Jennifer Swarbrick
Owner
Jennifer’s background is in dance with a focus in ballet. Pilates was a requirement for her dance training. After trying her first mat class in middle school, she was hooked. It was then a natural step to get her certification. She is certified by Risa Sheppard at The Sheppard Method Pilates. She has since completed a yoga certification and enjoys continually taking workshops in all forms of movement and fitness training.
Jennifer looks at each class she teaches as if she were dancing, constantly moving and flowing. Enjoying life, feeling good and having fun ever time you step into the studio is what it is all about. She looks at her Hermosa beach location as her little sanctuary by the sea. She extends her enthusiasm for Pilates by looking at everyday as a chance to grow as a teacher and student. Jennifer is proud to call herself the owner of The Pilates Room, where the friendly environment makes this boutique neighborhood studio feel like one big family.
Athena Angelman
Instructor
Yoga Instructor, Certified Pilates Teacher, E-RYT500, Retreat Organizer
Since 2002 Athena has shared Yoga with students of many levels ranging from kids yoga and corporate yoga, to seniors yoga and various styles from restorative and prenatal to vinyasa and alignment-based flow. Her love of healing movement prompted her to continue sharing and in 2008 she began certifying and training others with Cloud Nine Yoga School to become yoga teachers at the 500 hour Advanced level through the Yoga Alliance. In 2012 Athena became a Certified Pilates Instructor, training in Pilates as rehab for a hip injury, she decided to further her education and train to become a Pilates instructor. She moved to Costa Rica where she trained and worked at Pilates Nosara. Having seen firsthand how Pilates, Yoga and Functional Training compliment one another, Athena is a huge advocate for utilizing all three modalities in her daily regimen. Her experience spreads across many states and countries giving her the multicultural experience of teaching active and healthy lifestyles to tourists and locals alike.
In 2005 she created Live Your Yoga Retreats as a way to share her love of Yoga, Pilates and Travel.
"We should consider every day lost in which we do not dance at least once."~ Nietzsche
Kelsi Knudson
Instructor
Inspired by her love of movement Kelsi brings a variety of training techniques to her workout programs which revolve around functional fitness for clients of all levels. From Pilates, to Personal Training, Kelsi understands what her client's needs are and is able to push each person to their limits in a safe way. Kelsi believes that humans need to be able to move in day to day life and recover from the bumps and bruises along the way. Kelsi’s core clientele ranges widely in age and ability, but her specialties are pre/post-natal, athletes, geriatrics, injuries, and weight loss. From beginner to advanced, Kelsi prides herself on her ability to push every client to their potential no matter what their level is. Kelsi graduated from California State University of Long Beach with a bachelors degree in Kinesiology. Kelsi has been a Pilates instructor for the past 7 years and is certified through the Orange Coast College’s Pilates and Dance Instructor Program. Kelsi is also a certified Personal Trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) and holds a certification as a Krankcycle instructor.
Kelsi was drawn to Pilates because of her athletic background, and how it helped her nurse various sports related injuries throughout the years. As an avid dancer, Kelsi has 15 years of competitive dance experience. Kelsi has had a love of athletics and sports for years.Kelsi’s thorough understanding of human movement and her creative approach keep her workouts new and exciting. Kelsi has a true passion for fitness and helping people reach their fitness goals. When Kelsi isn’t teaching she is busy enjoying life with her growing family.
Shelley Williams
Instructor
Quote To Live By: “Dance like there’s no one watching, sing like no one’s listening, love like you’ve never been hurt before, and live like it’s heaven on earth” – Author Unknown
Teaching Style: Fluid, Floating, and sometimes Funky!
Shelley has been an active student, practitioner, and teacher of mindful movement in the south bay community for over 12 years. She discovered her love of movement, however, long before that as a competitive teen gymnast, which then opened the door to the world of contemporary dance and professional modern dance performance. In 1996, Shelley was fortunate to find yoga and pilates as a healing addition and alternative to the rigors of training and performance. Since then, yoga has provided her with more than a moving expression of meditation; it has become a way of life. Her passion for learning, experiencing, and teaching yoga and pilates grew into a successful boutique neighborhood studio, The Pilates Room & Yoga Lounge in Hermosa Beach, which Shelley co-owned and operated for 7 years.
Shelley continues this lifestyle as a resident teacher at The Pilates Room, Yogaworks, and The Yoga Loft, and also offers regular teacher workshops, trainings, and adventure retreats both locally and internationally. She is a certified teacher of Hatha Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, Prenatal Yoga, the Pilates Method, and the Gyrotonic Expansion System. Shelley is also designated as a Yoga Alliance E-RYT 500 Teacher, and a Pilates Method Alliance Certified Instructor. Her teaching is influenced by elements of Reiki, Ba Gua Zhang Tai Chi, surfing, modern dance, and world music. Shelley is extremely grateful for the guidance and opportunities to study in-depth principles of yoga with inspiring masters such as Max Strom, Shiva Rea, Hala Khouri, and Matthew Cohen.
Shelley earned a BA from UCLA’s World Arts and Cultures program, with an emphasis in modern dance, intercultural performance, West African Dance, and integrated arts education. Shelley also feels privileged to be able to share her knowledge by teaching yoga to at-risk students at Arena High Continuation School in El Segundo.
Ava Hahas
Instructor
Quote To Live By: “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away…”
Teaching Style: Creative, Inspired and Passionate
Ava Nahas has expressed her physicality from an early age. She began her formal dance training at the age of thirteen and has also been an avid athlete throughout her life. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance from the University of California, Irvine. Her dance career culminated in the opportunity to dance with the Alvin Ailey Dance Company in New York.
Ava discovered Pilates as an alternative rehabilitation paradigm after her two knee surgeries and soon after pursued her certification as an instructor. She graduated from the Original Pilates Guild of New York’s Teacher Training Program and has studied with renowned Master Teachers both in New York and Los Angeles. She enjoys bringing Pilates to a wide range of clients and has happily witnessed their amazing progress. She has also served in a consulting capacity for the Women’s Tennis Association and continues to seek opportunities to integrate the Pilates Method into the current training regimens of athletes. She feels that the wisdom of Pilates is powerful and could significantly impact the quality of people’s lives regardless of age or physical prowess.
Claire Schulz
Instructor
Quote To Live By: “Dance like there’s no one watching, sing like no one’s listening, love like you’ve never been hurt before, and live like it’s heaven on earth” – Author Unknown
Teaching Style: Fluid, Floating, and sometimes Funky!
Claire is a classically trained, PMA Certified Pilates Teacher. She chose to become certified through White House Pilates, in Manhattan Beach, because of the direct lineage Caroline Londergan has with Joseph Pilates, making Claire a 3rd generation instructor. Deciding to take her training to the next level, Claire also became a Pre and Post-Natal Specialist through The Center for Women’s Fitness. As an athlete, movement is part of her daily routine, always looking to challenge herself, while staying healthy and injury free. After taking her first Pilates class several years ago, she immediately saw the benefits and knew that this was a modality she wanted to teach others. Claire is a health and fitness advocate, focusing her classes around intentional movement with the individual needs of each client in mind. Sometimes, the smallest adjustment can make a world of difference.
PILATES
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New Instructor.
Julia
Instructor
Julia Etzelmueller was born and raised in Germany and is a film and documentary producer.
She followed her dream of living and working overseas and moved to Los Angeles.
In addition to her job as a producer she also has a passion for fitness and healthy living…
Since she practiced Reformer Pilates for a while, she decided to deepen her knowledge
and to take a teacher training at John Garey Pilates and Fitness in Long Beach.
She got her STOTT Reformer Pilates certification, she now teaches in Hermosa Beach and Bali.