Instructors

Nancy W. 

Owner

Nancy completed her apprenticeship and was certified with Dorothee VandeWalle at Metropolitan Pilates in Seattle, WA. Soon after completing her certification she decided to open her own studio in Bellevue, WA in June of 2008. Nancy lives her life wholeheartedly believing in the power of Pilates. Through her own studio, she is able to pass along her joy and dedication of Pilates or ‘Contrology’ as named by Joseph Pilates when he pioneered the Authentic Method, to her clients. Nancy compares the Pilates Method to the likeness of a scientific formula that, when applied correctly, completely transforms the body. Time and time again Nancy and her team prove this theory by their own physical achievements and those of their clients! Nancy believes that Pilates was created for every BODY, and that everyone can do Pilates no matter your age, limitations or fitness history.

As fitness trends and fads come into play and fade, Pilates has remained a constant. Nancy swears by Pilates, she takes lessons 2-4 times a week from the instructors at the studio, this helps keep the mind and body sharp and working with your peers is some of the most beneficial motivation. Nancy’s studio was the first Authentic Pilates studio in Bellevue using all Gratz equipment and employing instructors certified by second and third generation Pilates Teacher Trainers. Nancy is truly a visionary and has a heart for helping others reach their goals and find happiness through physical fitness!

Robin

Client Relations Manager / Working Remotely from Colorado

Robin is the voice of all communication at Nancy Wallace Pilates. She is the manager of client relationships and daily operations and will do everything in her power to make your experience at the Pilates studio a great one.

Robin’s first Pilates class was on her first day working at Nancy Wallace Pilates of Bellevue, and she takes weekly Pilates Classes from the instructors, so she’s able to really understand each instructors’ individual techniques. Don’t hesitate to ask her questions! Robin will be your go-to for anything you need regarding your Pilates schedule or instructors, she is always happy to help!

Jed W.

Instructor

A combination of movement-training, arts, and meditation define Jed’s approach to exercise and his everyday living.

After suffering a torn major pec tendon that required surgery, he immediately sought a way to restore his physical health and vitality. Pilates was recommended to safely and effectively build back strength, muscle and balance. Jed realized the impressive potential of the exercise and decided to pursue a certification.

With eight years of training and two years teaching martial arts, Jed is an accomplished athlete and personal trainer. He received his black belt in Taekwondo and trained in Merpati Putih: level Balik III. Jed enjoys the quintessential pursuits of a Pacific North-Westerner; hiking, Rewilding and tending to his urban farm at home.

Kim H.

Instructor

Kim has been teaching for almost 10 years and loves Pilates more than when she started. She trained at Pilates Seattle International, and is certified through Romana’s Pilates. Kim genuinely believes Pilates is good for everyone, regardless of age or physical fitness. Her workouts are tailored to the client in front of her whether it be working around an injury or training an elite athlete.

She also enjoys being the student herself. Taking lessons and keeping up on continuing education are top priorities. Staying strong and flexible helps her to enjoy all the wonderful outdoor activities we have here in the Great Northwest.

Tiger Z.

Instructor

Tiger Zane first encountered Pilates after running the Paris marathon in 2006. Six months of intense training and the marathon itself had left her with an injured hip. On the recommendation of a friend, she began taking weekly Pilates lessons at Metropolitan Pilates in Seattle. She immediately saw her body transform and loved the results… better posture, no more low back pain, rebuilding her hip strength and a growing sense of self confidence!

After 9 years of study as a client, Tiger enrolled in the year-long apprenticeship and certification program with Dorothee Vandewalle in Seattle. She is dedicated and inspired by the profound physical and mental benefits of Pilates. Tiger is also a Life and Voice coach leading women’s retreats; she believes that Pilates is an integral part of health and aging beautifully.

Erika M.

Instructor

Erika is very excited to join the NWP team! Over the last year, Erika has been actively engaged in the apprenticeship program at Metropolitian Pilates with Dorothee Vandewalle and completed over 900 hours of practicing and training. Prior to the apprenticeship, she was an active client here at Nancy Wallace Pilates taking privates and group classes 3-4x a week! Pilates has been life changing for Erika and she truly believes in the benefits it brings to each individual through the thoughtful work and commitment they put into it. 

She originally fell in love with Pilates in 2008 after an snowboarding injury and partially torn her ACL. Her physical therapist recommended classic authentic pilates as a way to avoid surgery and strengthen the muscles around the torn knee. After 6 weeks, Erika was able to move her knee normally and was back on the mountain the following season! Pilates not only helped Erika recover from her injury, but it also also helped her develop her core strength and continue to snowboard each season better than before. Erika believes that pilates is suitable for all ages, sizes and genders. It’s never too late to get started – change is always possible.

Sachiko G.

Instructor

Sachiko first encountered Pilates at a dance medicine seminar in Los Angeles in 1992. She had been practicing physical therapy for 10 year at the time. She immediately recognized the Pilates system to be a powerful adjunct method that could be utilized in physical therapy for sports and dance injury rehabilitation, conditioning exercises for all ages and fitness levels,  functional postural restoration, and as movement augmentation tools. When the very first Classical Pilates Certification Program on West Coast was offered in Seattle in 1993, Sachiko joined the first apprentice group, and underwent rigorous training by Romana Kryzanowska, a protégé of Joseph Pilates, the founder of Pilates system. After receiving her certification in 1996, she integrated Pilates exercises and apparatus into her physical therapy practice with very satisfactory results. In late 2017, Sachiko retired from her physical therapy practice of 34 years, and entered a new chapter of her career, now as a Pilates instructor. Sachiko seeks to learn the art and science of Pilates teaching. Pilates offers fabulous and unique exercises in studio, but they should be applied to every day activities outside of studio. Sachiko believes that Pilates is a way of life, not just exercises. She continues to study under master teachers in Seattle and elsewhere.   She is very happy to be teaching at NWP, working with fun and diverse clients alongside young and energetic colleagues .

When Sachiko is not at the studio, she is either tending her vegetable and flower gardens, or playing with her six grandchildren.

Valerie C.

Valerie completed her Pilates Certification through the Teacher Training Academy at Vitality Pilates in Seattle in 2017.  Val started Pilates after a serious ankle/foot injury and surgery.  In just a few sessions, she noticed increased range of motion and a decrease in pain in the ankle and foot.  Additionally, a regular Pilates practice eliminated back pain she once felt after play tennis.  This was enough to encourage her to take her Pilates to the next level.  Working in Sales and Marketing initially and later teaching Middle School Math for years, Valerie wanted to certify in order to substitute as a Pilates Instructor to get a deal on Pilates for herself.  On a whim, she decided to reorient her focus on Pilates and substitute as a classroom teacher and hasn’t looked back.  Her hope is that you walk away from your Pilates session feeling lengthened and strengthened and that you had fun along the way! (FMT).[/vc_column_text]

Ellen H.

Ellen’s body is a testament to Joseph Pilates’ Return to Life exercise philosophy.  At age 56, after 20 years of sedentary office work, Ellen turned to the practice of Pilates, the only exercise system she has been able to tolerate in life. She made remarkable gains in balance, strength, posture, and energy level and decided to retire from the practice of Psychiatry to pursue Pilates teacher training. Although she faced obstacles in training—a 60+year old body, a sedentary history, and a significant scoliosis—she graduated from the Atlas Pilates Teacher Training Program in 2019. Ellen trained with Lori Coleman-Brown, a student of Romana Kryzanowska and internationally recognized Master Teacher and Master Teacher Trainer. 

Ellen wants you to know that it is never too late to create a healthy, strong, and vigorous life.  Start today.  (FMT).

Jenna Ferguson 

Jenna was certified by Romana Kryzanowska through Metropolitan Pilates in Seattle November 2004. Since then she’s taught around the United States, in the greater Seattle area, the San Francisco Bay Area, Portland, Oregon, the Florida Keys, New York City, and Paris, France. At Pilates Seattle international, Jenna, as a senior instructor, assisted Lauren Stephen supervising Romana’s Pilates apprentices to prepare for their practical and written exams. She has worked with many of the senior teachers and teacher trainers, and master teacher trainers of Romana’s Pilates and other classical/authentic Pilates methods. When Jenna was teaching in the Florida Keys, she was also teaching in the capacity as a teacher trainer for Romana’s Pilates. As a child of a retired United States Air Force Colonel and through her career as a ballet dancer, she has traveled extensively throughout the United States and Europe, lived in various cities on those continents. Jenna is happy to be back teaching in Seattle and all it has to offer, especially spending time with friends and family.
(FMT).

Rachel S. /Substitute 

Instructor

Rachel’s Pilates journey began in 2000. Pilates has helped her recover from multiple injuries and prevent their reoccurrence (sprained and broken ankles, carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, and other overuse injuries), control her hypermobile joints, manage joint pain, achieve and maintain a 100lb weight loss, build significant strength, appreciate her body, and ultimately discover the joy in movement. It is this discovery that drives her passion for teaching Pilates, and she strives to help others find joy through movement.

Rachel completed her classical Pilates apprenticeship and certification at Pilates Seattle International in 2017 through Romana’s Pilates. As an instructor, Rachel empowers her clients to develop awareness and control of their bodies in the Pilates studio, and then take those skills into the rest of their lives. She believes that mindful movement and breath are the keys to improving posture, reducing pain, improving flexibility, and developing more strength, control, and better performance in all areas of life and sports. Rachel is also an ACSM Certified Personal Trainer, specializing in functional training, TRX, kettlebells, PRI, and Fascial Movement Taping (FMT).