Pacific NW Pilates

We're trained to ensure you'll get fit safely – and have fun doing it!

Leslie Braverman,
Co-Founder and Co-Owner, Pacific NW Pilates
Instructor Trainer, STOTT PILATES

Leslie became a STOTT PILATES instructor in 1997 after dancing professionally for 15 years and training and certifying instructors throughout the U.S. and foreign countries such as Turkey, Spain and Japan since 1998.. She danced with the Cleveland San Jose Ballet, Oregon Ballet Theatre and BODYVOX, following a number of impressive achievements as a young dancer. As a student of The North Carolina School of the Arts, she was awarded the 1988 Peabody Scholarship Award for Excellence. Leslie was a Level One ARTS recipient (sponsored by the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts) in 1989 and was a semi-finalist and one of five sponsored Americans to compete in the 1988 Prix de Lausanne International Dance Competition in Switzerland.
Leslie became a student of STOTT PILATES in 1996 after becoming injured. She credits pilates for prolonging her dance career by another four years. She uses her considerable expertise to help other dancers and athletes as well as regular fitness clients and aspiring instructors. Leslie also enjoys the management side of Pacific NW Pilates, where she concentrates on operations and marketing. She is currently pursuing a business degree.

Melanie Byford-Young, BHSc. PT
Co-Founder and Co-Owner, Pacific NW Pilates
Master Instructor Trainer of Rehabilitation,
STOTT PILATES

Melanie Byford-Young has been pioneering the use of STOTT PILATES to assist with physical rehabilitation and therapeutic conditioning for over eight years. In 2007, she revamped the entire rehabilitation training program for STOTT PILATES INTERNATIONAL, including the development of a new instructor curriculum, training materials and DVDs, which she appears in. Those materials will be available in January 2008.
Melanie was originally a licensed physical therapist, graduating from McMaster University in Ontario with a Bachelor of Health Science in Physiotherapy in 1991. She also earned the Canadian Physiotherapy Association's Certificate in manual and manipulative physiotherapy and has taken specialized orthopedic courses on the shoulder, cervical spine, foot mechanics and running mechanics.
In 2001, Melanie started teaching STOTT PILATES courses and workshops and co-founded Pacific NW Pilates in Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington. Melanie has committed her career to teaching therapeutic applications of Pilates, and helping clients with injuries and rehabilitation issues. While she is not currently practicing nor licensed as as a physical therapist, she brings together her years in the field to help clinicians with integrating pilates into their practices and teach pilates instructors how to work with injured clients. Melanie's ground-breaking approach has put her in high demand with medical professionals, and with pilates and other fitness instructors. She has taught courses and workshops throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe for STOTT PILATES and has made guest appearances at conferences such as IDEA World Fitness and Body Mind Spirit.

Jean M. Leavenworth,
Co-Founder and Co-Owner, Pacific NW Pilates
Instructor Trainer, STOTT PILATES

Jean Leavenworth has been an Instructor Trainer for STOTT PILATES since 2000. She co-founded Pacific NW Pilates in 2001, and spearheads the certification program at the studio.
Formerly a modern dancer who trained with artists such as Hanya Holm, Erick Hawkins and Tandy Beal, Jean helped create the degree program in dance at Pomona College as an undergraduate. She received an M.S. in Dance and Kinesiology from Indiana University in 1988, and went on to pursue a PhD in Dance Education from New York University. Jean has also studied extensively with Australian physiotherapist, Greta Von Gavel, and has received training in Laban Movement Analysis, Alexander technique and Body-Mind Centering® Technique.
Jean was first introduced to pilates in 1992, while in New York and fell in love with the way it made her body feel. With many years experience teaching dance, she was a natural at teaching pilates and became an Instructor Trainer just a year after becoming a STOTT PILATES instructor in 2000. Jean has taught in physical therapy clinics, health clubs and private studios throughout Portland and has taught overseas for STOTT PILATES in South Korea, Cyprus, Ireland, Iceland, Taiwan, Japan and India.

Sue Brantley
STOTT PILATES® Instructor
Yoga Instructor, Yoga Alliance
Sue Brantley is a fully certified STOTT PILATES Instructor, as well as a certified Yoga Instructor. Sue has been trained in all pilates equipment, and has taken many specialized therapeutic courses in both yoga and pilates. Sue is also a certified Yoga for Scoliosis teacher, and has trained in myofascial release techniques. She has taught yoga since 1998 and pilates since 2003. Sue's extensive movement background includes 15 years as a professional dancer and choreographer, and she studied tai chi and qi-gong for 4 years. Sue can tailor a program for you using yoga, pilates, myofascial release, or a combination. She enjoys teaching people of all abilities and fitness levels. To read more about Sue, visit www.suebrantley.com

Patricia Broome
STOTT PILATES® Instructor
Pilates is a voyage of discovery. Marcel Proust believed, "The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes." Patricia helps her clients discover how to look at themselves in a different and insightful way. She began teaching and studying STOTT PILATES in the year 2000 and has been with Pacific NW Pilates since its inception. She continues to study STOTT PILATES and has taken the full STOTT PILATES Rehab Series taught by Pacific NW Pilates' Melanie Byford-Young and has completed all course work including STOTT PILATES' Injuries and Special Populations. Patricia also studies Ron Fletcher Pilates for its creativity, precision, breathing technique, and flow of movement.
In addition, Patricia studies Living in a Body concepts (Alexander technique combined with Body Mapping) by Robyn Avalon. The body is designed for dynamic movement and this technique helps to discover how you are intended to function in a holistic manner. Patricia incorporates this into her Pilates instruction to help her clients become comfortable with their own body alignment and movement. Patricia believes Pilates gives individuals insight into themselves and enables them to change both themselves and their associations with other people in their lives. Mahatma Gandhi stated, "You must be the change you wish to see in the world." Patricia's work with clients is rooted in this premise.

Traci Culberson
STOTT PILATES® Instructor,
Instructor Trainer STOTT PILATES® International,
ACE certified
Traci has been a certified STOTT PILATES instructor since July 2002, and became an Instructor Trainer in 2004. She is also a certified Group Fitness Instructor through the American Counsel on Exercise (ACE). Traci has been teaching pilates and other types of group fitness classes for two decades. Her group training experience includes step classes, kick boxing, aerobics and group weight lifting.
This makes Traci the ideal trainer to teach the Group SPX programs at Pacific NW Pilates. With 20 years experience teaching group classes in health clubs, Traci has developed a keen understanding of how to monitor groups and maintain motivation to ensure that everyone in a class will get the most of a program.
Traci enjoys sharing this information with aspiring pilates instructors. She loves the energy that new instructors bring to their work and feels invested in the success of every instructor that she trains. In fact, she always makes herself available to mentor each instructor that she trains – even after training has been completed.

Ishbel Miller
STOTT PILATES® Instructor
Ishbel started practicing Yoga when she was five years old with her mother and has been trained by Powerhouse Pilates, STOTT PILATES and Yogafit. She has studied Yin, restorative, Vinyasa, Kundalini, Iyengar and Anusara Yoga, and she is currently studying with Amrita: A Sanctuary for Yoga and Julie Lawrence. Ishbel has taught yoga and pilates to every age group, including children, for over 6 years. In addition, she has worked with many people of varying fitness levels, limitations and physical ailments. Over the years, yoga has been an integral part of her life, and she feels blessed to practice what I love with the people I love! Ishbel has studied English Literature and Women and Gender Studies at the University of Oregon. To read more about Ishbel Miller visit: Nomad Yoga

Janet Nordlund
Certified Pilates Instructor, Momentum Studios
is a fully certified Pilates instructor through Momentum Studio of Albuquerque, NM and has been seeing clients in the Portland area since January 2006. She communicates with verbal clarity, creativity, enthusiasm, and gentleness. She is particularly interested in helping people apply the principles of Pilates to their everyday life in a way that enhances their working, living and playing. She uses tactile cueing, verbal imagery and awareness to foster an open and dynamic movement dialogue between her clients and herself. She enjoys working with clients of all ages, fitness levels, body types and backgrounds and especially those brand new to Pilates or those recovering from injuries. Janet's passion for teaching Pilates comes from her personal experience.
"I was introduced to Pilates after a car accident injured my spine in three places. I went from five to six days a week workouts that included high impact cardio, heavy weight training and resistance training to twenty-four hours a day pain that inhibited my movement, affected my posture and left me de-conditioned and discouraged. Through Pilates, I discovered a balanced and progressive new way to become strong again from the core out that has benefited all of my life. I believe in the holistic benefits of this work and in my clients' ability to integrate it for themselves no matter where they begin. I am fond of saying to people, 'If you can breath, you can do Pilates!' Fundamental to my Pilates instruction is focused attention to the integration of the whole person (body, mind and spirit). I really enjoy helping clients reach their personal fitness goals and experience better health in every aspect of their life."
Janet loves golf, soccer, swimming, singing and playing guitar. She really enjoys time with her family. She and her two children love "cardio-dancing" in the living room to everything from Maroon 5 and J Lo to Elvis Presley and Tony Bennett. Janet grew up in Quito, Ecuador and is fluent in Spanish and conversational in French.

Cheryl Ramette
STOTT PILATES® Instructor
Cheryl is a certified STOTT PILATES Instructor for the Mat and Reformer, and has completed the Injuries and Special Populations coursework. She has been teaching pilates since 2002. Cheryl especially enjoys teaching Group classes, including a weekly class designed around using the stability ball and Bosu balance trainer. She has studied many additional forms of movement and body awareness such as ballet, modern dance, yoga and qui gong. She finds it thrilling to see the positive changes brought about by practicing STOTT PILATES.

Lisa Rulis
STOTT PILATES® Instructor

Lisa Rulis has been a certified Pilates Instructor with Pacific Northwest Pilates for over five years. Her teaching experience however did not start with pilates. Lisa attended the University of Oregon where she graduated with a bachelors degree in education and went on to receive her masters degree in teaching and administration coupled with an endorsement in special education. She has since used her education from the U of O and her experience working with others into teaching pilates, something she has found highly rewarding .
While Lisa has plenty of experience creating workouts emphasizing athletic conditioning, she also has experience working with people who have specialized needs or injuries. Her continual education in workshops and training courses has afforded her the opportunity to continue to grow as an instructor in a field that is becoming more and more popular.
You will find Lisa in the studio during the early morning hours but she takes as many classes as she teaches so you are likely to see her around the studio in the afternoon as well. For you Beaver fans, don’t be scared off! Even though she is a Duck at heart she is open for a truce and welcomes the opportunity to work with everyone.

Lynda (Schnarr) Racicot
STOTT PILATES® Instructor
Lynda Schnarr is a fully certified Stott Pilates instructor. She first became interested in mind/body conditioning while training as a professional dancer at the Alvin Ailey School in New York City. Lynda also trained with the New York City Dance Alliance and Jacob's Pillow Modern Dance in Lee, MA where she was one of 25 dancers around the country chosen for the 2003 program.
A back injury led Lynda to begin studying Yoga and later Pilates. Lynda loves the elements of dance and rehabilitation incorporated into the Stott Pilates method. Lynda began her Pilates teacher training in 2005. She enjoys watching her clients progress in their pilates practice and accomplishing their fitness and weight loss goals.
When Lynda isn't teaching she is taking dance classes and working with horses to improve their biomechanics through holisitic hoofcare. She became a Strasser Hoofcare Specialist (www.strasserhoofcare.org) in June 2006, and has since been able to successfully rehabilitate horses who were going to be euthanized. Lynda looks forward to continuing her study of the human and equine bodies through more alternative and holistic methods. Lynda has just started her own hoofcare business which you can find out more about here: Holistic Hoofcare

Nikki Tzantarmas
STOTT PILATES® Instructor

Nikki has been a STOTT PILATES Certified Instructor since 2003, and has over 17 years of experience teaching within the fitness industry. Nikki began her teaching career as a dance coach after years of dance training and competing in dance herself. Her love of movement inspired her to become a group fitness instructor while attending college teaching a variety of classes including step, hip hop aerobics, and group weight training. Nikki graduated from Portland State University with a double Bachelors Degree in Business Administration and Human Resource Management, with an additional minors degree in Health & Fitness Promotion. Her continued passion for helping others learn how to live a health lifestyle, and her strong commitment to learning more about the human body led her into working as a Personal Trainer and Fitness Department Manager for 9 years. During that time she specialized in Nutrition counseling, weight management, and program design specific to the needs of women.
Nikki discovered Pilates in 2001 after suffering numerous injuries resulting from over training, it was a match made in heaven at the first class! She began her instructor training in 2002 at the original Pacific Northwest Pilates studio in Vancouver Washington and began teaching for the studio after becoming a certified instructor in 2003.
" I am a very busy mom of two young children. The commitment to live my life to it's fullest potential has continued to be a priority for me, and that translates into keeping my body healthy and fit, acknowledging my limitations, and in my case always attempting to challenge them. Pilates is more than a form of exercise, it has changed the lives of so many of my clients. Individuals who assumed that they would have to live with some form of pain or restriction of movement for the rest of their life. Clients that have set specific goals for themselves to make to that next level of performance. This is why I teach Pilates, the continued challenge for me to find the most effective program to get them to their goals and the sincere fulfillment I feel when they achieve them."
Nikki graduated from Portland State University with a double Bachelors degree in Business Administration and Human Resource Management in addition she obtained a minor in Health & Fitness Promotion., followed by 9 years working as a Group Fitness Instructor, Personal Trainer and Fitness Department Manager for an athletic club in Oregon. Nikki became a certified STOTT Pilates instructor in 2003 and has since taught Pilates in Portland Oregon. Her specialized personal training background was in programming for weight loss and strength training. She has taught group fitness classes for over ten years including step classes,group weight training, aerobics, and weight managment courses.

Trademark or registered trademark of Merrithew Corporation, used under license. Patent Pending.
All material copyright Merrithew Corporation 2007. All rights reserved.
This material, including photographs, may not be copied or used in any form
without express permission from Merrithew Corporation.
STOTT PILATES® photography © Merrithew Corporation