Stay Pilates

Deborah Lessen

Deborah Lessen is an acknowledged leader in the Pilates field. A former professional dancer and teacher, she was trained to teach the Pilates method by Joseph Pilates’ first protégé, Carola Trier.

Ms. Lessen founded the Greene Street Studio in 1983, which nurtures a broad base of clients in the Pilates method for general conditioning, performance specific training, injury prevention and post-rehabilitation. She offered on-site comprehensive teacher training from 1994 to 2004.

As co-defendant in the federal trademark infringement action for use of the name “Pilates,” she rallied the community to oppose the action. The Pilates name was made generic in a sweeping victory in November 1999. The victory party in New York City was the launch of the Pilates Method Alliance.

Ms. Lessen is a founding member and Immediate-Past President of the Pilates Method Alliance, serving on the Board of Directors since its inception. She was instrumental in the creation and execution of the PMA Pilates Certification Exam, facilitating a broad spectrum of tenured Pilates teachers to work together toward a common goal. She is editor and a contributor to the PMA Pilates Certification Exam Study Guide and now Acting Chairperson of the PMA Certification Steering Committee.

Now focusing on her first love, Deborah is a regular international presenter, conducting a roster of continuing education workshops and seminars for Pilates teachers.

Cinzia Galletto

Owner of Atelier Pilates in Rimini, Cinzia Galletto has been working in the sport market for ten years. Professional gymnast, she was twice competitive aerobic vice-champion Cinzia attended the school of physioterapeutic equipment worker in Bologna. Certified Teacher at Pilates Institute of London, she then certified with Polestar. She is Fletcher Towelwork trainer licensee. Cinzia worked at Malatesta health center in Rimini as postural therapyst. Cinzia attends workshops and courses for her continuing education and she continues to study with Elders in particularly, Ron Fletcher. She published "La mappa del Pilates" with "Il giardino dei libri" and "Macro edizioni" and "Pilates per mamme in forma" DVD wth Mylife TV.

Alycea Ungaro

Fitness and wellness authority, Alycea Ungaro opened her first studio, Tribeca Bodyworks in 1995. As a pioneer of the Pilates method, Alycea introduced the very first Pilates Mat classes in large New York gyms such as Chelsea Piers and New York Sports Club, helping bring about the Method's current popularity.

With Pilates in her back pocket, Alycea developed an interest in wellness across the board. In order to accommodate clients with limitations and disabilities, Alycea expanded her own education attending New York University's prestigious Physical Therapy program to become a licensed physical therapist in 1998. In 1996, Real Pilates was officially established.

Alycea released the innovative Portable Pilates™, an easy-to-use at-home mat workout. She authored Pilates: Body in Motion for DK Publishing in 2002, and launched her third title, "The Pilates Promise" in April 2004. In 2003, Alycea again broke new ground by partnering with Mobile Mind, Inc. to launch a digital version of Portable Pilates™. This go-anywhere mini-workout, designed to run on a cell phone, has again broadened Pilates accessibility. From 2004 - 2006, Alycea established and operated additional Real Pilates satellite studios housed within the New York Health and Racquet Club.

In 2007, in her continuing her mission to make Fitness accessible to everyone, Alycea has joined up with the online community at iAmplify.com as well as Nextfit.com to create and record downloadable Pilates workouts for MP3's, iPods and computers. Alycea's exclusive workouts for Post-natal fitness as well as her signature Walking programs are are available via these channels.

In addition to serving on the advisory board of Fitness Magazine, Alycea also travels widely as a guest teacher hosting retreats at world-famous location such as Amangani in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. She has trained scores of celebrites such as Madonna, Uma Thurman, Kyra Sedgewick, Claire Danes, Molly Sims, and Sarah Michelle Geller. Together with long-time client Christy Turlington, Alycea collaborated on a Pilates Booty for Puma. The booty, was aptly named "The Alycea".

In February 2007, Pilates: Body in Motion was re-released by DK publishing in a brand new deck format for ease of use and portability. In the winter of 2008 Alycea released her first DVD in a groundbreaking new product titled "15 Minute Everyday Pilates.". The new composite book 15 Minute Home Workout is slated for release this winter along with Alycea's first exercise Mat, the Real Alignment Mat. Additional New products are in the works for 2010 release.

You can keep up with Alycea via her Real Life website at alyceaungaro.com or follow her blog at thisreallife.com.

She lives in New York with her family.

Letizia Accinelli

Letizia Accinelli studied Modern Languages at the University of Bologna and completed a Postgraduate Course in Literature at the University of Aberdeen- Scotland , while she was teaching at the Italian Department as a Language Assistant. Four years later she moved to Germany - Cologne and Hamburg- where she worked in bilingual schools as teacher employed by the Italian Foreign Office.

She has always been practicing lots of sports since she was young and sport always had a primary role in her life, especially swimming and yoga.

he met Nia in 1999 in one of the best known fitness centers in Hamburg. What fascinated her during the first class was the way the Nia teacher and the students were dancing, with flowing and seamless movement, which seemed so familiar to her. It looked effortless . Once the class was over she got to talk to the teacher. It was Ann Christiansen, a former Olympia swimmer and the first Nia teacher in Germany. What Letizia found so familiar was the flowing sensation she had experienced before only when she was moving in water. The first class moved her deeply. At that time she was going through a very challenging period. Through Nia she connected again to Joy , to the body sensations, to herself. She never missed a class since then and a year later she took the first level of Nia education, the White Belt with Carlos Rosas, the co- founder of Nia. She had no intention of teaching Nia, she recognized the value of the practice for her personal growth.

Later she was sometimes asked to substitute Ann Christiansen or other teachers . Slowly she like liked the experience of teaching something for and with the body , she went to the States to take the other belts with Debbie and Carlos Rosas, and eventually became Black Belt teacher in 2007.

She is now teaching and giving Nia workshops in Rimini , where she now lives. She is the only Nia Black Belt teacher in Italy at the moment.

Piero Pigliapoco

After having graduated with full marks at I.S.E.F. in Urbino, Piero Pigliapoco has been teaching physical training in schools since 1992. Swimming team coach, he collaborates with different companies for water training. In 1998 Piero started to work as teacher for courses and workshops for the European Aquatic Association presenting at several events in Italy and abroad. Piero collaborated with different magazines writing articles on water activities aand a few publications such as Aquatic Rehabilitation for Orthopedic Trauma, Aquatic Terapy journal August 2005 Volume 7 and Postural Education in the water: AKWA The Official Publication of the Aquatic Exercise Association, Inc. Vol.16 N° 3 October/November 2002.

Piero specialized as functional rehabilitation worker, his main job nowadays in Ancona. Piero was speaker at several international congresses.

Piero created Aquacontrology, a new water control program inspired by the Pilates method. This program involves mainly the core stability of the body respecting physiology and articular biomechanics.

Barbara Morini

Barbara began her commitment to sound mind-body fitness over two decades ago when she enrolled in the famed Classical Ballet Academy Cosi-Stefanescu. Shortly after graduating, she joined the Academy's touring company and began her professional career as a dancer. It was during this collaboration with the touring company, both in Italy and abroad, that Barbara commenced incorporating aspects of various fitness regimen she was exposed to throughout the world.

With the same passion and natural gifts that permitted her to attain international success as a professional dancer and choreographer, Barbara committed herself to the rigorous training required in order to become a Certified Pilates Instructor.

Immeadiately after obtaining her Certification from CovaTech Pilates School in Milan, Barbara also completed intense training programs in Reboundology (focusing on aerobic activity) and CARDIOLATES, the state of the art technique that unifies the principles and methods of Pilates and Reboundology.

Barbara is proud to be the first Italian Certified CARDIOLATES Instructor/Trainer.