TEACHERS: PROFILES AND CONTACT INFORMATION
Lea Yeager
Contact: (267) 255-7577, or e-mail LEA@PINELANDPILATES.COM
Lea Yeager has been teaching the Pilates Method since 1999 and has been an instructor at Karen Carlson’s studio since 2002. She has worked previously as a strength and conditioning trainer, holds a B.F.A. in Dance from Temple University and worked professionally as a dancer and performer for 10 years. She enjoys working with a wide range of clients, from high performance professionals to those with post-rehab needs. Lea is the Program Coordinator for the Pineland Pilates Education Program.
Nicole Rogers
Contact: (215) 880-0081, or e-mail NICOLEJROGERS@YAHOO.COM
Nicole Rogers graduated from Smith College in 2001 where she studied anatomy & movement & Spanish. Nicole completed Karen Carlson’s Master Teacher Training in 2004. She also completed certification in holistic health coaching from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in 2009. Some of Nicole’s continuing education training has been with Michael Buck in Thai Yoga Bodywork, Erica Fletcher in therapeutic exercise & joint function, and Irene Dowd in neuromuscular repatterning.
Nicole works with clients combining many modalities, primarily therapeutics of Pilates and Thai Yoga bodywork with an emphasis on holistic nutrition.
Kristen Shahverdian
Contact: (267) 973-6845, or e-mail KRISTEN.PILATES@GMAIL.COM
Kristen Shahverdian has been teaching Pilates in the Philadelphia area since 2001. She initially trained under Louise Gillette while getting her MFA in dance from Temple University. Since then she has been certified by Physical Mind Institute and continued her teacher training under Master Teacher Karen Carlson. Kristen is also a dancer who continues to perform for many artists in Philadelphia as well as co-direct react/dance. Along with Pilates, she is certified in Thai-Yoga Massage. She brings her love of movement to her work and enjoys teaching Pilates so that her clients can achieve success in all their physical endeavors.
Jody Prall
Contact: (267) 250-5518, or e-mail CENTERSPACEPHILLY@GMAIL.COM
Jody Prall began her love of movement at the tender age of 9, when she began ballet lessons in Binghamton, NY. Jody continued her dance training as a dance major at Florida State University in Tallahassee, FL, receiving her BFA in 1996. It was there she was first introduced to Pilates, as well as dance conditioning, anatomy and kinesiology.
In the next 4 years, Jody danced professionally while continuing her studies in Pilates. In August of 1999 Jody completed a full apparatus certification under Stacy Donelly in San Francisco, CA. Upon moving to Philadelphia in the fall of 1999, Jody began a full time Pilates teaching career.
Along with her love of Pilates and dance, Jody has studied yoga, weight training and was an avid runner until 2008, when she was forced to give up dancing and racing because of hip and spine arthritis. Though her arthritis was found to be caused by an auto-immune disease Jody’s personal struggle with pain management and functional movement have led her to dive deep into the rehabilitation and functional sports training aspects of Pilates. As a full time instructor under the guidance of master teacher Karen Carlson, Jody’s knowledge of the body has flourished. Jody completed Karen’s master training program in 2007 and has continued to be one of Karen’s primary form demonstrators in subsequent training programs.
In recognition of her teaching abilities Jody was named “Best Pilates Instructor” in Philadelphia Magazine’s “Best of Philly” issue in 2004. Jody’s comprehensive approach to movement, along with her watchful eye with allows her students to attain their goals. Whether the goal be to train for a first marathon, or to simply sit at a desk comfortably for work, Jody will create a program specifically for the individual.
Patty Graham
Contact: (610) 291-1703, or e-mail PATTYGRAHAM1@VERIZON.NET
I have been teaching the Pilates method since 2000. The majority of my training has come from Karen Carlson. I have trained with IM=X Pilates as well. My approach has also been deeply influenced by my study and performance in the fields of ballet, modern dance, yoga and bel canto vocal technique. My philosophy is to utilize Pilates, which is a very flexible and extensive method, to support the health and function of each individual, providing education and training for better breathing, structural alignment, strength and flexibility. I believe this training and new awareness naturally starts to provide the foundation for greater function in all activities, sports, dance, yoga, life?, while addressing and minimizing discomfort and pain. My effort to meet the needs of my clients led me to expand my skills into the realm of bodywork and I now do Shiatsu as both a part of, or as a separate session to, the Pilates work. I also teach a dance class for people with Parkinson’s.
Christy Silvers
Contact: (609) 617-9910, or e-mail CHRISTY@JOHNSILVERS.COM
Christy Silvers, CMA has been teaching movement since 1986. She holds a BA summa cum laude in Human Movement Studies from Hunter College, CUNY, is a Certified Movement Analyst from the Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies and an Infant Developmental Movement Educator from the School of Body Mind Centering. She teaches Relational Anatomy and a unit on Reflexes in Theory and Practice II in Karen Carlson’s Advanced Pilates Teacher Training. She has also been a faculty member and a guest teacher in the Laban Institute’s Introductory and Certificate Programs in NYC. Christy both writes and teaches specializing in the areas of anatomy and kinesiology, developmental movement patterns and reflexes, Bartenieff Fundamentals and Laban Movement Analysis. As mother of six, Christy applies her knowledge of movement and development on an everyday basis. She practices privately in Southern New Jersey and Philadelphia serving infants, children and adults facilitating the integration of reflexes and developmental neurological patterns with voluntary movement to provide support for movement towards all directions in space through a full range of dynamic expression.
Jeff Prall
Contact: (267) 879-8901, or e-mail CENTERSPACEPHILLY@GMAIL.COM
Upon completing his MFA in Dance from Temple University in 2001, Jeff continued to teach and dance professionally, but never lost his love for how the body worked. In 2002 Jeff became certified to teach Advanced Pilates Mat, going on to become fully certified on all apparatus in 2003 by the Physical Mind Institute in New York City. Since then, while teaching Pilates full time, Jeff has constantly expanded his knowledge of the body.
He has studied many exercise forms including yoga and weight training, and has completed an extensive advanced certification in 2007 with master teacher Karen Carlson. During this program Jeff was used consistently as a demonstrator for many of the most advanced forms, and continues to do so in Karen’s subsequent certifications for other trainers. Jeff incorporates his knowledge of movement, anatomy, and both therapeutic and functional training into his Pilates teaching. Recently Jeff was honored to be listed as “One of Ten Pilates Instructors You Should Know” in Philadelphia Magazine.
Alison Price
Contact: Phone (267) 321-6550 e-mail ALISON.PRICE@WELLSFARGO.COM
Pat Robertson
Contact: (215) 384-5409, or DRPROBERTSON@GMAIL.COM
Pat Robertson’s 30 years as a healthcare provider, educator, Pilates instructor and entrepreneur has given her a unique ability to integrate science with intuition and to express knowledge in a practical and functional manner.
Pat was first introduced to Pilates through Karen Carlson in 1992, trained extensively with her, and has had Pilates as an integral part of her chiropractic practice ever since. As an educator, she has taught Anatomy and Physiology in multiple schools in addition to her own healing arts/massage therapy trainings that she has been facilitating for 20 years.
Pat is currently working in Philadelphia at Karen Carlson’s Studio 1420 as both chiropractor and Pilates instructor and in Flourtown at her daughter’s chiropractic office. She continues to offer seminars and trainings in Pilates and rehabilitation, advanced massage techniques, stress management and meditation.