Oakland Instructor Bios

OAKLAND TRAINERS

Bonnie Gaynor, Rehabilitation Specialist & Senior Trainer
Bonnie was fortunate to feel the healing benefits of Pilates as an injured dance minor at SFSU over 10 years ago. After suffering a major knee injury halfway through her first pregnancy, Bonnie once again was healed by Pilates. Deciding that she must dive deeper into the world of Pilates and teach others this unique exercise, she enrolled in Carol LeMaitre and Sharon Gallagher’s teacher training in 2006. She has since studied with Eric Franklin, Lizz Roman, Peter Fiasca, and Alycia Ungaro. Her style focuses on Joseph Pilates’ classical repertoire with modern adaptations as well as Janda Vladimier’s rehabilitation techniques.
Working with injured clients to teachers in training, Bonnie enjoys the versatility of Pilates and is currently a Senior Trainer, Student Mentor and Rehab Specialist at Ellie Herman Studios In Oakland. Two children and three knee surgeries later, Bonnie loves Pilates more than ever and has never felt stronger.

Paige Starling Sorvillo, Rehabilitation Specialist & Senior Trainer
Paige is a Pilates practitioner, bodyworker and performing artist based in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1997. Having been a dancer since age 3 and drawn to Pilates practice through a repetitive strain injury of her own, Paige’s work draws on both her extensive experience with both western contemporary and Japanese Butoh dance as well as on her continued study of diverse therapeutic movement forms and therapeutic massage techniques.
Paige focuses her practice on healing and balance for the whole person and believes that release-based work partnered with targeted strengthening can allow painful and/or inefficient movement patterns to dissolve making room for more easeful pain-free patterns to emerge. Her detailed, intuitive and creative teaching of the Pilates method for rehabilitation is balanced by her vigorous and precise group teaching challenging and entertaining the most demanding fitness-based clients. Originally certified in the Pilates method by Ellie Herman in 2001, Paige has further focused her practice via continuing education in Pilates-based rehabilitation with Lizz Roman, Polestar Education and many others.

Yaira Carpenter, Senior Trainer & Rehabilitation Specialist
Originally from Toronto, Canada, Yaira has lived in Northern California since 1994 and has a BA from UC Berkeley in Ancient Near Eastern Civilizations. Her movement experience comes from a diverse variety of dance, yoga, aerobic and strength training. She has practiced Pilates in the Bay Area since 2001 and was certified through Ellie Herman’s Teacher Training in 2008 and has continued her education with Lizz Roman, Nora St. John and Stephanie Forster. Yaira specializes in special populations including injury prevention/rehabilitiation, osteoporosis, and Pre- and Post- Natal Pilates. Currently Yaira is a Senior Trainer and Rehabilitation Specialist at Ellie Herman Studios in Oakland.

Anne Fearnehough, Certified Trainer
Anne completed Ellie’s teacher training in 2010. Her movement background is in classical ballet and dance. She danced with the Stockton Ballet as a child and studied at with Madame Valentina Belova out of Santa Cruz, CA as a young adult. Anne’s interest in Pilates comes from her dance experience and also learning to manage pain and muscle imbalances from scoliosis. Anne is continuing her education with a focus on addressing issues from scoliosis and back pain. Anne hopes to share her love of movement and her personal experience of balanced of mind and body through the Pilates Method.

Amie Ross, Certified Trainer
Amie has always been interested in the capabilities of the human body. She participated in many activities growing up including softball, basketball, soccer, ice skating and cross country. After receiving her B.S. in Exercise and Movement Science from the University of Oregon, she moved to the SF Bay Area. Amie began working at a Pilates-based physical therapy clinic in Oakland and decided to get her certification in the Pilates Method. She completed Ellie Herman’s Teacher Training in 2007 and has been teaching Pilates ever since. Amie expanded her training in Arizona where she worked at a studio that focused exclusively on the Classical Pilates Method.
Amie believes that every body can benefit from Pilates! Regardless of level, from the super-fit to the soon-to-be-fit, from the injured to the athlete, every person can use the Pilates Method to improve their posture, alignment, strength, flexibility and general well-being. As Joseph Pilates said, “Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness.”
Amie’s teaching style is very energetic. She emphasizes flowing movement and up-beat, fast-paced classes. She wants her clients to learn, feel challenged and have fun during their session!

Amy Delong-Martin, Certified Trainer
Amy has been a professional dancer for the past 12 years, and dance instructor for 10. She has a BFA in dance, and a BA in Spanish from the University of Arizona. She began studying Pilates with Ellie Herman in the hopes of developing a deeper understanding of Anatomy and to improve her Dance Technique. She found that it helped her in many other areas of life as well. She hopes to use her Pilates knowledge and her extensive movement background, which also includes Martial Arts, Yoga, and Body Mind Centering, to help her clients reach their fitness goals.

Britt Van Hees, Certified Trainer
As a dancer Britt is fascinated by the strength and grace of movement as well as its physiological basis. She started her Pilates teacher training with Ellie Herman in 2009 to augment her understanding. Since then she has continued to learn more through Pilates, Feldenkrais and other workshops. Currently she is a student in the Doctor of Physical Therapy at Samuel Merritt University. She combines her knowledge of dance, Pilates and physical therapy to not only strengthen but also educate clients about their bodies. She believes that clients must be empowered with understanding of their own bodies in order to effectively and safely exercise and do the things they love.

Elizabeth Morales, Certified Trainer
Elizabeth is a dancer, choreographer, dance teacher, Pilates instructor, and student of life. Currently, she is a full time MFA candidate at Mills College, majoring in Choreography and Performance. She is also a company member and choreographic assistant for Paco Gomes and Dancers, and certified Pilates instructor with Ellie Herman Studio.
Elizabeth’s FUNdamentals class focuses on efficient use of the body through proper understanding of the fundamental Pilates exercises. She focuses on the anatomical function of each basic exercise in order to maximize the usefulness of the Pilates system.

Heather Genschmer, Certified Trainer
Heather has been studying Pilates for almost two years and became certified with Ellie Herman in 2010. As a licensed psychotherapist, Heather has always been interested in the integration of the mind and body and has found Pilates to be an excellent medium for making those connections. Her personal practice has helped her regain her pre-pregnancy body and alleviated chronic back pain dating back to college sports. Heather enjoys teaching rigorous workouts designed to strengthen and sculpt the body.

Kelli Wynne, Certified Trainer
Kelli got the Pilates bug five years ago. Once she experienced the personal impact it had on her own body, she couldn’t get enough, and decided to become a trainer. Certified by Ellie Herman in 2010, Kelli teaches at Ellie Herman Studios, and continually strives to meet the needs of her students, by providing a challenging, fun, and rigorous workout.
A sports enthusiast, competitive waterskiier and avid snow skiier, Kelli approaches her classes from an athletic standpoint, focusing on the “cross training” qualities of Pilates. Her classes build core strength, promote agility and prevent injury so her clients can gain the edge and advantage they need in both work and play. Kelli is married, lives in Walnut Creek and is the mother of a five-year old son.

Kirsten Gerding, Certified Trainer
Kirsten has been moving in one form or another from the time she learned to crawl and is an Ellie Herman Certified Pilates Instructor. At the early age of 12, Kirsten started teaching dance in Hanover, PA. By 14 she was one of the head teachers at the dance studio that she grew up in. She continued her own study of dance at the Baltimore School For the Arts in Baltimore, MD. After graduation Kirsten moved to NYC to pursue her dance/theatre career. Shortly after moving to NYC Kirsten started touring the USA and Canada in Broadway productions such as Jesus Christ Superstar and A Chorus Line. While on tour she became injured and during rehab had her first introduction to Pilates.
Kirsten has studied extensively with Ellie Herman in all apparatuses of Pilates equipment and has been teaching Pilates to people from all walks of life since then. She carries the importance of core strength as it relates to creating a strong and resilient body to her students. With such an extreme background in dance combined with her knowledge of Pilates her teaching style tends to be both challenging and fun. Kirsten is extremely grateful to be blessed with the opportunity to share her knowledge and experience with others every day doing what she truly loves to do!

Nicole Martin, Certified Trainer
My love for movement brought me to Pilates. I run, practice many types of yoga, snowboard, spin, and bike. Feeling comfortable in your own skin and being able to enjoy an active lifestyle is invaluable. I received extensive training in Classical Pilates at the Pilates of Cherry Creek Certification Center and am fully certified as an instructor of the The Pilates Method of Body Conditioning as developed by Joseph Pilates. I have been teaching since 2007 continue to learn more about the techniques and benefits of Pilates with workshops and personal practice.