Allison Szczukowski

As a mother of three boys, twice as many dogs, and the founder of the company, Allison Szczukowski has over ten years of experience teaching Pilates and brings an abundance of laughter, raucous joy, and creativity to her classes and business alike. Allison took her first Pilates lesson in 2008 and immediately fell in love. Soon after her third and last son left for college in 2009, she began her certifications from Balance Body. Currently, she is  trained in Pilates, Barre, and Core Align.

Annie Pokrywka

Annie’s extensive experience in the dance/exercise/wellness industry spans over 20 years.  Upon graduating from U of MD with a BS in Kinesiology, she discovered Pilates and was instantly intrigued with the comprehensiveness of the repertoire and principles.  Certifying through the Physical Mind Institute, she completed courses in Mat, Apparatus, Standing Pilates, and Pilates for Golf.  Her classes are uniquely composed of various styles, ranging from the classical Pilates routine to the latest protocols or systems she’s studying, such as Nutritious Movement, Functional Movement Systems, or Anatomy Trains.  She believes educating others with the knowledge of the hows and whys of the exercise is important in order to convey the necessity, as well as to increase confidence and motivation, of outside-the-studio movement requirements.

Chris Johnson

Chris Johnson comes to us with a long a varied fitness background. Certified as a personal trainer in 1998, she modified her work to include a comprehensive Pilates certification in 2005. Since then she has shared her knowledge to working with a chiropractor and physical therapy office as well as in a private studio setting. Her focus has been to break down exercises to all levels and to accommodate those with physical challenges. 

Alexandra Olson

Alexandra Olson started dancing at the tender age of 2. She trained in all styles of dance at the prestigious studio Juliana’s Academy of Dance located in the Metro Detroit Area. She then went on to dance for the NBA with the Detroit Pistons Dancers, NFL with the Detroit Lions as a Detroit Pride Cheerleader and more recently the NBA Entertainment Team with the Washington Wizards. Throughout her professional dance career, she had the privilege of dancing with Calvin Harris, The Goo Goo Dolls, Jesse McCartney, Kid Rock and many more. After moving to Maryland, she continued her training with the Washington Redskins Cheerleader’s Training Program and at Anne Arundel Community College. She was a soloist dancer in the AACC Company and graduated Summa Cum Laude with an Associates of Fine Arts with a concentration in Dance. Alexandra has been teaching many styles of dance for the past decade both with high school dance teams and private studios. She has won multiple choreography awards and continues to teach/choreograph focusing on jazz, hip hop, lyrical/contemporary, and pom. Alexandra began teaching pilates in 2020 and has earned her Reformer level I, II, and III certifications through Balanced Body University. She is also certified in Pilates Fuse Ladder and level I in Crossfit. She is passionate about teaching her clients how to have a healthy and active lifestyle through movement.

Laura Geller

Pilates Director/cross courts

2003 – 2018 Developed Pilates Program at elite Tennis Club, responsible for studio design, scheduling clients, and instructing private and group sessions

pilates instructor/Body watts

2003 – 2008 Responsible for individual and group sessions on Pilates apparatus and mat 

Master Level Training Program / 2018, The Pilates Center, Boulder, CO

The Articulate Eye Training Program / 2003, The American Dance Institute in Rockville, MD.

Continuing Education / 2005 – present, Michelle Larson, Scoliosis issues and Amy Lang, “Reconnecting to the spring, studied under author and founder of The Franklin Method, Eric Franklin, Dynamic Alignment Through Imagery, Pelvic Power, and Relax Your Neck Liberate Your Shoulders, Kevin Bowen, Pilates Method Alliances Executive Director and Wendy LeBlanc’s’ “Dome Arcs and Spirals: The Core Connections Pilates Perspective of Interactive Anatomy”.

Emily Cicotte

Emily is a dedicated Pilates instructor certified in Reformer through Balance Body University. Emily has a strong background in group fitness. Her passion for health and wellness has been evident from a young age, driving her commitment to helping individuals live pain-free lives. Emily’s approach focuses on empowering her clients through movement and personalized support.

In addition to her expertise in Pilates, she enjoys running, and exploring music, balancing her professional life with personal interests. Emily cherishes spending quality time with her two children, which enrich her life and inspire her commitment to promoting a healthy lifestyle.

Kara Miller

Kara Miller came to yoga for relief from back pain years and decided to make yoga her primary source of fitness for both mind and body. Kara completed her 200-hour yoga training at Amazing Yoga, a Baron Baptiste power affiliate. She strives to make her classes challenging yet accessible to all ages and flexibility levels. Kara teaches a vinyasa style flow, in which movement is connected by the breath, emphasizing modifications to enhance student experience.

Brittany Harrison

Brittany's yoga journey began when she was in college pursuing her BS degree in Exercise Science from Towson University. While attending Towson University, Brittany took Yoga classes as a way to rehab her knee after suffering from a torn MCL years prior. Brittany has several years experience leading group exercise classes and personal training which gave her a solid physiology background when she decided to register for YTT. Brittany is 200-hour RYT who received her certification from Blue Lotus Yoga Studio. In addition to guiding students to connect their minds and bodies through their practice, Brittany is passionate about safety and proper postural alignment. Students can expect to learn the foundation of each pose and ways to strengthen their bodies in order to avoid injury.

Off the mat Brittany enjoys traveling, live music, taking her Aussie on adventures and boating with her husband.

 Eleanor Denegre 

 Eleanor Denegre began studying and practicing Yoga as a teenager to build strength and grounding for her career in theater and dance as a performer and a Theater Specialist at the NEA. Her practice cultivates resilience, stillness, and focus within the “noise” of daily life and her Yoga inquiry is how to create freedom and joy within the constraints of desks and schedules. Eleanor is a 500-hour Kripalu Professional Teacher and a certified Interdisciplinary Yoga Teacher, Nosara Yoga Institute. She studied Yoga with Swami Neeladevananda and corporeal expression with French artist Etienne Decroux and with theater artists Henry K Tomaszewski and Jerzy Grotowski as a Kosciuszko Foundation Fellow in Poland. She has been honored to teach at the Athenaeum Gallery in Alexandria, VA, C2 Fitness, and the Justice Department for over 17 years in Washington, D.C. Since moving to Oxford, MD, Eleanor has offered Hatha, Restorative, and Chair Yoga classes and a Pilates Mat class. 

Katelyn Spielman

Katelyn is a massage therapist and 200 hour registered yoga teacher focused on be-friending the body through mindfulness and the mind-body connection. I have just completed my first certification of Balance Body Corealign which is like vertical Pilates.

In her spare time you can find her fundraising and advocating the type 1 diabetics around the globe - a community she found herself a part of when she was 5 years old.

Rachel Taylor

Rachel is a Yogi and body movement enthusiast. With a B.S. in Kinesiology from the University of Maryland, College Park, Rachel is passionate about body mechanics and loves sharing her knowledge and love of yoga with other yogis. As an RYT-200 Yoga Instructor, Rachel focuses on connecting body movement with one's mind, building strength, and improving flexibility. Being certified in Barre and Pilates, Rachel can help incorporate the Fuse Ladder into your fitness and wellbeing lifestyle. Rachel has a lacrosse and equestrian background. She grew up playing lacrosse, riding horses, training horses, and participating in Pony Club. When she is not in the studio, you’ll find this boy mom playing outside with her son, coaching soccer, volunteering for Little League, or canoeing down the Chester River. See you on the mat and ladder!