Instructor Bios

Danielle earned her B.F.A. in Dance from Stephens College in Columbia, MO in 1998. She studied anatomy and kinesiology, along with ballet, modern dance, African, flamenco, East Indian, tap, and jazz. After the whirlwind of this intensive three-year accelerated program, Danielle realized that her body had survived without any injuries, despite the demanding physical challenges. In fact, she was enjoying the strength and flexibility and long, lean muscles and attributed it to the daily Pilates classes.  So, she set out for Chicago and then Seattle to further train to become a Certified Pilates Instructor.

Inspired by her love of dance, Danielle brings energy and artistry to her hands-on style of teaching. She studied with brilliant teachers around the country, including Janice Dulak, Juanita Lopez, and Lori Coleman-Brown, and will always have gratitude with the hours she spent learning from the renowned Romana Kryzanowska.

When Danielle goes home for the day, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends. She pirouettes weekly in dance class, gardens on the weekends, and walks everywhere.

Arlene began working for New Motion in 2011 as an administrator. Arlene never saw herself as an athlete and didn't enjoy traditional exercise. But, she was curious about Pilates, and gave it a try. She quickly fell in love with Pilates and wanted to teach others. She started her instructor training in-house and continued her certification through Balanced Body. She has a passion for helping others and knows that Pilates can improve the functions of daily life. Her zen-like approach to teaching helps you find that mind-body connection that you can take with you, in confidence, throughout your day-to-day activities.

Abby has spent 15 years teaching movement in both physical therapy offices and private studios, taught herbal medicine at world renowned retreat centers, taught qi gong classes at several colleges, ran a professional dance company, ran a successful acupuncture and herbal medicine private practice, and always followed her heart.

After graduating from UC Santa Cruz with a degree in dance, she trained at Harmony Body Kinetics in Carmel, CA in Pilates fundamentals. She found that she truly loved teaching Pilates and continued her training in Gyrotonic as well. After several years of this work, she was at a training course in Florida when the teacher began talking about "energy meridians." Learning about the correlation between ancient energy lines in the body and movement was a huge "light bulb moment" for her. When she returned home, she immediately applied to acupuncture school and set off to achieve her master's degree in Chinese medicine.

While in grad school, Abby was introduced to the amazing world of medical qi gong by her beloved teacher, Dr. Suzanne Friedman. She knew immediately that this ancient marriage between movement and health was a crucial piece in her training, so she went on to become a medical qi gong practitioner studying under Dr. Friedman.

Abby is dedicated to helping every client strengthen their understanding of their body, how they can heal, and how they can thrive. “I am beyond excited to live on Bainbridge Island,  one of the most beautiful places on earth. It is an honor and privilege that I get to share my life's work with my clients on a daily basis. My quest for wellness knowledge is ongoing as I am constantly exploring different movement and healing modalities, as well as strengthening my understanding of the body. The work I do is who I am, and I hope to be able to share of piece of that with you.”