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. It was the first modality that truly helped her understand her own individual body. She then 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 got her Pilates certification through the Drexel Pilates Training Program in Philadelphia. For her, Pilates is a way for people to become more familiar with and understand their bodies. Casey began working at Pilates Core Center in 2019 and loves helping people strengthen their relationships with themselves through Pilates.

Chelsea Mamedov, Master Pilates Instructor

Chelsea is a Polestar Pilates comprehensively trained instructor and passionate about guiding others through mindful movement. Her love for Pilates began during her own wellness journey, where she discovered it as the first movement experience that wasn’t about burning calories, but rather about breath, mindfulness, and appreciation for the body’s capabilities. Pilates taught her to embrace the thoughtfulness of movement and to gain awareness of one’s unique strength and resilience. Now, she is committed to sharing that same joy and empowerment with others, helping them connect with their bodies in a meaningful way.

Deepa Solanki Lemyre, RYT, Pilates Instructor, Studio Manager

Originally from England, Deepa has lived locally for over 33 years. She transitioned from a corporate career to entrepreneurial pursuits ten years ago after the birth of her last child, when she first fell in love with Pilates.

Deepa traveled to India to embark on a journey of self-discovery, personal healing, and growth. She kicked off her journey in Rishikesh by earning certifications in multi-style yoga, aerial yoga, Reiki, and sound healing, with a focus on Iyengar yoga. On her return to the US, she earned her Pilates certification, and now, armed with a wealth of new knowledge and skills, she is looking forward to developing new programs at Pilates Core Center.

Diane’s expertise is in business development, operations, and management. Her career accomplishments range from establishing individual businesses and partnerships to a leadership role at a Fortune 100 global corporation. After being introduced to Pilates and yoga to strengthen her shoulder and address rotator cuff weakness and stress, Diane fell in love with the benefits she felt immediately. She has been practicing for over 20 years. Diane is trained to teach Pilates Group Reformer I,  completed her yoga teacher training through Flossie Park, and is a Certified Holistic Health Coach through the Institute of Integrative Nutrition (IIN) in New York City. She enjoys sharing her passion for living a healthier lifestyle with her clients, family, and friends.

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.

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

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 Pilates Core Center with her business partner. She has been teaching Pilates for over 20 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 raise awareness among her clients, enabling 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.”

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