Movements Afoot’s Blog

 

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Lesley Powell, the founder and director of Movements Afoot, has been a private fitness trainer since 1986. She received her CMA/Certification as a Movement Analyst from the Laban/Bartenieff institute, and shares her knowledge and wisdom in movement therapy with physical therapists, medical practitioners and sports training institutes as an adjunct modality for re-educating patients approach to fitness.

She has been a trainer at Sports Training Institute, Doral Fitness, Plus One, Dr. Bacharach’s Osteopathic Center for Sports and Dance Medicine and JRW, a physical therapy practice using Pilates for rehabilitation. Lesley was on the faculty of Drew University from 1991-2001, teaching classes in modern dance, dance history and choreography.

Lesley Powell founded Movements Afoot with the philosophy of teaching people the basic concepts of movement theory: proper movement initiation, integrating breath with movement and spinal integrity, by equipping people with the necessary tools for a lifetime of fitness and wellness. All training at Movements Afoot addresses every aspect of fitness needed to get ‘grounded’ for any activity, enhance athletic performance, and insure safer workout habits.

Since it’s inception in 1993, the Director of Movements Afoot, Lesley Powell has appeared in many articles about Mind Body Fitness including Elle, Newsday, the Village Voice, Shape Magazine, etc. In addition to her public recognition in the print media, Lesley Powell has worked closely with Joan Briebart, the President of the PhysicalMind Institute, on Pilates’ educational materials. Lesley’s consulting experience led to a unique project using an animated video to demonstrate the Pilates mat work. Lesley also assisted the PhysicalMind Institute in the development of Standing Pilates and it’s upcoming publication “Standing Pilates” available in book stores Spring 2005. Lesley continues to teach at Movements Afoot as well as guest lecture internationally sharing her expertise on the body and fitness.

Lesley is now faculty for BalancedBody University for the teaching of professional Pilates teachers.

Mandy Chan is originally from Hong Kong. She began her professional dance training at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts receiving her B.F.A. in Dance with First Class Honors. Right after graduation, she was awarded a two years scholarship from the Hong Kong Jockey Club Music and Dance Fund to pursue her study in New York. In 2002, she’s received her M.F.A. in Dance from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. Mandy has created dance works and worked with different choreographers throughout NYC. She is also a Ballet instructor at Brooklyn’s Covenant Dance Studio.

Mandy got her Pilates certification through Physicalmind Institute at Movements Afoot and has been an adjunct Pilates Instructor at Kingsborough Community College. Her class emphasizes on realigning and reshaping all the parts of the body equally and heightens the body/mind awareness of how moving your body in space. It also challegens your balancing skills in order to improve the posture, motor skills dancing and athletic performance.

Kim Fielding’s passion and belief in Pilates started when doing Pilates at Movements Afoot. She felt and realized the strength of all her muscles, tendons and joints. Old injuries healed. She was able to move and dance again in a gleeful, efficient way. Her clients range in age from 12 to 80 years of age. They consist of people who want to be healthy, heal an injury, rid and manage pain, increase self-esteem, increase quality of life and increase performance of dancers and athletes.

Fielding got her B.A. in Psychology and did her Master’s program at Springfield College in Health Promotion/Wellness Management with and advanced certificate of study in Counseling. Kim’s working career includes the following: Director for the Women’s Health Center at the JCC in West Orange, New Jersey, health and group exercise director for three health clubs in NJ, rehabilitation specialist at Recovery Physical Therapy and as a personal trainer for Equinox.

Kimberly Fielding is a Certified Pilates Instructor and Movement Specialist at Movements Afoot Pilates Studio, in NYC, New York. Fielding is also certified as a Rehabilitation Specialist, group exercise and personal trainer instructor and has specialized training in MS and Parkinson’s Disease, and was trained as a sexual assault crisis intervention specialist. Fielding is a student in the Somatic Movement Teacher Training program, SMTT with Dr. Martha Eddy.

Yuu Fujita’s clients effuse that she has the ability to be more in touch with their bodies and movements than they do! She likes to bring her clients into perfect form, but does this with a level of patience and positive input that encourages them to advance their technique, and improve their overall level of fitness. Yuu incorporates her dance background into her instruction by focusing on proper form, flexibility, and building body strength.

Yuu grew up in Kyoto, Japan, and has been a dancer since the age of 5. She came to New York to study, and holds a BA in dance from Hunter College. She apprenticed with Lesley Powell at Movements Afoot where she received her full Pilates certification from the Physical Mind Institute. She holds an additional certification in standing Pilates, a field that was pioneered by Ms. Powell. Complementing her Pilates training, she has studied Yoga, Alexander Technique, Yamuna Body Rolling Technique, and Thai Bodywork. She has studied anatomy and kinesiology with Irene Dowd, Shelly Studenberg, and Lisa Love. Yuu works with people ranging from the age of 12 to 95, and has focused training in scoliosis and joint replacement protocol as well as pre-natal and post-natal clients. She continues to perform dance with well known choreographers such as Noemi Lafrance and C. Eule Dance, and is a member of the Idea Health and Fitness Association. During client workouts, Yuu keeps her clients moving while explaining Pilates principles and offering corrections about technique. The workouts are deep and intense, but her attitude is always lighthearted and positive. She likes to make the work of changing your body shape and posture both productive and fun.

KIM GIBILISCO has been teaching Pilates in academic settings and studios in NYC, NJ and VA for over 14 years.  She received her Pilates training through Polestar Education and Stott Pilates.  In the first wave of instructors to sit for the national exam, she became a Board Certified Instructor through the Pilates Method Alliance in 2005, and currently serves on the Certification Steering Committee. Kim holds an MFA from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and an MA from New York University.  Her articles, workouts and Mat Teacher Training program design have been featured in Pilates Style Magazine, Pilates-Pro.com and Dance Spirit Magazine.  Prior to pursuing her career as a Pilates instructor, Kim toured as a principal dancer of Murray Louis and Nikolais Dance.

 

Doris Pasteleur Hall is internationally known as a Pilates’ teacher. Her Pilates training began in the 1970′s with Alan Herdman famed for opening the first Pilates Studio in Britain and introducing Pilates to the UK. Subsequently, Doris came to New York to study with Romana Kryszanowska and then Carola Trier, who became her mentor. Through her work with New York’s Movements Afoot and Japan’s Pilates Movements Space, Doris has been using her instincts as a Movement Educator, instructing teacher training programs and professional continuing education workshops. Naturally blending different movement modalities, she creates workshops that balance anatomy, observation, cueing and hands-on work. Her own workshop series “Deepening your Pilates,” is designed to tackle the various professional concerns and ambitions. Doris has already been invited to teach the “Deepening your Pilates” workshop series at several studios in the North East and looks forward to bringing it to the UK and Asia. Further informing Doris’ movement knowledge is her years as a professional dancer as well as studying kineshetic anatomy with Irene Dowd and BMC with Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen. Her teaching experience includes Pilates and Yoga workshops to the Joffrey Ballet and Alvin Ailey dance companies respectively, She is in the process of becoming a Certified Laban Movement Analyst.  Doris brings a unique integration the multi-disciplines of Yoga, BMC and Laban through Pilates. Doris is always working to guide, inspire and challenge her students in their own practice and mind body connection.

Ellie Kusner began taking pilates as a student at The Boston Ballet School over 15 years ago. Her teaching is influenced by her ongoing work as a professional dancer, her study of Alexander and the Stough breathing technique with Gwen Ellison, pilates with Clarice Marshall, and the many amazing teachers at Movements Afoot, including, of course, Lesley Powell! Ellie believes that a little humor is a great compliment to serious pilates study, and that specific execution of the exercises can change your life!! Ellie has a BA from Barnard College. She has taught at Boston Ballet, and at several studios throughout New York. She has been teaching at Movements Afoot since 2006.

Amy Matthews, CMA, RSMT/RSME has been teaching movement since 1994. She is a Certified Laban Movement Analyst and a Body-Mind Centering™ Practitioner. Amy has been on the faculty of the Year-Long Certificate Program at the Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies since 2000, and teaches embodied asana classes and workshops at Movements Afoot, the Breathing Project and the Society for Martial Arts Instruction in NYC. Amy works privately as a movement therapist, integrating Laban Movement Analysis, Bartenieff Fundamentals, yoga and Body-Mind Centering™. Certified as a yoga teacher by Heart of Yoga and Yoga Union, and as a Motherhand Shiatsu practitioner, Amy is registered with ISMETA as a Somatic Movement Therapist and Educator, and is registered as a E-RYT at the 500-hour level through Yoga Alliance.

Peter Mei has always been passionate about sports and fitness dating back to his teenage years and played collegiate and semi-pro football. He is a personal trainer and owned a full service fitness center. Four years ago Peter discovered Pilates to rehabilitate his own Injuries from playing football and became a enthusiast instantly. With the help of Lesley Powell and BBU certification course, he realized the importance of mind body practices. Peter has a unique Pilates teaching style and specialize in rehabilitation, injury prevention and tonning. “I believe in balance, there are no such thing as one style of training is greater than other, every practice and training program should be tailored made to suit the needs of each individual. Look beyond the methods, it is the result that matters.”

Jennifer Long

Denise Vidal Born and raised in Philadelphia,PA, Denise has danced Professionally with the Kansas City Ballet and as a guest artist with the Pennsylvania Ballet and The Aspen Santa Fe ballet. She is currently dancing with the Metropolitan Opera and is also a founding member of the New Chamber Ballet, in New York City. Her Pilates training started in Philadelphia under Lea Yeager and continues with Lesley Powell and Doris Pasteleur Hall through the PhysicalMind . Denise also teaches at The Ellie Herman Studio in Brooklyn. With her dancing backround and Pilates knowledge Denise hopes to bring awareness to her clients’ bodies and joy to their movement.

 

Nicola Weiner graduated with a Master’s of Physical Therapy from the University of Miami in 1999. Nicola received her Pilates Certification in 1998 through Polestar Pilates. Integrating her background in dance, yoga and massage therapy, Nicola incorporates manual therapy with movement re-education to facilitate greater ease and function in an effort to improve each individual’s quality of life.

Lavinia Long is from Brazil and she came to the United States in 1993 to study dance. She got her pilates teacher certification in 2002 from PhysicaMind Institute. She has been teaching pilates at Movements Afoot and David Barton Gym since November 2002. She has also done workshops with Lesley Powell, Shelly Studenberg and Irene Dowd. Lavinia has been a model and contributor in many of Movements Afoot’s educational materials and promotions.

 

Laura Gates is a Certified Hanna Somatic Educator (CHSE) and practitioner living in New York City. She is a former professional dancer, toured internationally with the Lar Lubovitch Dance Co. in the 70s and 80s, and earned an MFA degree in dance from Bennington College. She brings 30 years experience as a movement educator to her work and has training in deep tissue body work with Tyr Throne, anatomy with Irene Dowd, and Clinical Somatic Education at the Somatic Systems Institute, Northampton, MA. You may contact her with questions at 718 350 0637 or Laura@fullmovementpotential.com.

Dr. Martha Eddy, RSMT, CMA, Ed.D., founder and director of the Center for Kinesthetic Education (CKE), brings to the fields of health, wellness and education, her strong belief in the power of movement and somatic awareness to enhance lives. She received her doctorate from Teachers College, Columbia University in movement science and education in 1998, and has a Masters of Arts in Applied Physiology and a Bachelors degree in Dance Education. She was an adjunct assistant professor in the Teachers College, Columbia University Dance Education Program for ten years.