Meet the Team.

Smartbody Movement is a community of fitness experts. Our trainers are chosen for their communication, compassion, their expertise, and their commitment. Each of us at Smartbody embodies our own practice, sharing what we know, and always learning more.

  • Founder

    Pre-Trainer Pilates, GYROTONIC® & GYROKINESIS®
    Certified in ALL specialized Gyrotonic® Equipment

    Owner and founder of Smartbody Movement, since 2003. She has been certified comprehensively in classical Pilates since 1998.

    Later certifying in Gyrotonic and Gyrokinesis in 2003 with the privilege of being in courses under Juliu Horvath, the creator of the Gyrotonic method.

    She believes that “you need to do what moves you” and the structure of the Gyro and Pilates methodologies help facilitate healthy relationships with ourselves and others in life. She is currently a teacher of teachers with the Art of Control Pilates program and a Pre-Trainer in both Gyrotonic and Gyrokinesis since 2006. She trained in Laban Bartenieff Movement studies in 2011. She continues ongoing study with Juliu Horvath, Hilary Cartwright, and Simona Cipriani.

    She is additionally a professional visual artist with work held in private and corporate collections internationally.

  • Associate Director

    Gyrotonic® Pre-Trainer
    Senior Gyrotonic® & Gyrokinesis® Instructor

    Emily Deren received her Gyrotonic certification in 2019 and has been an active student in the methodology since 2013. She became a Gyrotonic® Pre-Trainer in 2025 learning under Specialized Master Trainer, Maria Holm.

    Emily holds a BA in Dance Studies from the New School University in New York City where she trained in post-modern dance and somatic practice.

    Highlights include performing in repertories choreographed by Juliette Mapp, Beth Gill and the Trisha Brown Dance Company, as well as presenting her own choreographic works at The Ailey Citigroup Theater and Movement Research.

    While her dance background profoundly influenced her appreciation of Gyrotonic, Emily also discovered the practice to be incredibly healing and informative to her scoliosis.

    As a teacher, she hopes to give her clients the gift of bodily relief, strength and freedom in the same way it has been gifted to her.

Katie Miller

  • Senior Pilates Instructor

    Katie Miller is a USPA Authentic PilatesTM teacher since 2016, and merges her practice with her background as a Physical Therapist.

    She is committed to routine in her own pilates practice as well as in being a runner. Katie has a Masters of Science in Physical Therapy from Ithaca College where she graduated in 2003. She spent 9 years of her career focusing on neuro-rehabilitation at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital.

  • Senior Pilates Instructor

    Heather is a Boston native and classical Pilates teacher, comprehensively trained through The Pilates Center of Boulder, CO. Heather has been teaching Pilates for almost twenty years, originally certified through BASI Pilates while living in San Francisco. Heather also completed a 500 hour yoga teacher certification through Barbara Benagh's Yoga Studio in Brookline, MA. Heather loves practicing and teaching both Pilates and yoga, using both practices to find the delicate balance between effort and ease in movement.

  • Certified Pilates Instructor

    With a strong foundation in movement and athleticism, Kyla brings a unique perspective to Pilates. Her journey began with gymnastics, becoming highly decorated in national gymnastic competitions and later transitioning into coaching both artistic and rhythmic gymnastics. Her competitive career was cut short due to a stress fracture to her spine. This experience equipped her with a deep understanding of body mechanics, flexibility, and strength training. 

    In a further effort to enhance her skills in teaching dynamic movement and core stability, Kyla expanded her repertoire by becoming a Barre instructor and most recently, a Pilates Instructor. Never wanting her athletes and clients to feel helpless in their bodies due to injury, she is committed to helping others achieve their goals through Pilates instruction. Kyla’s sessions are rooted in her ability to create a supportive and motivating environment for clients, encouraging them to connect with their bodies and discover their potential.

  • Senior Pilates Instructor

    Karen began practicing Pilates in 2010 after a running injury, nothing else seemed to help until she discovered how Pilates could truly restore her body. Seeing firsthand how it supported her recovery, it sparked a lifelong passion for the method. 

    She became classically trained and certified in 2017. Today, she brings a grounded, nurturing energy to every session. While embracing all kinds of workouts, Karen believes Pilates offers a solid foundation to enhance, not only everyday movement, but also athletic performance. 

    Whether clients are runners, golfers, tennis players, or simply enjoy staying active, Pilates helps them move more efficiently, prevent injuries, and improve performance in the sport of their choice. Karen also values whole-body wellness beyond the studio: she is an IHP Level 2 certified Integrative Health Practitioner with a focus on nutrition, fostering a holistic approach that supports strength, balance, and vitality both inside and outside of Pilates.

  • Senior Pilates Instructor

    GYROTONIC® Apprentice Trainer

    Ejae has been teaching Pilates since 2017 after earning a 600-hour comprehensive certification in the Joseph Pilates method of physical conditioning from Lotus Pilates Center. She loves exploring new ways to deepen her mind-body movement practice and is currently continuing her studies in the GYROTONIC® method as an apprentice trainer. Ejae is passionate about helping people cultivate greater awareness and strength in their movement and enhance their everyday lives through the coordination of body, mind, and spirit, supporting them in feeling more grounded and growing through Pilates and GYROTONIC®.

  • Senior Instructor

    Certified Pilates, Gyrotonic® and ALL specialized Gyrotonic Equipment

    While Kristina has taught Pilates for over 20 years she specializes in practicing and teaching many different kinds of movement: from pilates to dance to the Gyrotonic method. You may see her throughout the studio jumping from one discipline to the next, using the full range of equipment we have to offer. Kristina has been a senior instructor at studios such as The Movement Center and with us over the past 10 years.

    She was certified in the STOTT method as well as Power Pilates and certified in Gyrotonic after years of training as a ballet dancer. She does prefer to not talk about ballet though, just moving for movement itself.

  • Senior Gyrotonic® & Pilates Instructor

    Kathleen Anderson is a certified instructor in Gyrotonic since 2005 and Gyrokinesis since 2006, completing Level 2 courses in each discipline by 2008. She has practiced Pilates since 2000, certified in 2017 and is currently completing additional certification as part of the Art of Control comprehensive classical program. Kathleen says, “ I teach movement because I believe in the power of dance!”.

    Her background in movement also covers Iyengar yoga instruction and instructing in the bar sculpt method. She holds a Masters Degree in Psychology and is trained as a dance movement therapist.

  • Senior Instructor in Gyrotonic®, Gyrokinesis®, Gyrotonic Leg Extension Unit, Gyrotoner and Gyrotonic Jump and Stretch board

    Fernadina Chan has practiced Pilates and the Gyrotonic method for many years. In 2008, she became a certified Gyrokinesis exercise instructor and a certified instructor of the Gyrotonic method in 2009.

    Fern has long contributed to the Boston arts community as she was the founder, artistic dean and the co-chair of the dance department at Boston Arts Academy. She still engages in creative practice within the Boston dance scene in her own projects as well as co-director of Continuum Dance Project.

  • Senior Pilates Instructor

    Lynn is an avid dance student and performer. She has been practicing Pilates since 2000, Gyrotonic and Gyrokinesis since 2003 and has been a certified USPA Authentic PilatesTM teacher since 2014.

    She is currently working towards her second certification in pilates with the Art of Control program. In addition to dance and Pilates, Lynn loves swimming and yoga.

    She is most inspired by students who strive to improve their health and well-being. She is one of those teachers who knows we are all constant students.

  • Certified Pilates & Gyrokinesis® Instructor
    Apprentice Gyrotonic® Instructor

    Emily is a lifelong lover of movement, people, and the natural world. She is a comprehensively certified Pilates instructor through STOTT PILATES, a Certified Gyrokinesis trainer and is eagerly looking forward to pursuing her Gyrotonic certification in 2026.

    While training to become a professional ballet dancer, Emily found Pilates and later Gyrotonic through recommendations from her ballet instructors. Her practice of the methods, guided by several caring and knowledgeable teachers, allowed her to work with, through, and around her body’s substantial scoliosis and dance professionally for nearly a decade. 

    Following her career as a professional ballet dancer, Emily followed the calling to become a teacher to share the joy of movement with people of all ages and stages. Emily believes that building strength, mobility, resilience, and connection within your body is a practice of optimism and hope. She believes that coming back to yourself again and again through your movement practice says that you’re expecting some of your best days are ahead of you, they’re worth being your best self for, and you can find joy in the journey there. When not in the studio, Emily loves to ski, hike, sew, create stained glass art, and spend time with family and friends.

Do you want to become part of our team?