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At Art of Pilates, each of our skilled instructors brings their unique perspective and expertise to ensure that clients receive the best possible experience. We share a collective passion for people and Pilates, fostering a strong sense of community within our studio.
Michelle Donati
Michelle completed her comprehensive teacher training with Risa Sheppard. The Sheppard Method of Pilates is based on the original Pilates passed down through Joseph himself. Michelle has her PMA certification, PSC certification, and has completed her BASI certification on injuries and pathologies. She continues to update her knowledge and strives to bring the best in innovative, contemporary exercises. Michelle prides herself in offering eclectic, challenging classes but adjusts levels according to student ability and comfort. She loves bringing variety to each session using various apparatus including the Cadillac, Wunda Chair, and Reformer. Michelle brings energy and joy to her work and thrives in dynamic environments. She looks forward to contributing to a positive and healthy lifestyle for each and every student.
Sarah Thomason
Sarah Thomason is a distinguished Pilates Instructor in the Los Angeles area and Professor in the dance department at Loyola Marymount University for their pilates program. She is the founder of the SET Method, a teacher training program producing Superior, Elite, Training for those who want to become Pilates Instructors of the highest standard. She first discovered Pilates as a dancer and fell in love with the way it helped strengthen and transform her body. In 2009 she became a certified BASI (Body Arts and Science International) Instructor with an emphasis in dance. She has since completed a variety of other trainings to compliment her own unique teaching style. Sarah has assisted and worked closely with physical therapists and taught alongside Samantha Wood dpt, assisting her in her course, Pilates for Injuries and Pathologies. Sarah is a Teacher Trainer for her own SET Method and has taught workshops for Pilates instructors across the country as well as overseas in Japan. Her clientele range from professional athletes, to pre and post-natal women, stroke patients, cancer survivors, and clients with a variety of ailments including, spinal injuries, paraplegia, and vertigo. Joseph Pilates once said, “you are only as young as your spine is flexible” and it is Sarah’s intention to provide longevity to any spine she comes across through the art of Pilates.
Aileen has been dancing all her life and has trained extensively in Ballet, Jazz, and Modern, and Tap. She has attended training intensives with American Ballet Theatre, Boston Ballet, and San Francisco Conservatory of Dance, and it was at these intensives that she discovered Pilates as a form of cross training to supplement her dance classes. She became certified in Pilates in Portland, Oregon through Pacific Northwest Pilates. She believes that Pilates plays an important role in strengthening her body and mind, and has helped her recover from and prevent injuries through her years as a Dance major at Loyola Marymount University. She loves sharing the benefits of Pilates with others and is delighted to be a part of the Art of Pilates staff.
Aileen Moran
Judy McGuire
Judy is an upbeat instructor that fell in love with Pilates during her first session in 2005. She learned from Gerard Hinderlich, a master trainer with Polestar Pilates. Judy loved that Pilates made her mind and body feel stronger in order to live her life to the fullest which sparked her interest in going more in depth by taking on the responsibility of being an instructor and passing on her life changing experience to her clients. Judy truly enjoys sharing her love and knowledge of Pilates, movement, and its healing aspects with people to help them feel longer, stronger, and better no matter where they start. She is flexible with clients who may have past or current injuries, you’ll leave your sessions feeling invigorated and ready to take on the world! In her free time you may catch Judy obsessing over College Basketball, she loves the sport and looks forward to kicking her feet up and enjoying a great game!
Hagar completed her comprehensive teacher’s training at Sheppard Method Pilates. The Sheppard Method emphasises classical pilates as taught by Joseph Pilates himself. She continues to educate herself and attend workshops, and is especially interested in active aging and posture correction. Her classes build upon classical pilates, focusing on control, balance and accuracy, incorporating dynamic and playful elements. She is experienced with clients who may have a history of injuries/sever conditions including back pain, scoliosis, arthritis, and knee pain.
Hagar Barak
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Robyn has had a passion for dance and movement since she was a little girl. She discovered Pilates in High School while rigorously performing and competing in dance, using it as an essential method for cross-training. Her love of movement has continued into adulthood, encompassing barre, aerial arts, and teaching dance, yet she consistently returned to her Pilates practice. After facing some health challenges, She decided to make a career change to follow her calling to help others and share her love of movement. She completed her Full Comprehensive training with The Body Process (Culver City) which emphasizes an inclusive and holistic approach to Pilates education. She is passionate about functional mobility and active aging, believing that everyone can benefit from Pilates and improve their quality of life through its practice.
Robyn Breeding
Rebecca Wilson
Movement has always been part of Rebecca’s life as a young athlete, gymnast and dancer. She grew up in the Bay Area and trained to be a professional ballet dancer until she found the freedom and expression of modern dance. Her journey has included an MFA in Choreography and Performance, adventures performing all over the country as well as the opportunity to teach at Sonoma State University for many years. She found Pilates in 2005 with Holly Furgason, who she danced with at Mills College in Oakland, CA. She became certified in San Francisco at Holly’s, Blue Sparrow Pilates, STOTT® Pilates Licensed Training Center. After moving to San Diego in 2013 she taught at many studios and worked closely with instructor trainers and physical therapists for 10 years. Now in Los Angeles, she’s thrilled to be a part of the team at Art of Pilates. One of the most fascinating puzzles she have encountered is how the human body moves and how we can train it to move more efficiently. This concept is something she brings to work each day. Working with people from all walks of life, ages and backgrounds from the professional athlete to children to people recovering from severe injuries or trauma is a true joy. Pilates has something for everyone. Activities that she loves are kayaking, scuba diving and hiking. Her best friend is Thomas the cat, a 20-pound angel. In the future she looks forward to traveling to Spain, Portugal, Japan and Ireland, learning to play a collection of stringed instruments, becoming a famous Flamenco dancer and having a home with a garden and several cats and dogs.
Rose Liljestrom
Substitute Instructor
Rose got her comprehensive Pilates teacher training from BASI Pilates in Newport Beach. BASI pilates (Body Arts and Science International) is an extensive and detail oriented style of Pilates, dedicated to remaining true to art, to science, and most importantly, true to Joseph and Clara Pilates. Rael Isacowitz, the founder of BASI, is the first second generation teacher to be inducted in to PMA Legacy circle.
Movement has always been a part of Roses life as she was born in to a yoga school in Denmark where her mother taught yoga and meditation. Rose graduated from the ballet Academy of Gothenburg, Sweden, in 2002, after which she danced professionally and later taught ballet, jazz, modern and muskolosceletal training. She has extensive training in several forms of movement, breath work and aims to continually grow as a teacher, human and student of life.
Rose is passionate about maintaining the joy of movement, the attention to detail and helping her clients deepen their practice and finding the flow.
Jewelyn TamSing
Substitute Instructor
Born and raised in Hawaii, Jewelyn left the Hawaiian islands in 2009 to follow her dreams in dance and fitness.Jewelyn’s Pilates journey started in 2015 in Las Vegas doing mat pilates and group reformer classes and fell in love. In 2017 she dedicated her life to classically train in the original method of Joseph Pilates with Pilates Certification Program under the direction of Jill Cassidy. Jewelyn is honored to have studied with Jill Cassidy who is one step away from Joseph Pilates and has worked and train in Romana’s studio for many years prior to opening up her school over 20 years ago. Jewelyn enjoys teaching one on one private sessions on all apparatuses as well as group mat and reformer classes. She is also a professional traveling dancer with over 30 years of dance experience and holds a residency in Las Vegas belly dancing since 2011. She is trained in over 10 styles of dance, specializing in belly dancing. Jewelyn resides in Santa Monica with her yorkie and spends part of her life in Las Vegas where she dances and works in the restaurant industry with her family. She enjoys creating daily content on the internet inspiring the world as a plant enthusiast with over 600 plants and solo world travel adventures.