I was drawn to Pilates over 15 years ago. Working as a massage therapist many clients repeatedly spoke of Pilates with such enthusiasm. After becoming a mother, I needed to connect with my core again. Having had an athletic background and working as a massage therapist for 8 years, Pilates instantly felt like a natural fit. My Pilates experience began on the Reformer and quickly my teacher suggested I consider starting teachers training. After certifying in 2003 while living in Santa Barbara, CA. I returned home to West Michigan and began teaching in 2005 at Avalon School of the Arts. Continuing my education was a concern, where will I need to travel to? I received a gift, Master Trainer Ahme’ Bovee, relocated from Canada to open a studio in East Grand Rapids. It has been an amazing experience to train with Ahme’ and wonderful compliment to be a part of their teaching staff from 2011 to 2015. Always growing with industry standards through Balanced Body University.

My journey over the last 15 years has been both physical and spiritual. I have had the pleasure of knowing some clients for a 13 years, wonderful people inside and out truly all ages coming together to grow is an amazing thing to be a part of. With gratitude in my heart I bring to you, Pilates in Holland. A studio where we learn to move better physically and mentally in everyday life, enhance performance, and laugh at what seems impossible. It is a privilege to help others grow their body-mind connection with Pilates principles.

Jessica is celebrating her 11th year of teaching Nia! She has taught in 4 states in beautiful and serene yoga studios, sassy dance studios, 4-star fitness resorts, on college campuses...to children, teens, athletes, couch potatoes, self-professed exercise haters, cancer survivors and everyone in between! Nia really is for EVERY BODY! ``I love how the fun and freedom of dance, the power of martial arts, and the strength and stress-reduction of the healing arts combines in Nia to make one seriously transformational fitness practice!`` Jessica joined the Hope College Family in February, 2016 as the Wellness Director. She coordinates group fitness classes, the Lunch and Learn series, wellness challenges and has recently been working to launch the new Hope College Wellness Website. Jessica's Pilates Training with Master Trainer Ahme' Bovee has deepened her love for the body and and body mechanics. She currently teaches Body Barre at Pilates in Holland in addition to Nia! Her continued desire to deepen her understanding for Pilates makes her a wonderful addition to the team. Jessica also has a love for paddle boarding, traveling, reading and hanging out with her family.

Health and fitness have been an important part of Teresa’s life and she’s always enjoyed doing a variety of activities: walking, elliptical training, hiking, belly dancing, and hula hooping to name a few. She started in Pilates in 2014 to increase her core strength after an incident that left her with some dislocated ribs. Amazingly, Pilates also helped her regain strength from previous injuries that had resulted in various surgeries. This inspired her to want to build on her knowledge of Pilates to improve her own practice but also to help others so she started training to become a teacher. Teresa holds her mat certification from Balanced Body University and is continuing her training for Barre Pilates and Reformer through Ahmé Bovée at Pilates in East who is a Master Trainer for Balanced Body. Teresa also works full-time as a certified professional ergonomist. The knowledge of anatomy, biomechanics and physiology she has gained through her education for this field allows her to bring this expertise to her teaching as well.

Penelope has always loved being active, whether hiking trails, paddle boarding, running, skiing or biking. When she experienced an injury from running, she turned to Pilates to help strengthen her entire body. It was so effective, and she loved it so much, she wanted to be able to share the benefits with others! Penelope received her Pilates training through the Balanced Body program with Master Trainer Ahme Bovee. She is privileged to have taught in West Michigan for the last several years, and is delighted to continue teaching at Pilates in Holland's beautiful studio.

In her spare time, Penelope can be found spending as much time as possible playing outside with her husband and their three children. She is also passionate about whole food eating and cooking. Penelope loves spending time in the kitchen, creating new recipes with local food. She posts healthy, delicious, seasonal recipes on her blog, The Kitchen Beet. You can check out recipes atwww.kitchenbeet.com!