Teachers at Tone, A Pilates, Dance and Yoga Studio

Monica Anderson is a Gold Certified Pilates Method Alliance teacher. She has taught movement and dance for 25 years and Pilates for 12 years. She studied and has been certified by Sarah Johnson-George (mat and equipment), Physicalmind (mat), completed Mat and Reformer training with Stott. She continues to be a student in Pilates taking continuing education from Marie Jose Blum, Brent Anderson, Ron Fletcher, and Kathy Grant, to name a few masters. She is also certified in group fitness, personal training, and yoga. She holds a BA from UCSD and upper division work in education with 2 teaching credentials. She is a mom of 3 fabulous beings.

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Kathy McConnell studied dance for 20 years before attending Sonoma State University in pre-physical therapy. She has practiced physical therapy in Sonoma County since 1979 specializing in manual therapy and patient education in movement. She began studying Pilates in 1989 at St. Francis Dance and Sports Medicine Center in San Francisco. She studied with Patrice Whiteside and Elizabeth Larkham. She has also studied with Brent Anderson and Sarah George-Johnson. Presently she is delighted to be working at Tone with their incredibly talented and diverse staff. Her greatest joy is her two bright, beautiful and spirited daughters (again, no bias here either!)

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For the past 25 years, Loni Behler's passion was soccer, but for the past 2 years she has been competing in triathlons and loving road biking! She is a certified ACE Personal Trainer and has been practicing Pilates for the past 6 years. She continues to be a student of Paul Chek, Monica Anderson, Greg Roskopf, Marie Jose Blum, Ron Fletcher, Sarah George-Johnson, Rael Isacovitz and others. She is a busy mom of two wonderful teenage boys. She wants everyone to enjoy the outdoors. So get out and walk, jog, dance, run, swim, paddle and bike. See where it takes you! "Anyone interested in a bike ride?" Want to see what Loni's up to? Check out her blog.

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TONE

a Pilates, Dance & Yoga Studio

850 Fourth Street

Santa Rosa, CA 95404

Phone 707.526.3100

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Email alyson@tonefitness.com

An initial skeptic of the benefits of Pilates, Stephanie Province became a Pilates convert after experiencing the benefits of Pilates herself. She was certified through training with Sally Linden (Mat & Reformer) and Karena Lineback (Cadillac, Chair, Barrels, etc.). Stephanie believes that true health and fitness comes through movement with purpose and body awareness. Stephanie holds a B.A. in Psychology and M.S. in Kinesiology, with an emphasis in Exercise Physiology, and is also a certified Personal Trainer.

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Sherrese Mikell has a dance and weight-training background and fell in love with Pilates because it offers aspects of both. Sherrese is Pilates-certified by Monica Anderson and Integrated Teacher Training (ITT) and continues studying with Monica. She feels that regular Pilates training can enhance any sport or movement practice. She has a special interest in older adults and individuals with weight challenges; and also thrives on teaching at an Advanced, challenging level. Sherrese is the mother of 3 three beautiful children.

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Irene Meech started dancing when she was sixteen years old. She fell in love with ballet and modern dance. Throughout the years she has also studied jazz dance, African dance and bellydancing. Irene received a Master’s degree in engineering from UC Davis in 2000. She made the switch from engineering to Pilates because she wanted to focus on a healthy lifestyle for herself and her family. She was certified by Monica Anderson in 2006 to teach the Pilates mat repertoire and in 2007 to teach on the equipment certification. She is very passionate about Pilates and hopes that through teaching others she can help them find their inner body wisdom and mind-body connection.

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Jeanne-Marie Manning's lifelong love of dance and exercise began when she was growing up on a family farm where horseback riding, wading in the creek, and climbing trees were her daily workout routine. She went into classroom teaching out of college and then added aerobics instruction. She continued into Yoga training and instruction, and now is devoted full time to her passion for fitness. Jeanne-Marie holds a 24 Hour Fitness certification in Pilates-Yoga Training (PIYO) and Stott Pilates; and has an AFAA certificate in Mat Science. Her definition of health and wellness is a broad one, including nutrition, magnet therapy, peer counseling, and consensus building in group facilitation.

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After being active in dance and frisbee, Jae Newman focused on work and family for many years. In her late 40's she timidly joined a NIA class to start moving again and regain lost range of motion in one shoulder. Thus began a re-entry into the world of movement and confidence. One day in a Pilates class an unshakeable idea struck: "I could teach this!". Augmented by backgrounds in women's health & education, and by way of the YMCA fitness instructor training and Mercy Sidbury's Pilates mat certification program, Jae is delighted to have arrived at Tone to continue her journey of body awareness and encouragement.

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Jordan Atkinson has a deep love and respect for the work she does with each client who walks in the door. Jordan began enjoying the benefits of movement when she started participating in a local cheerleading program. She continued cheerleading for thirteen years and coached for an additional five. After Jordan received her degree as a paralegal she decided to take a different route and began teaching Pilates. This was the career she had always dreamed of. Jordan received her Pilates mat certification at Tone in 2005 and is continuing to study under the brilliance of Monica Anderson. Jordan welcomed a baby girl into the world in June of 2007 and is continuing to fill her dreams one at a time.

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Sonya Monk has been a seeker of physical activity since she was a young girl playing soccer and running in track. She discovered Pilates after the birth of her second child and believes it not only changed her body but changed her perspective on life. She found her passion and was no longer going to fret about how she was going to do what she loved and still be a mommy to her children. She hopes that as a teacher she can empower people to discover their body's will to heal, nurture and thrive. She was certified in mat work by Monica Anderson and still relies on her mentorship.

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Maggie Brickner was introduced to yoga in 1971. She started using yoga in a new way 10 years ago, developing her practice to help her move through life. She found an ease in the combination of a strong spiritual and physical yoga practice. Maggie began teaching yoga in 2003. Her classes are appropriate for all levels, and she has a gift for guiding students new to the practice. She also teaches prenatal and new mother yoga. All of her classes resonate with people seeking healthy physical and spiritual paths. Maggie is a certified Hatha Yoga and Pilates Mat instructor. She also teaches water aerobics and spinning. She has three children and three young grandchildren

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Jenn Haugen's love for yoga and movement emerged fifteen years ago when she was teenager. A few years later she began her study in holistic nutrition to deepen her knowledge of natural living. Her passion in life is to harmonize internal wellness and physical fitness. After a decade of being a devoted Yoga student, Jenn took a Pilates class with a friend. She was amazed of the benefits she felt immediately. Under Monica Anderson's grace and profound knowledge of Pilates, Jenn received her Pilates Mat Certification. Jenn is a mother of two healthy children, Gavin age seven and Avah Monet age five. She is humbled and honored to be part of such a dynamic studio.

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Janice Blalock received her B.A. in Theatre arts/Dance emphasis from Sonoma State University. She has studied Modern and Jazz Dance with many influential artists including Margaret Jenkins, Viola Farber, Livia Blankman, Bella Lewitsky, Ed Mock and the Oberlin Dance Collective. Jan has been teaching dance and fitness for the past 25 years.She is an ACSM certified Health and Fitness Instructor, personal trainer and functional restorative specialist, working with individuals with work related injuries.Jan has been teaching Zumba for one year and LOVES IT!! Jan has two beautiful daughters who dance, of course!

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Monica Hansen has been a licensed Physical Therapist Assistant for 11 years. She has a BA in Physical Education with an emphasis in athletic training from San Diego State University. She has her Personal Trainer and Group Exercise Certification through AFAA. Her love for studying the way in which the body moves comes from her many years of practicing ballet, gymnastics, swimming, diving and aerobics. Monica's mat certification comes from Stott and her equipment training comes from Monica Anderson here at Tone. She has been teaching circuit training for the past 6 months.

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Robinn Van Deusen has been a movement enthusiast and competitive athlete her entire life. Robinn has a diverse background in dance, including Ball Room dance instruction and is a certified International Zumba Dance Instructor. Her athletic background includes competitive cycling, running and triathlon. Robinn is also a certified Pilates Instructor and has enjoyed teaching Pre-Natal, Fundamentals, Beginning and Intermediate level Pilates classes. She is honored to be a member of the Tone family and is looking forward to inspiring others to make movement an integral part of their lives. Robinn’s passions are all things outdoors, mindfulness meditation, animals large and small and her fabulously funny and supportive husband and friends

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Vanessa Knowles has always been very creative in the ways she expresses herself with an art/fashion background. Her passion in life is her family and has dedicated the last decade to raising her two beautiful children. After a wonderful experience with prenatal yoga she began a self discovery to her own body awareness. Later striving for athletic success she set goals and worked hard to achieve them including Tri- for- fun triathlons, 10k races and becoming a Pilates Teacher. Being trained by Monica Anderson at Tone for two Pilates certifications has brought Vanessa a wealth of knowledge that she loves to share with her clients. Vanessa is currently a Pilates mat and equipment teacher

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Ruth Taylor was introduced to arts, music, and dance at an early age. Ruth maintained her love of arts primarily focusing on music, dance, and cardio exercises such aerobics, kickboxing, step, spinning, and running. Ruth holds a diverse background and experience in stage performances with ethnic, folk, and hula dancing. Ruth was introduced to Zumba early part of this year and found it to be exhilarating and energizing! Ruth continues to take hula & Zumba classes, and is excited to be a part of Tone to impart that energy and share her love for Zumba! Her philosophy in life is to broaden your horizons and always explore new “fitness” adventures!

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Ardath Lee has been practicing Chi Gong since 1997, and has studied with several teachers. For the past several years, she has worked with a local teacher in Sebastopol, and has completed two levels of certificate training with him. She has made two Chi Gong study trips to China, and has received Level Two certification from the National Qigong Association. In addition, she has taken courses at the Acupressure Institute in Berkeley. She holds a Ph.D. in English literature, and is retired from teaching at Sonoma State University.

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Ilene Puryear has been studying the art of yoga since 1986. Most of her training was through the Iyengar Institute in San Franciso. However, for many years she studied in Marin with Tony Briggs and Rodney Yee, two of the finest senior Iyengar teachers in california. Her yoga classes focus on strength, balance, energy, alignment, grace and of course, breath. At first glance it seems to be a little more than a series of strange physical postures which help keep the body flexible. But, in time, anyone who continues with regular practice becomes aware of the subtle change in their approach to life.

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Debra Devencenzi has been a recognized group fitness instructor and trainer for more than twenty-five years. ACE certified, she has studied many forms of movement and exercise technique with an emphasis in Dance, Yoga and Pilates. Debra connects with her students on many levels with her insight, vibrant enthusiasm and genuine spirit. She is renowned for her outstanding skills as a motivator and, as a result, her students achieve rapid results with her multi discipline approach, creative programming and excellent instruction.

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Nicole Pope grew up in Oakland, California dancing with her family and friends and loved creating choreographies to favorite 80’s and 90’s songs. After receiving her masters’ degree in electrical engineering she worked at Agilent as a technical marketing engineer for about 7.5 years. She decided to leave Agilent to pursue her passion as an educator in math and engineering at Sonoma Academy. It was at Sonoma Academy she had the opportunity to rekindle her love of dancing by becoming the dance advisor. She started taking Zumba classes and adored the Latin flavor. As a certified Zumba instructor, Nicole believes dancing can be joyful and spiritually awakening.

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Maitane Elorza comes from the Basque Country region in the north of Spain. As a child, she joined a Basque dance group and learned to appreciate the music and the moves her ancestors had enjoyed through centuries. In September of 2006 she moved to the US, and discovered Zumba while living in Florida. She immediately fell in love with the Latin flavor of the music, and the infectious happiness that was generated in the Zumba classes. After a year of taking classes, she decided to become a Zumba Fitness instructor (also certified in Zumba Gold). Maitane is currently a Spanish and Zumba instructor at Sonoma Academy and she’s delighted to be part of the Zumba family at Tone!

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Sergia Anderson has studied ballet, jazz, and modern since the age of four. After receiving scholarships from New York City Dance Alliance and Tremaine Dance Conventions she was accepted for study at the Alvin Ailey School in New York City, focusing most intently on Martha Graham technique and classical ballet. At 17, she started dancing and choreographing for Interweave Dance Company based out of Boulder, Colorado, and continued to be faculty for the next 5 years. Sergia has a BFA in Drama from Tisch School of the Arts, NYU. Her New York Theatre credits include working with Broadway director Jerry Zaks in City Center Encores! Bye Bye Birdie, and working with up and coming Theatre company the PossEble Theater in Den of Thieves.

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Teaching is Jamie Lowe's passion in life. It brings her joy to see someone being successful under her guidance. Jamie taught 4th grade at Roseland Elementary School for 6 years and truly enjoyed helping students succeed with the curriculum, but more importantly, with becoming confident young individuals. Teaching is a way for Jamie to help guide others on a journey either through elementary school or through Pilates. She has been a client at Tone for over 2 years and just fell in love with Pilates. She is excited to be an instructor here at Tone under the tutelage of Monica Anderson.

Sonya McVay has been working with youth and families in the community for several years. She earned her degree in Practical Ministry in San Francisco in 2002. Her focus in teaching and mentoring has been character development. After experiencing Pilates classes at Tone, she became inspired to persue this kind of movement as a career. She found that Pilates not only serves as exercise for personal physical growth but improves ones existence mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. She is committed to finishing her training under the instruction of Monica Anderson and coaching others into physical freedom.

Our Administrative Staff (back row) Jordan Atkinson, Alyson Dobbert, Valerie Butcher, Fara Reed, Joelle Goncalves (front row) Hilary Halpern, Maureen Feldman (front, front row) Alia