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Amanda Owens, studio owner

Senior Instructor Trainer for Romana's Pilates lv3

Amanda moved to Dallas in 2005 and began work on her MPA at UTD.  Amanda came to realize Pilates was her passion and with the guidance of Jennifer Holmes, level 3 Romana’s Pilates instructor, she moved to Dallas to complete her Romana’s Pilates certification.   Upon becoming a level 4 instructor in 2009, she purchased Park Cities Pilates Center and has continued to watch it grow and evolve into the highest quality classical studio in Dallas. In 2016, Amanda was promoted to a Level 3 instructor, and is thrilled to be the only training center in the Southwest for Romana’s Pilates.

Amanda works hard to continue the growth of PCPC instructors’ knowledge and skill level by bringing in master instructors from around the world.  It is her mission to continue to provide her regional area with the highest level of Pilates training not only to the clients, but to the Romana’s Pilates instructors who work at various studios in the area.  In addition, Amanda travels frequently to other training centers to continue her growth and study with those who continue to share their knowledge from Romana Kryzanowska, protégé of Joseph Pilates.

Katie Puder

Instructor Trainer with Romana's Pilates lv4

Katie has been teaching Pilates since 2006 and been practicing Pilates since she was a teenager. She starter her career as a ballet dancer, training in Wichita Falls Ballet Theatre, Boston Ballet and Fort Worth Dallas Ballet and then dancing professionally for Metropolitan Classical Ballet. She completed a rigorous certification program under Romana Kryzanowska and Chacha Guerrero. Katie has traveled teaching Pilates in Greece, Iceland, New Orleans and now the DFW Metroplex. In addition to teaching Pilates, she is the founder, director and choreographer for Avant Chamber Ballet.

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Susan Kim, Studio Manager

Instructor Trainer with Romana's Pilates lv4

Susan was born in South Korea, moved to California at the age of 9 and lived there till she met her husband and moved to Dallas in 2012.  She studied Fashion Design in college and has over 14 years of experience in the apparel industry.  She was introduced to Pilates by one of her colleagues and she was instantly hooked.

She’s a mother of two children and has always been active until she became pregnant with her first child.  Minor complications in the beginning of her pregnancy prevented her from exercising and she stayed inactive all through her second pregnancy.  After the birth of her second child, she has decided it was time to get back into shape.  Determined to become a healthier mom, she has chosen Classical Pilates for postpartum recovery.  Her first private Classical Pilates lesson was a game changer for her.  She instantly developed a newfound appreciation for Pilates and set a new goal to study Pilates to share it with others.  Pilates not only gave her a new goal; it gave her new mind and body.  Pilates helped improve her posture, overall strength, relieve body pain and alleviate knee pain she had for over 15 years from arthroscopic surgery.  Now that she has achieved her goal, her new goal is to help others to find passion in Pilates and to benefit from it.

Roxana Emami

Senior Pilates Instructor

Roxana is originally from Iran, moved to Italy in 1993 and after, to United States in 1995. She is fluent in Persian, Italian and English. Roxana learned about Pilates Method in 1996 when living in Berkley, CA and found it to be amazing, physically and mentally!  She started her apprenticeship with Parkcities Pilates in 2003, finished her certification through
Power Pilates in 2005, returned to Parkcities Pilates in 2013 and completed her certification with Romana’s Pilates.  Roxana is also a Yoga teacher based on 200-hour certification program from Gaia Flow and a licensed massage therapist from Sterling school of massage in Dallas TX.

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Michelle Hoffman

Senior Pilates Instructor

Michelle Hoffman came to Pilates in her mid-20s looking for a way to look better physically. She had spent her childhood and college years playing team sports, and wanted to have a leaner physique. She loved Pilates so much as an exercise regimen that she started to eliminate other forms of exercise she had been doing for over a decade- indoor soccer, heavy weightlifting and kickboxing- to see how Pilates could and would change her body. Her passion became her profession through a series of serendipitous encounters, and Michelle was soon working on her first certification with a master instructor outside of Boulder, Colorado. Michelle has been teaching Pilates for almost ten years now since 1993, but in truth, has had Pilates in her own body for almost 20. She decided to return to Pilates education in 2009 and immerse herself in Romana’s Pilates, as it carries on the traditions from the early beginnings of the art. Throughout her journey, Michelle has seen the benefits Pilates has brought aesthetically and physically to her body and life to provide her with strength, flexibility, and endurance for all her daily challenges. She is more than capable of helping you find your own path in Pilates for good health!

Emily McDaniel

Senior Pilates Instructor

Emily began running cross country and track almost 20 years ago. During college at UT, she continued to run 5K, 10K and half marathon races. After graduating in 2001 with a BS in Chemical Engineering, she moved to Dallas and worked in the corporate world for 7 years and kept running as a hobby. Emily found Pilates in 2009 after a knee injury ended her running. From the very first lesson, she knew she had found a new obsession! Pilates combines the discipline, strength and athleticism of running with graceful movements and full body workouts. Emily loves teaching and sharing her love of Pilates with her clients.

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Caroline Atwell

Pilates Instructor

A professional ballet dancer, Pilates instructor, and ballet teacher, Caroline has always had a passion for finding control, grace, and strength through movement. Originally from Charlotte, NC, Caroline grew up training with Charlotte Ballet as well as attending world-renowned programs across the country to pursue her passion. At a young age, Caroline discovered that Pilates was able to help her develop an elegant strength that complemented her dancing and propelled her to a professional level. She received her BS in Ballet and Business from Indiana University in 2017 and afterwards, she spent 3 years dancing professionally with Nevada Ballet in Las Vegas. While in Vegas, she further pursued Pilates, received her Lagree based certification, and has been sharing her love of teaching for 3 years. In 2020, Caroline moved to Dallas to dance with Avant Chamber Ballet and was introduced to Romana’s Pilates and Park Cities Pilates Center. She is thrilled to be joining the staff and sharing her passion with her clientele.

Mary Beth Leal

Pilates Instructor

Mary Beth was born in Nashville, TN and spent her adolescence studying ballet and playing soccer. She fell in love with classical Pilates when her mother introduced her to classical Pilates at a young age to improve her strength, and, flexibility for ballet. Mary Beth is currently enrolled in school to study Kinesiology, which she hopes to use knowledge of body movement to further her path in Classical Pilates. She is excited to get keep learning every day and becoming a part of a team that feels like family.

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Lauren Perella Wilson

Pilates Instructor

Lauren was born and raised in Dallas, TX and attended Highland Park High School, just around the corner. Lauren graduated from the University of Alabama with a Fashion Merchandising degree and spent almost 11 years with Neiman Marcus in the buying office and then the marketing sector before leaving and becoming a mom to her young son Knox.

In 2018, Lauren became a certified yoga instructor while in the corporate world. She has always had a passion for helping others and teaching. After suffering a fractured pelvis at the end of 2019, she had to take time off and recover. She was first introduced to Pilates through her mother who has been taking classes at Park Cities Pilates for almost 20 years. Lauren credits Classical Pilates for helping her regain her strength and flexibility and changing her mindset.  Her injury and postpartum still limits her from doing certain exercises, but she only continues to get stronger. With her love of teaching and helping others, Lauren is excited to join the Park Cities Pilates team.

Leah Yoo

Pilates Instructor

Originally from South Korea, Leah made her way to the United States in 2012, where she pursued a degree in management at Northeastern University. She is fluent in both English and Korean.

While working as a full-time medical coder, she encountered the all-too-familiar challenge of chronic knee and back pain. These pains disrupted her regular gym sessions as well as her everyday life, leading her to a pivotal moment of discovering the remarkable benefits of Pilates. Through several transformative sessions, Leah not only found relief from her pain but also a newfound appreciation for the strength and alignment that Pilates can bring to one’s life.

This life-changing experience ignited her desire to share this knowledge and well-being with others, inspiring her to make Pilates her professional career. Leah embarked on her Pilates journey as a student at Park Cities Pilates, where she rapidly excelled through a variety of courses, distinguishing herself as a top performer in her cohort.

For Leah, Pilates extends beyond mere exercise; it represents a holistic approach to wellness, posture, and self-discovery. She’s passionate about improving the lives of others and is genuinely thrilled to be part of the Park Cities Pilates team.

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Nicole Jin

Pilates Instructor

In 2012, Nicole relocated to the United States with her husband. Prior to her role at Park Cities Pilates Center, Nicole dedicated nearly a decade of her professional life to serving as a business manager and consultant within the dental clinic industry. Having grown up in multiple countries Nicole is a native speaker of both Chinese and Korean.

Nicole’s personal encounter with Pilates occurred during a challenging chapter in her life. Following the birth of her cherished son, she grappled with back pain, a lack of energy, shifts in her body shape, and the overwhelming burden of mental stress. Through unwavering commitment and dedicated Pilates training, she underwent a remarkable transformation in both her physical and mental well-being. As Joseph Pilates once eloquently stated, it was her ticket to “Return to Life.” Fuelled by her profound personal experience, Nicole is fervently dedicated to sharing her journey with others and helping them embark on their own paths toward improved well-being and vitality.

Grace Alexander

Pilates Instructor

Coming from a long line of Texans, Grace calls North Texas her homebase. Born in Japan, Grace lived in multiple states as a military dependent, where she enjoyed living around people from all over the world. Grace began ballet training at age 11 and learned from many wonderful instructors who impacted her life beyond the studio. She enjoyed the constant challenge of moving, training, and performing in various states and taught ballet to adults and children in Plano. Grace was introduced to Romana Pilates at age 14 as part of the ballet training program by Romana’s son, Paul Mejia.
Like many athletes, experiencing injury as a dancer leads Grace to appreciate the rehabilitative, healing nature of Pilates which builds up and strengthens the body and mind. Similarly to ballet, Grace appreciates how Pilates continuously pushes one for personal self-improvement and encourages one to never stop learning. When Grace is not working out or teaching, she enjoys spending time with her twin sister, playing with her dogs, working with her mom in their family real estate business, and finishing up her B.S. in Religion and Global Studies.”

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Kathryn Alexander

Pilates Instructor

Kathryn was introduced to Romana’s Pilates at age 14 when she moved from Houston Ballet Academy to study under Romana’s son, Paul Mejia, in Dallas Fort Worth (DFW). As a military kid, Kathryn was born in Japan and made many out-of-state moves. While North Texas is her homebase, she loves her many years in California, D.C., VA, and more.
Kathryn believes Romana Pilates invites instructors and clients into an exclusive community with its international focus on health, where people can learn from one another and obtain unlimited personal growth. Kathryn knows courage equals risk, and has seen firsthand how taking a first step in trying something new can change one’s entire life for the better.
As a former dancer, Kathryn trained and performed in different states and enjoyed teaching ballet to adults and students in Plano. Understanding injury from her personal ballet experiences, Kathryn appreciates how Romana Pilates facilitates life-long health and rehabilitation. When Kathryn is not working out or teaching, she enjoys spending time with her sister, playing with her dogs, working with her mom in their family real estate business, and completing her B.S. in Religion and Global Studies.