SANDY NOVEMBRE is a PMA certified Polestar trained instructor and owner of Monarch Pilates Studio. She has been teaching Pilates since 2003. Her Pilates experience began in 1998 when she injured her back playing collegiate volleyball. She was introduced to Pilates at The Center for Dance & Sports Medicine at St. Francis Hospital in San Francisco. She used Pilates to rehabilitate from surgery for a herniated disc. In 2005 she became a level 2 Yamuna Body Rolling Instructor and completed a massage course at Cypress Health Institute in Santa Cruz. She taught in the Mentor program with Polestar Pilates Education and assisted Sherri Betz with both the Studio and Rehab Teacher training courses. In 2006, as a Polestar Educator, Sandy taught the Studio Teacher Training course as well as Movement classes at the Miami Polestar Convention. Sandy’s education through her own injury combined with the Polestar approach to science-based movement have cultivated her teaching style. She enjoys teaching others how to find new strength and awareness of their bodies.

CATHY HARRINGTON, OTR/L, SWC, is an occupational therapist and certified Pilates instructor who brings enthusiasm and a lifetime of training and experience to teaching Pilates and body awareness. Cathy’s commitment to Pilates was sparked through personal experience. She became interested in Pilates after sustaining an injury which caused her to suffer from low back pain and sacroiliac joint instability for many years. She tried many different treatments, none of which seemed to work for very long. Pilates training exercises helped her to finally stabilize, strengthen, and stretch her body safely and sustainably with greater awareness in every move she made. Cathy is convinced, based on her personal experience and those of her clients, that Pilates training is an effective and efficient route to optimum health and conditioning for anyone regardless of their current health status.

Cathy is certified through the Pacific Movement Center of Santa Cruz, CA and continued her training through the Polestar Pilates Rehabilitation program for health care professionals. Cathy has completed the TheraPilates for Osteoporosis course to enhance her abilities to work with those who have low bone density. She is a certified Post Rehabilitative Breast Cancer Exercise Specialist through the Pink Ribbon Program. As an occupational therapist, Cathy has worked in rehabilitation settings assisting people with physical disabilities to regain function, mobility, stability and independence, including those who have had a stroke (CVA) or spine, hip, knee, or shoulder surgeries. Cathy continues to attend workshops and seek teachers and peers’ experience to expand her ‘toolbox’ of skills in order to best serve her clients. Cathy is the owner of Santa Cruz Mountain Pilates located in Boulder Creek, CA.

JACKIE LUTZ completed the Polestar Teacher Training Program in 2010, after practicing Pilates for over five years. She is also an avid runner. Jackie brings a positive and enthusiastic environment to all her clients.

She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Massachusetts - Amherst. Jackie’s family includes her husband, Mike, and their dog, Shy.

Nathalia completed her Pilates training Balanced Body through with Dolly Kelepecz of Body Balancing in Las Vegas. She taught as an apprentice in a variety of studios in the Las Vegas area before moving to Santa Cruz in 2010. Nathalia’s movement experience began at an early age with her love for dance and yoga. For Nathalia, the pursuit of yoga was an avenue towards attaining mental, spiritual and physical health.

She studied with Clear Waters School of Yoga in 2007. In 2009 she completed an intensive teacher training with Bryan Kest in Tulum, Mexico. After being exposed to Pilates, she realized that when Pilates was part of her daily regimen her yoga practice was stronger. As well as her Pilates practice was more fluid from her disciplined yogic practices.

Nathalia graduated from Bauman Natural Culinary program in 2011. She is  excited to share her passion and awareness of the body through breath and movement and plans to combine her knowledge and talents by opening a Holistic Healing Center.