her clients maintain inspired and joyful lives through total body wellness, complementary therapies, and exercises. She works closely with her clients to help them overcome and prevent injury, reduce pain and discomfort, recover or prepare for surgery, and build flexibility, strength, and endurance. Olga's specializes in clients with joint replacements, degenerative bone & joint diseases, as well as prenatal and postnatal massage. In her practice, Olga welcomes clients at all levels of fitness and athletic experience. She is also a musician - a pianist, classically trained in Ukraine.
To schedule a session, please call Olga at 404 610-3013, or e-mail her at olgakovalyova@yahoo.com