instructors

Ann Asquith – Owner/Program Director

As a STOTT PILATES^® Certified Teacher, Ann is following in her mother’s footsteps in that her mother taught Pilates in England over fifty years ago. Ann started taking Pilates again six years ago and realized at the age of 52 what she was meant to do with her life! She decided to take early retirement from her position as the Branch Manager of TD Canada Trust, here in Whitehorse, and become a Pilates Teacher – she spent the next year travelling back and forth to Vancouver to take her Pilates certification. In the process, she has lost over 50 lbs, has become physically fit and has never regretted her decision. Ann teaches both private, semi-private and group apparatus and matwork Pilates classes. Ann is the program director and owner of the studio.
Email Ann

Andra Hunter

Andra is a born and raised Yukoner and she has been dancing for 25 years. She has trained in many styles from ballet, contemporary, aboriginal dance, and bellydance. She has a diploma of Modern Dance and Choreography from Grant MacEwan College, is Level 2 certified in the Suhaila Salimpour Bellydance technique and is a Level 2 certified Middle Eastern Dance instructor. She feels that all the quotes about dance are true – it is beautiful, passionate, hard work and a wholistic experience. She is happy to share her love for dance with others, whether in performance or in sharing the secrets of the movements in class.

Barbara Robinson

Barbara Robinson first completed studies with Polestar Rehab in 2001 and attained full certification with STOTT PILATES^® in early 2005. As an orthopaedic manual physiotherapist she has worked and taught extensively in Europe and Canada over the last 38 years. Her years of experience both in Pilates and manual therapy have strengthened her belief in the mind/body connection which is integral to the Pilates approach to fitness. She remains dedicated both in her manual physiotherapy and Pilates in improving the lives of others of all ages, fitness levels and physical abilities. Her passion is teaching, learning, traveling, hiking, living in Yukon and writing poetry.

Bronwen Kettleson

Bronwen is a 500 hour registered yoga teacher with the South Okanagan Yoga Association (SOYA), Yoga Alliance, and has recently been accepted into the International Yoga Teachers Association. After completing SOYA’s 500 hour program, which focused on teachings from the Sivananda and Iyengar traditions, Bronwen moved to Buenos Aires and began to practice Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga. She went on to study with several notable teachers of the Ashtanga system, including Lino Miele, Alexander Medin, Mattew and Dominique Corigliano, and Basia Lipska, whom she assisted at her studio in Oslo, Norway and at Purple Valley retreat centre in Goa, India. Bronwen has also completed a 300 hour Advanced Yoga and Ayurveda certification through Dr. David Frawley of the American Institute of Vedic Studies and 125 hours of Traditional Ashtanga Yoga with Manju Jois. She continues her studies with Manju Jois, the eldest son of the late Guru of Ashtanga Yoga, Pattabhi Jois, and will be joining him this November in Hawaii for further study. Bronwen comes from a dance/performance background and continues with that interest in her role as the choreographer for the Rendezvous Can Can Dancers. She is very pleased to be in Whitehorse to share the experience and varying perspectives on yoga she’s gained over the past six years while studying and teaching both abroad and here in Canada. For more info, please visit: bkyoga.org

Heather Avery

As a Vinyasa-Flow inspired Yoga Teacher, Heather’s goal is to energize and encourage all of her students. She has studied many lineages of yoga including Ashtanga, Hatha, Moksha, Sivananda, Vinyasa Krama and Yin Yoga. Heather spent six months in India to deepen her Hatha and Ashtanga yoga study with V Sheshadri of Mysore and Vijay Amar of Dharmasala. She has completed teacher trainings with Moksha Yoga, Toronto; with Frog Lotus Yoga in Costa Rica and most recently she took 100 hours of training with Eoin Finn. Her classes focus on creating safe and proper alignment to build strength and enhance flexibility.

Joie Quarton

Joie earns her living as a lawyer, however her passion is Pilates and movement! Having done ballet while growing up, she danced with the Gaslight Follies in the 70s, with Dancers with Latitude in the 90s. Joie discovered Pilates about six years ago and found that she loved the grace and precision of the movements and how strong it made her feel. It wasn’t long before she took the ‘Pilates Method’ Initiation training and in summer 2010 certified with in Peak Pilates Level 1.

Joie is particularly interested in helping people find ways to get their bodies moving that are comfortable for them and thinks that Pilates is one of the best ways to start and keep moving as we age! (which she adds, she is)

Kirsten Burke

Energy, passion, and pushing yourself to the limits is what hooked Kirsten to Tae Bo^® back in 1999, and is what continues to fuel her love for this amazing fitness system. Certified in 2007, and recertified each year thereafter, she is personally trained and certified by Tae Bo^® creator Billy Blanks^®, and master trainer Shellie Blanks-Cimarosti. They have instilled within her with a strong foundation and and she loves to share her love of Tae Bo^® with others. “It truly is a workout like no other. It changes you from the inside out, and takes you past your limit, enabling you to do things you never thought you could do. I have never been in a tougher or more fun workout in my life, and how it tones and sculpts your body is awesome. Teaching and doing Tae Bo^® has been a lifechanging experience for me and I love it!”. Tae Bo^® is for all people – just be ready to give it your all and work at your own speed…oh yeah, and have a blast doing it!

Lauren Haney

Lauren is born and raised in Yukon. Lauren formerly trained in many forms of dance including contemporary, ballet, jazz and West African. She was introduced to Pilates during her undergraduate studies and has been hooked ever since. Lauren is a STOTT PILATES^® Certified Teacher. Lauren is an extremely gifted teacher, who has a fine eye for detail and who always seem to add elements of movement to her Pilates classes that are completely unique to her, making her classes very popular.

Leticia Valadan

Originally from Uruguay, Leticia has had the benefit of having been able to study and teach yoga in various countries around the world. She is a certified yoga instructor with 500 hours accredited with the International Yoga Alliance. She teaches classic Hatha yoga of the Sivananda style. Leticia has a Level 1 Early Childhood Educator certificate, First Aid CPR certificate and Reiki level 1 certificate.

Leticia has experience teaching yoga to children, adults, as well as prenatal and postnatal women. She believes that pregnancy is a time of physical, mental and spiritual transformation and she feels honored to be able to share the benefits of yoga to women in this special time of their lives. She has also taught many children’s yoga classes and enjoys presenting yoga in a fun and playful style helping to keep children engaged. Leticia incorporates music and games into the classes, energizing all the children by helping them to learn stretching poses and calmly assisting them in to the deep breathing processes

Leticia’s sweet and soothing style flows out to her students, helping them to connect with the peace and harmony within. Wherever your life path has taken you, you will immensely benefit from the practice of yoga.

Liz Gilbert

Liz began her fitness career in Yellowknife in 1998 and has now come full circle, landing in the North again! Recently, her family has moved to Whitehorse from Ottawa where she taught for the RCMP and Goodlife Fitness. In 2010, she was recognized as one of Goodlife’s top ten fitness instructors of the year and was awarded the RCMP’s Jean Bonneau Fitness & Lifestyle award for her work developing and delivering the National Headquarters fitness program. Liz completed the “Pilates Method” certification in 2003 and added Canfitpro’s Mind/Body Fitness Instructor certification and Fusion in 2007. She is passionate about Pilates and has continued to keep up her education through STOTT PILATES^® workshops and courses and by studying under other instructors. Recently, she has developed a focus on sport-specific training for hockey and golf and the use of props including the small ball, bands and weights. She is currently completing her Titleist Performance Institute Golf Fitness Instructor certification. Liz is also a certified Spin and group fitness instructor.

Liz Gonder

Liz is the original California girl, of Italian/German descent she hails from San Francisco. Liz is classical trained in the True Pilates method under the tutelage/guidance of Romana Kryzanowska, the famous pupil of Joseph Pilates. Liz received her Polestar certification in 1996 and has been teaching since then. Liz has taught in large studios in Beverley Hills where she was much in demand. Liz has lived in Yukon for over eight years and has taught throughout that time. Liz introduced Pilates to Yukon and up until that time it was virtually unheard of in the ‘frozen north’ and all Pilates enthusiasts are in her debt. Liz is a very gifted and experienced teacher, whose private classes are very much in demand. Liz has two beautiful twin girls, Brigit and Sofia.

Megan Brady

Monica Leask

Starting with STOTT PILATES^®, Monica has had the great pleasure of being trained by teachers from a variety of Pilates, yoga and dance backgrounds for over 10 years. Certified in mat for beginners and standing Pilates by the Physical Mind Institute, Monica loves Pilates for its strengthening benefits and is keen to share her enthusiasm and knowledge with those who are starting on their Pilates journey. She notes that Pilates seems to get more difficult the longer you do it.

Monique Romeiko

**currently on maternity leave**
the studio is thrilled to welcome Monique Romeiko not only to the team but also back to Yukon. Yukoners will recognize Monique from her performances on stage at the Yukon Arts Centre where she has danced in many contemporary Dance pieces. Monique has been teaching Pilates for over 17 years starting in Toronto in 1993. While living in Montreal, Monique expanded her training, taking STOTT courses and is a fully certified Pilates trainer in the Polestar method. Monique is certified to teach on all Pilates equipment. Monique’s Pilates’ classes are influenced by a wide variety of movement principals of dance techniques such as Ballet, Modern Dance and the Axis Syllabus, as well as different physical training modalities liked Classical Pilates, Yoga, Gyrotonic and Irene Dowd exercises. Her classes are creative and fun, but be prepared to work hard. Monique enseigne également en francais!

Sherri Young

**currently on maternity leave**
Sherri is an Art of Pilates^™ certified teacher. She has over ten years experience in pilates. Sherri first became interested in body movement at an early age as the student principal to Romanian prima ballerina Margareta Zirra who permanently corrected her severe case of scoliosis. For over 20 years, Sherri has practiced various forms of yoga and pilates methods as she has traveled to and lived in many cities across Canada. These experiences have helped to enhance her knowledge of the human body and ways to help others reach their potential. She has lived in Whitehorse for over 2 years with her wonderful husband and two beautiful children.

the boutique

Sarah Norlin – Owner/Manager

Sarah is the manager of the athletic apparel boutique at the studio and co-owner of the studio with Ann. Sarah has a position with the Yukon Territorial Government; she enjoys making jewelry, and has an adorable 2 year old daughter and a wonderful husband. She has lived in Whitehorse for over five years returning after many years away.
Email Sarah

Christina Coombs

Christina was born and raised in Whitehorse, Yukon. She used to figure skate from the age of 5 until the age of 17, and recently graduated from F.H. Collins in 2010. She plans on getting her Bachelor’s Degree in Kinesiology and becoming a sports physiotherapist. Christina began taking pilates classes at the studio in 2010 and has been hooked ever since.

Mandy Celik

Mandy is a new transplant to Yukon, originally from Calgary. As the Coordinator for the studio, Mandy takes care of all the registration for courses both matwork and apparatus at the studio and also oversees the boutique. When her nose is not buried in her laptop or phone, she enjoys practicing yoga, walking her dogs and snowboarding.

Markie-May Bailie

Bio coming soon!

Zara Neukom

Bio coming soon!