TRACEY SYLVESTER, co-owner of EHS Pilates, started her Pilates career fours years ago when she joined Ellie Herman Studios as a business manager. Before that time, she had worked in the optical industry for over 15 years as a general manager, media spokesperson, new business developer, and a licensed optician. She has recently finished the Pilates Teacher Training program at the EHS Pilates Institute and is seeing clients at EHS as a student trainer.

Tracey is an 11 year resident of the Mission District and has been dancing for the local go-go dance group The Devil-Ettes, as The Rebel, for eight. She has always had the desire to own a business on Valencia Street, and is thrilled to have achieved that dream. Tracey's passion is to bring a sense of community to EHS Pilates and give her clients an oasis from the day-to-day city grind. Tracey also believes that a Pilates studio can be fully integrated by incorporating a wellness center; focusing on energy, health, and strength. She is passionate about the EHS Mission collective events at EHS; bringing the SF art, music and performance community together to celebrate neighborhood community and culture.

Lizz Roman Certified Pilates Based Rehabilitation Instructor 
Lizz, a professional dancer, was initially introduced to Pilates in 1986 at St. Francis Dance Medicine after fracturing her foot. Then in 1991, Roman sustained a serious back injury.  After being told she was a surgery candidate who would need to give up her dance career, Roman decided to again try Pilates at St. Francis where she began a long recovery process.  One year later, Roman was able to attend an MFA program in dance, where she became interested in kinesiology and dance injury prevention and rehabilitation.  In 1998, Roman was recruited by Ellie to attend her new Pilate’s instructor certification program and went on to study with Ellie's then rehab specialist, Jane Edwards.  Ms. Edwards, an amazingly talented Pilates rehab trainer with extensive training in neuromuscular reeducation, introduced Roman to the work of Vladimir Janda, MD.  Janda is known worldwide for his research linking muscle dysfunction and chronic pain syndromes.  Since then, Roman has integrated Janda's program (progressive balance and proprioceptive challenges to improve overall body posture, muscle balance, joint stability and speed of muscle contraction) into her own approach to Pilates rehab.  Lizz has had great success with chronic and intransigent injuries.  For the past five years she has taught a 12 week rehab intensive for certified Pilates instructors, fitness trainers, yoga and dance teachers as well as a variety of other bodywork and health practitioners at the EHS in San Francisco.   

Lizz moved to the Bay Area in 1984, after receiving a BA in Experimental Psychology at DePaul University in Chicago.  Once in the Bay Area she continued her dance career in San Francisco while attending JFK University in Orinda where she pursued a graduate degree in Psychology.  Roman, who runs the innovative dance company LIZZ ROMAN and DANCERS, which specializes in site-specific dance works, has also taught professional modern dance technique classes for the past 12 years.  Her teaching credits include ODC, SFDC, Rhythm and Motion, School of the Arts, master dance classes at UC Berkeley and guest lecturer at SF State University Department of Kinesiology.

Marcelle N. Parry Chiropractor & Certified Pilates Rehab and PMA Instructor

Marcelle Parry has spent the past twenty years studying the mechanics of the human body and continues to explore cutting edge therapeutic and rehabilitative techniques. She graduated from Palmer West Chiropractic College in 1991 and received her post graduate Chiropractic Sports Injury Practitioner certification in 1995. Marcelle is a Certified Somatics Practitioner, Pilates Rehabilitation Practitioner, Pilates Fitness Instructor, and ACSM Health and Fitness Instructor.  She has also done extended studies in Applied Kinesiology and has recently completed Specialty certifications in Pilates Golf Conditioning, Pilates Post Breast Cancer Rehabilitation, and has worked extensively with pre/post surgical rehabilitation, and Osteoporosis clients.

From a young age Marcelle has been involved in various dance and outdoor sports activities ranging from ballet, belly dance, jazz dance, to mountain biking, water and snow skiing, rock climbing, scuba, and paragliding.  This active background has given her a great appreciation for the body’s ability to thrive and overcome the obstacles of injury and musculoskeletal disorders when given the correct combination of manipulation, myofascial release, sports specific training, or just overall conditioning. 

Marcelle practices a variety of interdisciplinary techniques including Pilates, muscle imbalance retraining, gentle and non-force vertebral and extremity adjustments.  Her focus is to tailor a personalized treatment and training regimen that best fits the individual's needs and characteristics.

Degree and Certification History:

1991 Doctor of Chiropractic, Palmer College, West
1992 Licensed in the State of California
1993 Somatic Therapy Certification
1993 Health & Fitness Instructor with ACSM

1995 Certified Chiropractic Sports Practitioner, LACC
2000 Pilates Instructor Certification with Ellie Herman

2001 Therapeutic Ball Certification

2004: Osteoporosis and Pilates, with Sherri Betz, PT  
2006 Pilates Method Alliance Certified Pilates Instructor
2006 PMA Member

2006 Pink Ribbon Certification, Pilates Post Breast Cancer Exercise Specialist
2007 Pilates Golf Conditioning Specialist with Sarah Christensen

MELISSA HARRINGTON, Senior Trainer, TTIP Instructor

Janine Fondiller Senior Trainer and Rehabilitation Specialist , TTIP Instructor
Janine Fondiller is a pilates teacher and educator who has been teaching in San Francisco since 2000. A Senior Trainer at EHS and one of the head educators in the Teacher Training Program, she has led teacher trainings in the U.S and Korea. She specializes in teaching challenging and dynamic classes, training instructors, and also in giving specialized sessions in rehabilitation and conditioning.

   Janine's teaching is inspiring, informed and clear, drawing upon her longtime movement experience as a professional dancer, athlete, aerialist, and yoga practitioner. Having just completed a foundation level yoga teacher training, she is continually seeking to expand her knowledge and understanding of the body and its inter workings. She was Assistant Teacher to Lizz Roman in the Fall  Rehabilitation course, and continues to further her education with many of the gifted master level teachers in the field, including; Ellie Herman, Jennifer Stacey, Nora St. John, and Erik Franklin. She is grateful for all of her students and teachers alike.

CHRISTOPHER NELSON Certified Pilates Instructor and Rehabilitation Specialist, TTIP Instructor

Christopher was first introduced to the Pilates Method in 1998 while completing his degree in dance choreography at Columbia College Chicago. He immediately recognized the benefits for his dancing, and soon began introducing the principals to his dance classes. He discovered that the methods also had a profound affect on his dance students. The thoughts of another Chicago winter scared him onto a plane for the year-round "warmth" of San Francisco. After a few classes at Ellie Herman, he know he'd found the place to complete his certification. Today Christopher is teaching and furthering his education, constantly renewing and expanding his knowledge of the method. You can catch him at his EHS home throughout the week, where his classes integrate challenge, exploration and an ever present sense of play.

jessica fudim Senior Trainer and Rehab Specialist, TTIP Instructor

Individualized private sessions, engaging group classes and an attentive eye are at the heart of Jessica Fudim’s approach to teaching Pilates. Jessica received her Pilates certification from the Ellie Herman Studio in 2001. Since then, she has studied Pilates-based physical rehabilitation with Lizz Roman and continues to fortify her teaching skills and repertoire with continuing education courses. In addition to working at EHS Pilates, Jessica is also a Master Instructor at Finding Center in the East Bay. She previously taught Pilates in New York and as a faculty member of the Experimental Performance Institute (EPI). Jessica discovered Pilates while completing her Dance BFA studies at UC Irvine and CU Boulder. Determined to trump a doctor’s advice that she “stop dancing” as a result of back and foot pain, Jessica turned to Pilates for rehabilitation and a deeper understanding of how the body works. In turn, she is invested in empowering each of her clients to integrate the Pilates method toward reaching their mind-body goals—whether the aim is to rehabilitate from injuries, improve posture, increase the efficiency of physical performance, or simply get in better touch with the body. You can see her in action in the “Ball” Chapter of Ellie Herman’s Pilates for Dummies and on the stage performing with her band, Dreamboat, Where Are You? and her dance company, Jessica Fudim’s Dance Animals.

JULIA WEINBERG , Certified Pilates Instructor, EHS TTIP Instructor,

Balanced Body University Faculty

Julia first experienced the benefits of Pilates over seven years ago, when a trampoline-induced knee injury left her antsy (it's a bit hard to do yoga when you can't straighten your leg), and the docs had no solution ("well, it's not surgery worthy").  Lo and behold, the foam roller soon became her medicine of choice.  Having romanced nearly every sport under the sun – from competitive gymnastics to super-novice surfing - her eclectic movement and athletic background helped her develop a keen eye for detail and functionality in the Pilates repertoire.  Originally certified by Ellie Herman in 2006,  her insatiable appetite for knowledge has led her to study with an amazing group of master teachers including Sharon Gallagher, Carol LeMaitre, Nora St. John, Eric Franklin and Lizz Roman. 

In both private lessons and group classes, Julia helps students increase their flexibility, stability and strength through dynamic, challenging, and creative sequencing. 

Using the building blocks of experiential anatomy and the Pilates fundamentals, she loves to bring students to a greater level of movement integrity and overall body awareness. 

ABIGAIL MUNN, Certified Pilates Instructor

Abigail discovered Pilates while searching for a safer way to strengthen her body for the demand of a trapeze artist.  She received her Pilates training at EHS, graduating in 2006.  She loves combining Pilates with the rigorous acrobatic training she learned from the circus.

When not teaching Pilates, Abigail travels the world performing.  In 2006, she toured the United States with the Zoppe Circus   Last summer she traveled to New York as part of Alma Esperanza Cunningham Movement and was featured in the New York Times.  Abigail is a co-founder of the nouveau-vaudeville troupe Kitty Kitty Bang Bang who have performed internationally and been named “Best of the Bay” by the SF Bay Guardian 2003, 2005 and 2006. Currently she is co-directing a new troupe, “Circus Bella.” Stay tuned for more.  www.highflyingabigail.com

BETHANY CLEMEN Certified Pilates Instructor, ttip
Bethany Lee Clemen began studying Pilates at the age of 16 in her hometown, Eugene, OR. She became certified to teach Pilates through Ellie Herman Studios in 2002.

Bethany is interested in the application of Pilates to all body types and ages of people, from fitness clients who want a great workout, to rehab clients who need to resolve imbalances and injuries.

Bethany holds a BA in dance from Mills College and dances professionally with local companies "group A', "Double Vision", and "Mica Miro".