Kelly Griffith

Kelly came to her first Pilates class in 2007, tired of her usual routine of cardio and weights at the gym. She was instantly hooked. Three years later, Kelly opened her own Pilates studio, fulfilling her dream of getting out behind a computer and creating a space where people can challenge themselves physically and mentally, yet are still able to laugh and enjoy themselves.

Kelly's classes are energetic, fun, yet challenging. She'll work you out hard while cheering you on. Kelly truly believes that if you do one push-up today, you'll do two the next; she uses this philosophy to encourage her students to push themselves, work hard, and be a stronger version of themself tomorrow.

Kelly received her initial pilates mat certification from Power Pilates of New York City. She then completed the BASI Comprehensive Course (Body Arts and Science International) which qualifies her to teach mat, reformer, cadillac, chair and other apparatus. She also completed a pre/post-natal certification with Carolyne Anthony—the industry's expert on the subject— from The Center of Women's Fitness and BASI. In September of 2010, Kelly brought the Xtend Barre method to Fuel & DC—it's been a huge success.

When Kelly is not working at the studio, she enjoys traveling with her husband. But, ironically, whenever she's on the road, she tries to find pilates wherever she is. This year she's done pilates at the Pilates Center of Boulder, Colorado, the home of Xtend Barre in Boca Raton, Florida as well as Lake Tahoe, California and London, England.

 

Amina El-Sharkawy

Amina has her Pilates mat and 600-hour equipment certification from Power Pilates of New York City and is a member of the Pilates Method Alliance. She is a strong believer in Pilates as a way of improving strength, flexibility, posture, and balance, as well as Pilates' ability to complement and enhance performance in other activities from running to swimming to yoga and beyond.

Amina teaches group and private mat and equipment classes. She strives to create a warm, comfortable, and energizing atmosphere in her classes, combining the classical Pilates method with the appropriate modifications for each individual or class's level and needs. She has experience teaching Pilates to people of all ages and enjoys helping people stay fit, relaxed, and healthy—both physically and mentally.

Amina also has her Master's Degree in International Environmental Policy, and has over 9 years of international development experience around the world.

 

Lauren Forgie

Lauren first learned about Fuel in February of 2011, and she instantly fell in love with the combination of Pilates and Xtend. Pilates left her feeling stronger, leaner, and more relaxed. Xtend provided the heart-pumping, sweat-inducing workout to which she was accustomed as a former athlete. A year and many classes later, Lauren decided to take the leap from student to instructor, completing her Xtend training at Fuel.

Lauren holds a B.A. in Economics, with honors, from the University of Maryland and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.

 

Gina Geise

Gina’s path to becoming a Pilates instructor is quite serendipitous, and she’s very excited to encourage others on their path to wellness and flexibility! After energetically putting her Bachelors of Architecture to good use in New York City, she realized that her current lifestyle wasn’t aligned with her long-term goals. Leaving the city behind, she moved to her hometown in Harrisburg PA, looking for the time to contemplate her aspirations. After dropping into a Pilates studio to check out a reformer, Gina discovered a new passion, classical Pilates! She became such a frequent client that the owners suggested that she consider instructing at their studio. A year later she was certified through Power Pilates in NYC, mat certification as well as the comprehensive apparatus program. She is thrilled to have studied under both Bob Liekens and Susan Moran. Gina built a healthy clientele at the Pilates Experience in her hometown, working with most clients privately, each having various physical restraints and ranging from 16 to 75 years young.

Gina’s classes are inspired by the classical exercises. She appreciates the beauty of the classical method, but prefers to incorporate modern variations to challenge her clients both in mind and body. She views Pilates as a holistic form of exercise, one that not only creates a beautiful appearance, but keeps the spine healthy and limber. Spinal vitality is the key to maintaining an enjoyable lifestyle, as stated by Joseph Pilates himself.
When you don’t see Gina teaching at Fuel, you can find her a few short blocks away, enthusiastically fitting guests with athletic apparel at Lululemon in Georgetown!

 

Alexandra Hoge

Alexandra started taking Pilates classes while in training at the Actors Studio Drama School, where she earned her MFA in directing. She saw incredible changes in her body quickly and knew she found a life-long practice. After moving back to New York, Alexandra, who saw many others benefit from the exercises, decided Pilates was important enough to her to train as a teacher. She completed her comprehensive training at CORE Pilates, NYC in October 2009 and taught there until October 2011. She also taught at Body In Motion Pilates, and had several private clients. She had the good fortune to take the FAMI (Functional Anatomy for Movement and Injuries) workshop taught by Kinected at Mount Sinai Hospital in 2010, and recently took a pre-natal Pilates workshop at CORE Pilates, NYC.

 

Hayley Jackson, Xtend Barre Instructor

Growing up in northern Virginia, Hayley was first introduced to Pilates as a conditioning method to enhance her classical ballet training. Discovering Fuel's Pilates and Xtend classes in summer 2011, she was immediately hooked and finds the classes are a perfect complement to her current running routine. She loves the results -- increased flexibility, core strength, and stability -- and believes athletes of all type will find Pilates and Xtend Barre a great supplement to their regular exercise routines.

Hayley completed her Xtend Barre and Pilates mat certifications in the summer of 2012 and is thrilled to share her passion. She hopes students will leave her class feeling strong and confident!

 

Kimberley Miller

After taking her first private lesson with Kelly at Fuel Pilates over two years ago, Kimberley fell in love with the Pilates movement. She is certified through Equinox Pilates Instititute. Kimberley is also Xtend Barre certified and a registered yoga teacher with Yoga Alliance. She teaches privately, semi privately , and in group settings.

Becoming a Pilates teacher has made her yoga instruction more anatomy driven and well rounded. Honoring the movements without combining the two are very important to Kimberley. She believes yoga and pilates balance each other well and should never be fused together. Using words to draw pictures in her clients minds, help them connect to the movement. She pays close attention to each clients personal needs so they can find their own personal "edge" in their practice. "No one edge is practice is the same, we are all different".

 

Jessica Natonick, Xtend Barre Instructor

Jessica came to Fuel in the summer of 2011 in search of a workout that would provide increased flexibility, less stress on the joints, and more self-awareness of her body that she felt were lacking in her regular weight lifting routines with personal trainers. After a single private lesson with Kelly and one Xtend class, Jessica was convinced she found what she was looking for. She believes in pilates as a way of developing a greater mind-body connection, postural improvement, and a toner physique. Jessica has a master's degree in school counseling and currently works at a local high school, but pilates has become her passion. She has her initial mat certification from Power Pilates and is certified in Xtend Barre. Jessica is pursuing her comprehensive certification through BASI and hopes to help clients achieve the same confidence and love for pilates that she has.

 

Melissa Piskozub

Melissa is a certified Pilates instructor and is working on completing the Xtend Barre Method certification. At the age of three, Melissa started tumbling and has over 12 years of gymnastics experience. In 2005, after suffering an ankle injury, two surgeries and being on crutches for almost three months, she attended her first pilates class to strengthen and tone her body while protecting herself from any more injury. She saw how pilates made such an improvement in her core, strengthened her body overall and had additional stress reducing benefits. In the spring of 2006, Melissa became certified through SCW Fitness and started teaching pilates classes at Andrews University while pursuing her degree in Nursing. After graduating in 2008, Melissa worked as a registered nurse in the Cardiac and Transplant ICU at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, IL. She recently moved to DC to further her career and begin the Nurse Anesthesia program at Georgetown University. Once Melissa completes her Xtend Barre Method Certification, she will pursue additional pilates continuing education by obtaining certification through Balanced Body.

 

Sara Stekloff

Sara is a certified Pilates and Xtend instructor who has been teaching dance and exercise for over a decade. She grew up in Fort Lauderdale, Florida where she studied dance since she was three years old. At the age of fifteen, Sara began teaching dance to girls ages three and up. She has taught dance at various dance studios throughout South Florida and has also taught master dance classes in studios in other states. After graduating from Florida Atlantic University with a bachelor's degree in Sociology, Sara began her career as a World Famous Radio City Rockette. She was a Rockette from 2005 to 2010 and has performed in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular in cities across the country. Sara has also trained and danced in New York with some of the nation's most-renowned instructors. She received her Pilates mat certification from Power Pilates and has done her comprehensive training with Pilates Institute of America. She is certified in Xtend Barre as well. Sara has taught Pilates and Xtend to people of all ages and enjoys helping people stay fit, relaxed, and healthy—both physically and mentally.

 

Natalie Strahorn, Xtend Barre Instructor

Natalie’s love affair with Xtend Barre classes dates back to her post-college years living in New York City.  While working in the fashion industry, Natalie discovered barre classes in her spare time.  Barre was a welcome break from her normal gym routine; a full-body work out that left her exhausted, but concurrently energized and excited for more.  She loved the pace of the class and the results – a toned, leaner physique without added bulk.   
 
After eight years of working and living in Manhattan, Natalie returned to her roots in Northern Virginia.  Seeking out the barre classes she missed from New York, she discovered Xtend Barre at Fuel Pilates and was immediately hooked.  After a few months as a student, her love for barre prompted her to transition from student to instructor.  Natalie has two Pilates Mat certifications from Power Pilates and is in the process of completing her Xtend Barre certification.

Natalie was in the midst of obtaining her Xtend Barre certification while planning her September 2012 wedding, and practically thigh-pulsed her way into her wedding dress when the big day arrived.  She’s enjoying married life with her new husband and their 6 lb. mini-schnoodle, Biggie Smalls.

 

Kaia Tack

Kaia is a certified Pilates mat and Xtend Barre instructor. A dancer from the age of three, Kaia trained with Ballet Chicago, the School of American Ballet, and American Ballet Theatre. She started her professional ballet career immediately after high school, dancing with the American Ballet Theatre II and the Pennsylvania Ballet. Throughout her career, Pilates was a staple in her exercise routine due to its added benefits to her work and overall physical health and strength. Having retired from dancing in 2011 to complete her Bachelor’s degree at Georgetown University, she craved an exercise method that mimicked both the training and the results of her years as a dancer. Two weeks after moving to D.C. she found Xtend Barre at Fuel Pilates, and has been addicted ever since. She is incredibly excited to share her obsession with others.

 

Christie Yang, Xtend Barre Instructor

Christie first discovered Xtend when she moved to Washington DC in 2010. She was looking for a new pilates studio and was thrilled to find out that Fuel Pilates offered the barre classes that she had been taking in California. Christie has tried almost every barre program out there, and is convinced that Xtend is the most fun and effective combination of strength, cardio, and flexibility training. Christie comes from a family of avid exercisers, who have engrained in her that exercise is a necessity to happiness! However, as someone who spends a lot of time at the office, Christie also understands that it can be hard to find the time and motivation to work out. Thus, she tries to make every class as challenging and upbeat as possible, so that everyone feels like they got the most out of their 55 minutes at the barre!

 

Robin Zahrt

Robin Zahrt earned her BA from Shenandoah Conservatory as a voice major, dance minor. Robin has studied vocal anatomy in relation to traditional pilates and understands the core strengthening benefits or pilates in relation to the singing voice and overall health. She studied dance for 15 years, including ballet, jazz, and modern. Her dance background inspired her to become mat certified with PMA, through Shenandoah’s Dance Division, and later she became BASI certified through the Professional Bridging Course, as well as Xtend Barre certified. On her spare time Robin runs long distance and practices jujitsu, a form of martial arts. Robin truly believes that Pilates is the best form of exercise you could practice. Pilates is for professional dancers to beginners, the benefits are as much mental as they are physical.