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BODY CENTRAL PILATES - BUCKHEAD
Instructors
Dedication. Expertise. Passion.
Body Central is dedicated to the health of each client and provides the highest quality of instruction by Classically trained Pilates instructors. All of our instructors have been trained by Roman Kryzanowksa, the direct protege of Joseph Pilates, and/or the teacher trainers under her direct guidance.
It is our mission to continue the teachings of Romana and preserve the method in its purest form, the way Joseph Pilates intended it.
Robin Blum
​Robin began taking Pilates to strengthen her posture and technique as a professional dancer. She received her dance training from NC School of the Arts and East Carolina University. Robin has performed with Atlanta Ballet, Columbia City Ballet, Southern Ballet Theatre, and has appeared as a guest artist in Europe and the US.
While dancing with Atlanta Ballet, Robin received a scholarship and began her apprenticeship with Romana Kryzanowska, Grandmaster and protege of Joseph Pilates. Under Romana's leadership and teacher trainers Sari Pace and Juanita Lopez, Robin was certified and began teaching in 1997. She was the first person certified in the state of Georgia.
In 2005, Romana asked Robin to assist in the training of instructors and she became a teacher trainer for Romana's Pilates and has worked and collaborated with many noteable Pilates instructors around the world. Robin has trained professional athletes and dancers, celebrities, and clients with ALS, and spinal cord injuries.
Robin has a true passion for Pilates and is inspired by her clients and the remarkable changes it has made in their lives and her own.
Lorraine Fields
Lorraine had two choices for a career, become a physical therapist or professional dancer. Lorraine chose the latter after graduating from New York City's High School of Performing Arts. She enjoyed an illustrious thirty plus year career as a professional actor/singer/dancer, choreographer, and dialogue coach. Lorraine has worked nationally and internationally in film, television, video and stage productions with such artists and legends as Sammy Davis Jr., Juliette Prowse, George Chakiris, Jamie Foxx and Michael Jackson to name a few.
Lorraine's interest in Pilates was inspired by her friend Mari Winsor. She began studying Romanas Pilates with Mari and master trainers Juanita Lopez, Cynthia Shipley, Dorothee Vanderwalle, Trish Garland, Ton Voogt, Michael Frizke, Jerome Weinberg, Robin Blum, and Romana herself.
Lorraine has been certified in Romanas Pilates since 2009.
"Pilates continues to empower me. It's an elixer for grace, power, balance, and posture-a sure way to stay young and fit in body and mind."
Lorraine wants to empower her clients so they too can enjoy these qualities of life!
Kelli Shields
Kelli began her career as a ballet and modern dancer. After training with and earning a teaching certificate from Alvin Ailey, she fractured her spine and continued taking Pilates for her recovery. Although Kelli soon left her pursuit of a career in dance, she continued taking Pilates for all of its many benefits. Following her dance career, Kelli earned her BA in interior design and created residential interior spaces for many years before delving into set design. After a long week of filming and compromising physical efforts, she went to Pilates to find relief. Being remined of her love of movement, she returned to her first love, movement with the mind-body connection.
Kelli earned a teaching certificate from The Pilates Center in Boulder, and after taking lessons at Body Central, she decided to hone her skills even further. She entered the Romanas Pilates certification program, and under the guidance of Robin Blum, completed her training, and received her certificate in 2018.
Alison Ayotte
At the age of 17, Alison started her career in Production Operation and Management within the fields of film, television, music and amusement parks and attractions.
After receiving a degree in Film and Television, she worked at various production companies, such as Soundelux and CNN. During her time at CNN, she earned several awards for her contributions, including a Dupont, Peabody, and an Emmy. The work that Alison accomplished in these years was instrumental in the creation of Hibbote, Inc., which is still an active multimedia company.
In 2013, while seeking to heal an injury sustained during production, Alison discovered Pilates. With a background in theatre and gymnastics, she was immediately attracted to the acrobatics of Pilates and found success in the system. Alison has acquired a keen sense of detail from her technical field, which translates to the precision of Pilates, and her ability to challenge and improve her clients.
Alison was certified through the Romana's Pilates Instructor Training program in 2018 under the leadership of Robin Blum, and continues her education training with the world's leading Pilates instructors.
Fay Boswell
Fay started her Pilates journey in 2012 as a client in various studios in Washington, DC. Pilates immediately helped improve her posture, overall strength and helped reduce low back discomfort. She quickly became a devotee. In 2019, she completed a 600-hour classical Pilates training program through the United States Pilates Association (U.S.P.A.) under the direction of Senior Teacher and Director of Education, Brett Howard. In 2022, Fay completed the 800-hour Romana's Pilates Certification program under the tutelage of Romana Kryzanowska's daughter Sari Mejia Santo and granddaughter Daria Pace, along with the supervision of Fidel Garcia at Capital Pilates Studio, and Cynthia Shipley at Lifespan Pilates. Fay is strongly committed to the depth and power of the original Pilates method.
Recently, Fay relocated to Atlanta and welcomed her first child. Her personal experience with pregnancy and postpartum recovery have deepened her appreciation for Pilates as a way to regain strength, mobility, and stability, and she is passionate about helping others achieve similar results.
Megan Rumpel
Megan received a dance major from Palm Beach University specializing in modern and contemporary dance.
In 2005 she moved to Atlanta where she was selected to be part of a dance agency through which she has appeared in several commercials and local dance shows.
Meg became interested in Pilates after several reoccurring dance injuries and was looking to find a way to strengthen and stretch her body while learning injuring prevention and having fun. Within less than a month of taking Pilates, she knew this was the career for her. She completed the Romanas Pilates program under Robin's leadership at Body Central in 2006. She has worked the top instructors including Juanita Lopez, Michael Rooks, and Jerome Weinberg.
"I always make sure to emphasize that you will get as much out of Pilates as you give to it. I love that there is no injury too great or fitness level too small. Pilates is for everyone."
Mary Johnson
Mary came to pilates as many do, to heal the hurts from working at a desk all day long. She stayed with it for 25 plus years because it continues to challenge her physically and mentally. She became an instructor out of admiration of the beautiful simplicity and discipline of the Classical Method.
Mary has a gymnastics background, and has been taught and exposed to some of the best Pilates teachers worldwide, including Romana Kryzanowska, whom she met at the beginning of her Pilates journey, in 1997.
Mary loves that the method provides a lifelong activity to maintain a strong core, flexibility, balance, and a great full-body workout.
Sarah Hennessey
Sarah began taking Pilates lessons at Body Central in 2009. She fell in love with how amazing it made her body and mind feel. She realized Pilates is a lifestyle that promotes quality of life and optimal health through controlled movement, breathing and posture. She had a strong desire to pursue all these benefits for her own life, and to share with others.
Sarah began her training with Romanas Pilates with Robin Blum under master instructors and completed the 600+ hour intensive program in 2011.
Sarah graduated with a Doctorate in Physical Therapy in 2012 from Emory University and has a BS in Exercise Science from the College of Charleston. She is a full time physical therapist with Emory Healthcare .
Sarah is excited to share her knowledge and passion for Pilates to promote a higher quality of life and health with others.
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Kelley Peace
Health and wellness have been a part of Kelley Peace's career story for years. Kelley graduated from Emory University with a degree in Nursing. She practiced clinically for years at Emory and Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, and later at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. An opportunity presented to advance her medical expertise in the industry, specializing in Cardiovascular Medicine and later in the BioOncology sector.
Throughout professional experiences, the lesson of improving the physical care of one's body, as well as the mental component of health, became a more focused approach to a happy work/life balance.
Fitness challenges that balanced professional challenges were good partners for Kelley. She has enjoyed marathon finishes, hiking memorable mountains, and kayaking and cycling along seaside coastlines.
A visit to a Pilates studio 7 years ago opened another door.
Pilates introduced a new practice to learn; exercises that required controlled movement, strengthened muscles, and sharpened the mind while breathing with intention. Kelley discovered Body Central Pilates in search of regular Mat classes. At BCP, Kelley enjoys teaching students in a classical method, with focus on the emphasis of "the Why" before "the How".
Kelley is enthusiastic to share her passion for Pilates, and grateful for gifted mentors.
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Kim Ethridge
Kim started dancing at a young age in her hometown of Bridgeport, CT before relocating to New York City in her teens. She continued her dance education throughout college at Sarah Lawrence in Bronxville, NY and the London Contemporary Dance School in London, England, graduating with a BA in Dance and psychology.
Throughout her 19 years in New York, Kim worked in the fields of dance, fundraising, luxury retail, and restaurant/hotel management. She was introduced to the Pilates Method in NYC and loved the physical and mental benefits it provided. Upon moving to Atlanta in 2014 to pursue a personal training certification through ACE Fitness, she discovered Body Central and became a student. Kim received her Pilates training from 2nd generation Pilates Instructor, Robin Blum and continues her education with yearly workshops with other notable instructors as Jerome Weinberg and Mejo Wiggin. Kim is also a certified health coach through the Functional Medicine Coaching Academy (2021) and loves working with people to help them make meaningful changes in their lives.
Caroline Cloninger
Caroline received her Romanas Pilates certification in 2010 under the leadership of Robin Blum. Encountering Pilates in 1990, she has continuously practiced the system growing stronger with each year. Along the way, Caroline discovered and became a believer in the precision of Joseph Pilates' original system. In 2009 Caroline decided to take time off from her design career to become certified as an instructor so she can share the knowledge she has gained and help others discover the benefits of the Pilates system in it's purest form. Caroline has studied with Saria Santo, Juanita Lopez, Cynthia Shipley, Jerome Weinberg, Daria Pace, Laney Abernathy and Robin Blum. Caroline earned her degree in interior design from the University of Tennessee, graduating cum laude. During her design career, Caroline has been responsible for the design of over 10,000,000 square feet of corporate space.
Caroline continues to balance her passion for improving the work environment and for strengthening the mind and body through Pilates.
Martha Dunlevie
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Martha completed her certification with Romanas Pilates at True Pilates of New York and Body Central in 2011, but has been a dedicated student for 11 years prior. She has been an athlete all her life, starting as a tennis player in her teens, becoming very involved in both tennis and running as a young adult, and then embraced the game of golf. She is very involved in the Atlanta Women's Golf Association and participates in tournaments across the state.
A bad knee and back problems brought Martha to Pilates on the advice of a friend. She has never looked back; it was the perfect match from the beginning. her feeling is that Pilates is the most effective way to improve strength, flexibility, and balance, which are the cornerstones of athletic endeavors at any age.
Her passion is working with athletes and would-be athletes at any age, as well as those with physical maladies to explore how Pilates can enable them to maximize their goals. She also believes strongly in the overall sense of well-being and energy that Pilates engenders.
Martha has an undergraduate degree in education and Master's degree in Communication Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has worked for both AT&T, Georgia Pacific, and as an independent consultant in the telecommunications arena
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