I was working on earning my BFA in Dance Pedagogy at the University of Hartford when I first found myself dealing with injuries. I had danced for many years, but it was usually for just a few hours a day. Now I was dancing 8 hours a day, five days a week and had rehearsals on the weekends. I was spending a lot of time with the physical therapist. One morning, I woke up and couldn’t move. My back was in spasm, and I did not know the cause. So back to physical therapy I went, but this time they suggested I work with the Pilates instructor they had there. I had never done Pilates before, but this practice changed my body completely. I was able to get through the rest of college with minimal injuries and often could feel the difference in my body when I was not keeping up with my Pilates work. This allowed me to stay healthy as I completed my degree.
After college, I continued to try to do Pilates wherever I was. There were times where I couldn’t afford to do lessons, so I would do workouts on my own as much as I could. This was never the same as being pushed and corrected by an instructor, but it kept me going. After relocating to Philadelphia area and changing jobs, I finally found a Pilates studio that worked for me. The instructors were all diverse in their styles of teaching and each had their own specialties . I would rotate studying with different teachers depending on what my body needed.
After breaking my foot, I had to take a break so I could heal. Fortunately, when I started my physical therapy they included some Pilates work to help me heal and get back into dancing shape. This showed me once again how much Pilates could do for me as I was able to continue to work as I rehabilitated from the injury. Again, after a car accident a few years back, I worked with the instructors to heal and strengthen myself.
Along the way, I often thought about getting certified to teach Pilates, I just never thought I had the time as I was busy building my dance business. But I always knew that getting certified would strengthen my understanding of how my body works, and also allow me to help more people to become stronger and more knowledgeable about their health and their bodies.
Two years ago, my husband got a job in North Carolina, and we decided to relocate to Mooresville. After finally settling in and getting my business going, I began looking for a Pilates studio. I tried a few places and ended up finding 15 to Fit, and saw that they were hiring and training people to teach. After meeting with Patrea, and seeing the studio, I knew this would be a good fit for me. Everyone’s enthusiasm and welcoming personalities made me feel comfortable and supported as I did my training. The clients were also friendly and enthusiastic, and it has been a great experience getting to know them. I am looking forward to continuing to learn and grow with this wonderful group of people!
