Our Team
Soyoung
Founder, Lead Instructor
As Soyoung continued teaching, she began to notice something important. Even with strong training and experience, some clients were working hard but not always feeling the changes they expected. She sensed a gap between performing movement and truly understanding how the body learns to move. In 2022, discovering the Kopelle Method brought clarity. The neuroscience based approach connected missing pieces in her movement understanding and reshaped how she teaches.
Soyoung began her formal Pilates training in South Korea in 2015. From the beginning, she was drawn to how Pilates felt both enjoyable and effective. Movement felt purposeful, challenging, and surprisingly fun. That combination sparked a deep curiosity and commitment to studying Pilates seriously.
After moving to the United States, she chose to deepen her education by studying Pilates at its roots. Building on her earlier training, she completed classical Pilates training under Karen Frischmann, gaining a strong foundation in precision, structure, and traditional sequencing.
Her education expanded further through Neuro Studio, along with four years of intensive training through the Kopelle Method. She continues to study, train, and refine her approach through ongoing education. Through neuroscience based learning, Soyoung has developed a deeper understanding of motor control, body mechanics, and how the brain influences movement.
Today, she specializes in working with clients with neurological conditions, including MS, stroke recovery, and Parkinson’s disease. Her work emphasizes improving mobility, strength, and neuromuscular control through individualized Pilates programming based on how each person’s brain responds to movement.
In her classes, Soyoung uses brain focused cueing to support learning, awareness, and progress. Even in a group setting, she respects that every body and every brain interprets cues differently. Her teaching allows clients to move in a way that feels personal, accessible, and effective.
Above all, she believes Pilates should feel good to do. Her classes are thoughtfully designed to be effective, engaging, and constantly evolving, creating an environment where movement feels intelligent, joyful, and empowering.
Emma
Kingston
Emma Katz is a Hudson Valley–born certified Pilates instructor who completed her Mat and Reformer training through the Pilates Sports Center (PSC). She works with clients of all levels, with a strong focus on clear cueing, proper alignment, and intentional movement.
Emma found Pilates in 2018 and never looked back. Growing up as a competitive gymnast, the method naturally fit what she was looking for—strength, control, and mindful movement. Her classes blend Pilates principles with contemporary flow, emphasizing core strength, endurance, and control, all set to thoughtfully curated playlists that enhance the energy without overpowering the work.
Outside of the studio, Emma is a public school teacher and field hockey coach. She loves being outside, traveling, and exploring the Hudson Valley with friends, family, and her dog.
Lauren
Pleasant Valley
Lauren first found a love for pilates in 2015 when she took her first mat class. She found that pilates was challenging yet accessible at the same time. This balance has kept her hooked throughout the years, finding movements that were once out of grasp attainable and looking for that next challenge.
Since starting pilates she has noticed she stands a bit taller, her posture improved, and she finds new strength she didn’t realize she had.
Lauren decided to take the next step in her pilates journey in 2023 when she enrolled in a pilates teacher training program. She loved every minute of the training and each apparatus for its versatility.
As an instructor, Lauren aims to meet each client where they are while offering thoughtful challenges that support growth and confidence. She believes Pilates should feel accessible to everybody and empowering at every stage of the journey.
Starlene
Kingston, Pleasant Valley
Pilates has been woven into her life since the 1990s, when her mother first began learning and studying the work of Joseph Pilates. Watching her mother explore the method planted an early understanding of movement, care, and consistency, long before she realized how deeply it would shape her own path.
Years later, she returned to Pilates with intention. Through her personal practice, she healed from an ankle injury, rebuilt strength after back challenges, and reshaped her relationship with her body and personal goals. That experience led her to become a certified Pilates instructor, grounded in a deep respect for both classical and contemporary Pilates and guided by an athletic, supportive approach.
She continues her training because growth matters to her. She has spent many hours teaching bodies of all types, in both group classes and private sessions, and values the long-term relationships she has built with her students. Teaching is where her experience, care, and trust come together.
Through her journey, she has learned that potential does not have a ceiling. Her own continues to grow, and she is passionate about helping her students discover the same sense of confidence and possibility within themselves.