Our Instructors
Our fully certified teachers have fulfilled a minimum of 700 hours of active training in all apparatus and mat work, seminars, and apprentice teaching. In addition to regular study, our teachers also fulfill 16 hours of continuing education annually. We strive to share/inform consumers of the power of the original Pilates Method by offering apparatus and mat sessions with experienced professional teachers in a safe environment. See “About – Our Commitment to the Original Pilates Method.”
Lesa McLaughlin
OwnerLesa was certified as a teacher in The Pilates Method of Body Conditioning by The Pilates Studio in New York in 1995 under the tutelage of Romana Kryzanowska and is a Second Generation Teacher. She received a Gold Certification by the Pilates Method Alliance in 2005. She holds a BFA in Dance from George Mason University (1984) and has taught dance, movement, and exercise for over 40 years.
In 1998, she co-founded Pilates at Excel Movement Studios (now Excel Pilates DC), a 5,000-square-foot Pilates studio in Washington, DC. In 2002 she opened a satellite studio in Annapolis, MD, with then-business partner Kerry De Vivo. She has worked with clients for 23 years in The Pilates Method Of Body Conditioning. Ranging in age from 10-85, clients have included athletes such as dancers, gymnasts, swimmers, ice skaters, runners, golfers, equestrian jumpers, and bodybuilders, all working to achieve better performance or to gain a competitive edge. Lesa has also worked with clients at a rehabilitative level as well as for injury prevention. Conditions and issues have included herniated discs, arthritis, Parkinson’s disease, MS, knee surgery prevention, knee and hip replacement, and pregnancy.
In 2001 she collaborated with Kerry DeVivo to create and establish a comprehensive Pilates Teacher Training Program at Excel Movement Studios in which she developed the curriculum, program outline, and training manual. Currently, she teaches all system levels as well as continuing education.
Lesa McLaughlin’s experience is that of a Master teacher. She considers her strength in teaching to be a deep understanding of the work of Joseph Pilates and helping each client to see, feel and reach their fullest potential. Lesa considers the work of Joseph Pilates to be an inspiration. She has experienced personally the depth and power of the work and considers her ability to practice and teach Pilates a true privilege. The most satisfying aspect of her Pilates experience is to see daily, through her teaching, the meaningful impact it has on others.
Stefanie Covey
Certified InstructorStefanie has been practicing Pilates since 2005 when she lucked into a deal at a Denver Pilates studio and quickly fell in love with the movement, focus, and mind-body connection she found in the work. Since moving to DC’s Brookland neighborhood in 2012, Stefanie has been a dedicated student at Excel Pilates. In 2016, Stefanie completed Excel Pilates’ 700-hour Teacher Training Program, studying under expert teachers who learned from instructors taught by Pilates founder Joseph Pilates. She is a certified, third-generation classical Pilates instructor. She brings to teaching her lifelong dedication to helping people change their lives. She’s passionate about helping others improve their health and wellness and is excited to guide students through their own discoveries, victories, and healing through Pilates. In addition to practicing Pilates, Stefanie has spent her career fundraising for nonprofits that help people who are homeless, abused, and in need.
Jacqueline Emanuel
Certified InstructorJacqueline is a third-generation instructor of Joseph H. Pilates. She has practiced classical Pilates for over 20 years and has been a certified Pilates instructor for over 3 years. Upon graduation from the exclusive Excel Pilates Teacher Training program, she began teaching in the D.C. studio, where her learning and practice continue to grow. Jacqueline believes that Pilates is a meaningful way to help people improve and maintain a high quality of life. Her approach is to both challenge and nurture clients. “Pilates has been an invaluable inspiration to me and I want to help people of all levels realize the energizing benefits of the method.” Growing up in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado with an active outdoor lifestyle, she enjoys skiing, hiking, and yoga. She lives on Capitol Hill with her husband and two daughters. She is a graduate of the University of Colorado and Denver University.
Brianne Barrow Little
Certified InstructorBrianne has been teaching Pilates since 2006, first experiencing the method as a graduate student in dance. Not surprisingly, its complement to dance drew her toward deeper learning and teaching. Trained through Power Pilates and PMA certified in 2013, she enjoys helping students find their “a-ha” movement moments and translating those into life outside the Pilates studio! She enjoys working with bodies of all shapes and capabilities, with specific experience with pre-and post-natal, osteoporotic, and hypermobile students. Brianne brings positive energy with a focus on proper alignment for maximum efficiency and strength-building to her teaching. In addition to teaching, Brianne enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, swimming, and gardening.
Laurelle Lo
Certified InstructorLaurelle has studied Pilates at Excel Pilates DC since 2008. Laurelle took a circuitous route to Pilates: she trained as a ballet dancer in her hometown of Vancouver, Canada. Later, she worked in the Canadian House of Commons and secured a B.A. and M.A. in History from the University of Ottawa before moving to Washington, DC, and getting her J.D. at Georgetown University Law Center and pursuing a career in corporate litigation. After starting a family, Laurelle focused on pro bono work for global health and educational causes, while returning to dance part-time. It was then that she began studying Classical Pilates in earnest, quickly discovering for herself that Pilates, as a system of thoughtful, precise, and invigorating movements, always makes her feel stronger (and taller!). Laurelle hopes to impart her love of Pilates and the rewards anyone – dancer, lawyer, teacher, parent – can reap from Pilates by bettering the mind and body, from your core to the tips of your toes. Laurelle received her Pilates certification from the Excel Teacher Training Program in 2018.
Michelle Mendelson
Online Certified InstructorMichelle has studied The Pilates Method of Body Conditioning since 1999 and received her teacher certification from Excel Pilates DC in 2002. She holds a Gold Certification from the Pilates Method Alliance and is Pink Ribbon Program Certified to work with breast cancer survivors. Michelle truly believes that Pilates is for everybody. Yes, even men! Her clients have included competitive equestriennes, pregnant and post-natal people, people with joint replacements and back injuries, marathon runners, children, and nonagenarians. She believes each session is a collaboration between instructor and client and that her job is to help people feel in their bodies the power of the Pilates Method of Body Conditioning as created by Joseph Pilates.
Michelle holds a degree from the University of Virginia in Political and Social Thought and worked in journalism and elementary education before walking into her first mat class in 1999 and never looking back. That first six-week series of mat classes opened Michelle’s eyes to a way of exercising that felt completely new (though the method was decades old even then) and made immediate sense. It was so challenging both mentally and physically and so smart, and Michelle knew it was what she needed to address her increasing aches and pains. It was truly life-changing and she kept signing up for more and getting stronger and feeling better. It is this personal experience of the health-giving benefits of Pilates that inspired Michelle to become a teacher and help empower others to learn the method. In Michelle’s words: “It’s a good feeling to see people getting stronger and healthier and to know I’ve had some part in that, and to share my love of Pilates with others.”
It has famously been said that Pilates is stretching with strength and control, and that control is the most important element. Control requires mental focus and concentration. Focus combined with healthful movement results in workouts that leave one refreshed and energized. Michelle’s goal every day with every client is that they finish their workout feeling better than when they started.
Rachel Peterson
Online Certified InstructorRachel was born and raised in South Dakota, where she spent every day in a studio, dancing from a young age. She continued her education at Hope College in Holland, Michigan, pursuing a B.A. in Dance Performance and Choreography. After graduating, she accepted an internship at the Kennedy Center and moved to Washington, DC. That same passion for dance easily translated to Pilates when she began taking classes first at the Kennedy Center from Brianne and then more seriously at Excel Pilates DC. Rachel soon found that her love for Pilates was becoming more than just a workout or hobby and entered the Teacher Training Program, graduating in 2020. She currently teaches remotely from South Dakota, where she took over as the new owner of her former hometown dance studio.
Susan Reynolds
Certified InstructorSusan received her teacher certification from Excel Pilates in 2013. She began studying Pilates in 2003 in order to develop a more balanced body as she struggled with scoliosis. The patience required in her own journey gives her a unique perspective, and she finds it rewarding to help others grow stronger while finding more balanced, efficient ways of moving through Pilates. Building on earlier training in ballet and modern dance, Susan now teaches and performs the Argentine tango. During the day she’s an acquiring editor of psychology books for a local press.
Tamar Shalvi Kara
Certified InstructorTamar was born and raised in Jerusalem, Israel, and moved to the DC area in July 2023. She started Pilates after the birth of her twins and was diagnosed with Diastasis Recti and hernia. Tamar found that Pilates was the only thing that helped get her body back in shape. She began training in 2019 at the Joseph Studio of Classical Pilates in Jerusalem, Israel. She received her certification from the Joseph Pilates teachers program in 2021 and taught there for two years. Tamar strongly believes in learning and maintaining the classical method.
Julia Bozzolo
Certified InstructorJulia began studying Pilates in 2019. It was a timely discovery and natural progression in her newfound focus on wellness after having multiple children as well as increasingly feeling the muscular imbalance of scoliosis. After her first weeks of classes and private instruction, she knew that classical Pilates’ holistic approach, combined with the highly personalized instruction at Excel, was the perfect choice in her mission to rebuild strength.
With 20 years of experience in copyediting and publications management, Julia’s professional background has also included ventures into cake decorating and co-founding an education non-profit to support DC public school teachers. In 2022, Julia decided to take the next step in advancing her Pilates practice by applying for a Great Streets DC scholarship for the Excel Teacher Training Program, ultimately earning her Pilates certification in 2023.
Julia strongly believes in the enduring impact and sustainability of Pilates as an exercise practice for all bodies regardless of experience or previous movement practices. She’s eager to continue her pursuit of understanding healthy movement and guiding others in building strength using the Pilates principles.
Ryan Aghabozorg
Certified InstructorRyan Omid Aghabozorg, NCPT, is a classically trained, 3rd generation teacher of the Pilates Method of Body Conditioning (Contrology). With a deep appreciation for the ingenuity of Joseph and Clara Pilates’ body of work, Ryan is passionate about sharing the magic of the original Method with others. He has personally experienced the transformative power of regular Pilates practice, which he describes as a fountain of resilience.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ryan discovered Pilates and marveled at how it enhanced his proprioception and helped quiet his persistent lower back pain. Not only did it make him feel taller and more agile, it also brought him a great sense of physical and emotional well-being. In 2023, he received a Great Streets DC scholarship for the 700-hour Teacher Training Program at Excel Pilates in Washington, D.C and is a Nationally Certified Pilates Teacher (NCPT) through the National Pilates Certification Program (NPCP).
Ryan moved to Washington, D.C., in 2013 after serving in the Peace Corps in Togo, where he worked in Community Health and AIDS prevention. By day, he serves as an Activity Manager at Q2 Impact, contributing to learning activities for the U.S. Agency for International Development. He holds bachelor’s degrees in Biology and Psychology from The University of Texas at Austin and is conversationally fluent in Persian and French.
Fundamentally, the Pilates Method of Body Conditioning (Contrology) helps one achieve a union of mind, body, and spirit. Ryan’s sincere belief and conviction is that everyone can contribute their best selves to the world by practicing Pilates.
Katie
Certified InstructorKatie is a third generation Classical Pilates teacher. She recently graduated from the Excel Teacher Training program in 2023 and was a recipient of the Great Streets DC Grant.
Katie started practicing classical pilates in 2013 while living in Boston. Through both her own practice and in her teacher training, she has deeply appreciated that the method designed by Joseph Pilates is about what you CAN do. She loves seeing people MOVE and find deeper connections within their bodies to discover more strength and mobility, wherever they are today.
After years as a competitive swimmer, Katie developed a neuromuscular condition that required surgery and resulted in years of chronic pain. As a result, her ability to exercise became limited and inconsistent for several years. Managing the pain from this condition sparked Katie’s curiosity in bodywork and led her to study massage and bodywork in 2008 and to work as a licensed massage therapist in Massachusetts for 9 years. This appreciation for bodywork and functional movement and injuries informs her teaching. Once Katie discovered classical Pilates and the supportive environment focused on movement, she found a means to feel longer and stronger in her body once again. She is grateful for the profound impact on her quality of life Pilates has offered and enjoys seeing others experience their own progress.
For the last 15 years, Katie has worked as a tour manager for renowned musicians traveling internationally–managing logistics, accounting and all non-technical facets of touring. When on tour, she does Pilates on days off in hotel gyms! She graduated from Boston University with a Bachelor of Science in Communication and also in Psychology. Outside of the studio and touring, she enjoys spending time with her family – especially her nephew and twin nieces – and her dog, Atticus, who keeps her moving everyday!
Robin
Certified InstructorRobin Neveu Brown is a third generation Pilates instructor and has been practicing Pilates since 1999 and teaching the method for 17 years. As an instructor, her goals are to help others develop their mind/body connection, discover their strength, and restore a balance of stability and mobility. In addition to her Pilates training, she brings to her teaching her expertise as a professional dancer, somatic movement educator, and lifelong student of anatomy and applied kinesiology. Additionally, Robin is certified in the Laban/Bartenieff Movement System. This training makes her a keen observer of movement patterns that do and do not serve the mover, as well as an adept teacher with a facility for language that gets the mover connecting to their body right away.
Robin loves working with all kinds of people and all levels of prior experience with exercise. As a mother of two, she has a particular passion for working with postpartum women, no matter how many years since they carried a child. The abdominals, back muscles, and pelvic floor muscles CAN and DO return to connection and wholeness, even decades after childbearing!
As a passionate movement artist and teacher, Robin works across many fields and in diverse settings. In addition to teaching Pilates and dance, she also works in public schools as an arts integration teaching artist with the Wolf Trap Institute and Arts for Learning Maryland. She works alongside classroom teachers and parents, helping adults to access their inner child’s innate improvisational and collaborative skills in order to strengthen adult-child relationships and support learning. Robin is also a trained birth doula, helping birthing people and their partners navigate and move through the processes of pregnancy, labor, and birth.