Meet Dan Walton
Dan opened Studio Blue with a friend and former business partner in February, 2007. His vision was to create not only a place where clients could get fit and reduce or eliminate chronic pain, but also a place where clients would be coached and cared for as though they were family. Dan has an amazing amount of energy and good will which he brings to Studio Blue. He knows how to make clients feel comfortable, yet challenged in both the mat classes he teaches, and in his one-on-one training sessions.
Dan was born on the East Coast, where he was first introduced to wellness by his mother, a yoga instructor and Reiki healer. After moving to Portland and working in the hospitality industry, Dan found his passion for Pilates, completed his Pilates certification and opened Studio Blue. Dan received his certification from Physical Mind Institute in 2005, and has since completed Stott Pilates mat and reformer training. He has also taken Stott’s Injuries & Special Populations course twice, and works with many rehab clients to relieve them of chronic pain, whether it is in the back, neck, knees, hips, or just about anywhere in the body.
At Studio Blue, Dan teaches Pilates classes, runs boot camps and is a personal training instructor. He also has an ongoing program working with the unique needs of competitive figure skaters from the ages of 8 to 17. When he’s not at the Studio, Dan enjoys heading to the beach, running, and hiking. In the Spring of 2010, Dan combined two of his favorite things, the beach and Pilates, and took a group of clients to Mexico for Studio Blue’s first Pilates retreat. Happily for Dan, the retreat was such a success that it has now become a much anticipated, yearly tradition.
Meet Joanne Connerty
Joanne discovered her love for Pilates in 2006, and was immediately amazed at how quickly and easily doing Pilates trimmed her waistline, increased her muscle definition and tone, and improved her overall strength and balance. After awhile it even became fun (in an addictive sort of way)!
Joanne grew up in Chicago and spent 20+ years in direct marketing and advertising in senior management positions on the East Coast for Fortune 500 companies such as Time-Warner, Columbia House, The Home Shopping Network, Ogilvy & Mather, and U.S. News & World Report. She met Dan and Studio Blue in 2007 and, as a Studio client, fell in love with the variety and challenge that the classes at Studio Blue had to offer. Over time she became friends with Dan and the other amazing instructors at the Studio, and after retiring from her marketing career in 2008, Dan asked her to become his partner to help run and grow the business.
Joanne loves getting to know every client by name, and making sure that each client’s expectations and needs are always exceeded. She manages the financial and marketing aspects of the business, which frees Dan up to spend more time doing what he loves to do best – working with clients to help them achieve their wellness and fitness goals.
When she’s not at the Studio you’ll find her enjoying life in Irvington with her 2 daughters, cooking gourmet meals, wine tasting, bowling, hiking out in the Gorge, or making travel plans to visit family and friends around the U.S. or the 2 girls she sponsors through the Miracle Foundation in India.
Meet Wendi Albro
Wendi found Pilates in 1998 through her training in modern dance in Seattle, WA. She was amazed at it’s effectiveness in treating chronic back pain, something she had been dealing with on and off since her early days as a competitive gymnast. Not only that, but Pilates improved her dancing, giving her a greater sense of balance, strength, and proper alignment. Later, she also used Pilates to rehabilitate a knee injury.
In 2004, Wendi moved to San Francisco where she began the Pilates Teacher Training course at Ellie Herman Studios. After becoming certified, she then completed the Janda Method of Neuromuscular Reprogramming, with Lizz Roman, which is a method that combines the principles of Pilates with posture analysis, gait assessment, and muscle testing. In San Francisco, Wendi had the pleasure of working closely with several highly respected trainers, all of whom have studied with some of the best in the business.
Patient and dedicated, Wendi’s inclusive approach to Pilates is infused with a love and the understanding of how movement is a critical component to health and well-being. She continually welcomes new ideas to expand her knowledge in how to address each individual’s particularities and needs. Wendi is excited to be a new resident of Portland, and a new member of the Studio Blue community.
Meet Tami Sousa
Tami Sousa received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona. She completed her Pilates apparatus and mat certification in Washington DC through PhysicalMind Institute in 2006, fulfilling her desire to effect positive change in people’s lives. While living in D.C., Tami accomplished over 1000 hours of extensive training while teaching directly under her certifying instructor, Michael Wright.
An active athlete Tami was originally drawn to Pilates while she was training for one of the L.A. marathons. Her life has centered around sports and athletics. Her passion for Pilates, running and physical activity led her to a career caring for the human body and understands that reaching fitness goals strengthens your life, not just your body. She is experienced in working with people of all levels of background. Her teaching style encompasses on creating unique training sessions that focuses on core strength while ease of movement and body awareness.
Meet Rebecca Perry
Rebecca Perry has been studying yoga since 1997. She became a certified yoga teacher in 1999 through a registered 200 hour certificate with The Yoga Alliance at the Mount Madonna Center in Watsonville, CA. In 1998 Rebecca began studying under master yogi Baba Hari Dass in the classical traditions of Ashtanga Yoga. Her experience lies in the heart of all eight-limb aspects, taught from the Patanjali’s Sutras. She has personally practiced extensively in the areas including; restraints, observances, postures, breath control, withdrawal of the senses, concentration, meditation and super-consciousness, yoga theory, metaphysics, mudra, shat karma, preliminary Ayurveda theory, anatomy, Hatha Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Mantra Yoga, Tantra Yoga, ritual, and symbolism. Currently, Rebecca is teaching this ancient and classical tradition of yoga in the lineage of her teacher. She is extremely passionate and excited to share this vast science of yoga with her students. She travels frequently to India and California in order to continue her yoga studies. Rebecca dedicates her practice and teaching to her master teacher and loving guide, Baba Hari Dass.
Meet Angelina Vasile
Angelina is certified in Pilates mat and equipment by the Ellie Herman Studios in San Francisco and has been teaching since 2001. Her education includes study of the Janda method of neuromuscular re-patterning, the Franklin method, resistive stretching, and Forrest Yoga. She is greatly influenced by her time working under the mentorship of Tom McCook at Center of Balance in Mountain View, California and the Pilates method as taught by the PhysicalMind Institute. Her movement studies began as a young athlete and runner, and continued as she received a degree in Dance and Performance Choreography. Angelina’s teaching style incorporates her passion for anatomy and kinesiology, athletics, Chinese medicine, martial arts, dance and yoga. It’s her goal to teach clients how to breathe deeply and move consciously to find balance, strength and grace. She is dedicated to her own practice and continued education to better serve her clients and as a way to experience presence and joy in her own life. She is passionate about growing peoples understanding of themselves and their bodies! Skilled at working with a broad range of clients, she especially loves working with injuries, athletes, the elderly and those struggling with body image related disorders. When not teaching, Angelina is usually found dancing, yoga-ing, playing in the great outdoors, watching major league baseball, or baking.
Meet Talia Laird
Talia has studied ballet since childhood and performed in Long Beach, California, as well as with the Rose City Ballet and Washington State Ballet here in the Pacific Northwest. As a dancer she found that adding Pilates to her practice greatly increased her focus, body awareness, strength and flexibility. She recently completed both her mat and Reformer training at Pacific Northwest Pilates here in Portland, where she also worked with clients as an apprentice instructor for the last year. Talia has taught a wide variety of clients, from other dancers to yoga instructors, and was invited to teach in Costa Rica this past spring. When she’s not dancing or practicing Pilates, you’ll find her getting outdoors and enjoying long walks with her dogs, Toby and Gus.
Meet Ishbel Miller
Ishbel began practicing yoga with her mom at age five and discovered pilates in college. Ishbel has been teaching pilates and yoga for six years and has loved every minute of it! Both pilates and yoga have transformed Ishbel not only physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. There is always something new to learn each time she steps onto the mat or works with her students. Ishbel feels immensely blessed to travel along-side her students as they venture deeper into their own practices and discover the endless capabilities of the body and the mind and their relationship together. Ishbel’s students have ranged in ages from three-years-old to ninety-years-old. Every one of her students has stood as an inspiration and as a testament to the ever-blossoming potential of the human body.
Meet Keph Sherin
Keph Sherin teaches BodyFusion a unique workout that integrates functional movement, Pilates, yoga, and dance concepts for a fun and therapeutic class. Use body weight, free weights, bands, and foam rollers in medium intensity exercises that challenge strength stability and core. Kephs classes refresh the body with new posture and awareness to detail which will make your workouts more effective and rewarding.
Meet Michelle Wong
Michelle has been practicing Pilates since 2002, and knew she was going to love it even before her first class. Pilates has improved her body awareness, breathing, core strength, and recovery time from injuries. She received her instructor training at Bodycenter Studios in Seattle, WA, and is certified in the STOTT PILATES method. She is honoured to be part of Studio Blue, and loves seeing her clients reap the benefits of Pilates. Passionate about helping others achieve better health and wellness, Michelle is currently studying naturopathic and Chinese medicine at the National College of Natural Medicine. In her spare time, she enjoys doing pilates, NIA, yoga, ultimate frisbee, and spending time with friends.
Meet Jesse Fairbanks
Jesse Fairbanks moved to Portland in 1999 from a small town in Northeast Michigan. He was immediately blown away by Portland’s creativity, culture and artistic poise. Since then, Jesse received an Associate of Science from Portland Community College’s Fitness Tech Program and a Bachelor of Science, with an emphasis in health studies from Portland State University. He also maintains professional certifications with the National Strength and Conditioning Association as a Certified Personal Trainer, TRX Suspension Systems and the premier professional instructor program of Circular Strength Training.
Pilates touched his life in 2003, while attending Portland Community College. Jesse took a Pilates mat class with local dancer and choreographer, Kim Mahoney Watson. “I took Pilates to heart and immediately felt the benefits of alignment and the core. I was hooked.” Needless to say, Jesse went on to take more Pilates classes.
Jesse’s focus is in functional training, TRX, and small group training. He blends the principles of Pilates into fun and downright playful classes that will have you smiling, sweating and working like never before.
Meet Ashley Lopez
Meet Defne Oztek
Defne was born and raised in California, only moments away from the beautiful city by the bay- San Francisco. She believes that it is important to take time out of your day to focus on yourself, and that participating in Yoga and Pilates are the first steps to doing that. Defne hopes to make a positive impact in as many lives as she can so pop into the studio and say hello, she’ll be waiting at the front desk!
Meet Molly Nason
Molly loves to meet new people and she is obsessed with dinosaurs! She has worked in the fitness industry for over 2 years and attended Boise State for gymnastics. When she’s not at the Studio, Molly is a nanny for 3 adorable kids.
