Helios Center for Movement
2147 West Belmont Avenue Chicago, IL 60618
02. Classes > Instructors
jenna Jenna Zaffino, Director, Qualified Fletcher Pilates® Teacher, Fletcher Faculty, PMA Certified
 

Jenna Zaffino is the owner and director of Helios Center for Movement, Chicago's only Fletcher Pilates® Studio.  Jenna's passion and curiosity about the art of teaching movement has guided her through a diverse educational track including Movement Education LLC, NASM, ISSA, RTS, New York City Ballet Workout, Healthy Mom's LLC, and her most cherished experience, The Ron Fletcher Program of Study.  In addition, Jenna is proud to be a Certified Pilates Teacher through the PMA.  Jenna uses an innovative approach to teaching that celebrates the individual experience of each student by creating an environment of willingness, courage and curiosity.  With her students as her muse and the Pilates repertoire in her toolbox, Jenna enjoys creating lessons that highlight movement fundamentals as a means to addressing areas of challenge.  As part of her teaching contribution, Jenna is honored to direct the Ron Fletcher Program of Study as a Fletcher Pilates® Faculty member at Helios. Inspiring others to want to teach movement as a Pilates professional drives her in the efforts to cultivate each class of Qualified Teachers who share her joy, gratitude and love for the Fletcher Pilates® work.
jenna@heliosmovement.com


jillJill Motal, Qualified Fletcher Pilates® Teacher, PMA Certified
Movement has brought joy to Jill’s life in many widely varied ways. Whether it was practicing gymnastics and trampoline tricks, perfecting her volleyball serve or running hurdles, she was always working to stretch further, jump higher or run faster.  As a multi-sport athlete throughout high school and college, Jill gained a deeper understanding and passion for muscular and cardiovascular training. Upon graduating from Indiana University, Jill was commissioned an officer in the United States Air Force.  As a military physical fitness officer, she managed exercise and nutrition programs for personnel in her unit as well as led Spinning and athletic training classes at the base gym. Jill holds fitness certifications from AFAA, Madd Dogg Spinning and the Nautilus Fitness Institute. She discovered Pilates in 2001 as a complement to athletic conditioning and was amazed at the body awareness and control possible with Pilates practice. She began studying with Jenna at Helios in 2005 and completed the Ron Fletcher Comprehensive Program of Study in 2008. She is a member of the Pilates Method Alliance and has had the tremendous opportunity to practice with Ron Fletcher Program master teacher Diane Severino and Mr. Ron Fletcher himself. She currently lives in Chicago with her husband Christopher and their dog, Ivy. jill@heliosmovement.com

jillJacquelyn Swedroe, Qualified Fletcher Pilates® Teacher, PMA Certified
Jacquelyn developed a passion for health and fitness at a young age through competitive sports such as soccer, softball, and swimming. She began working in the fitness industry at the age of 16, as an intern in an exercise physiology clinic, assisting in training collegiate and professional athletes. Jacquelyn was a natural and enjoyed the fast-paced, athleticism that this training required. She hit a road block in her own training, however, after an ankle injury during her senior year of high school. A blessing in disguise, physical therapy led her to the other side of her passion - post-rehabilitative health. She then attended the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and received a degree in Kinesiology. After school, she continued her career as a fitness professional, earning certification from both the National Academy of Sports Medicine and the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America. Expanding her knowledge and at this point, extreme passion for fitness, she earned a basic Pilates Mat certification. This training became the catalyst for her Pilates education, which led her to find Fletcher Pilates at Helios Center For Movement. Jacquelyn recently completed the Ron Fletcher Program of Study to become a Fletcher Pilates Qualified Teacher. Jacquelyn loves to teach in this new, exciting arena and has married her fitness experience and Fletcher Pilates to develop both athletic and post-rehabilitative programs for Helios in 2010.


Susie Griffith, Qualified Fletcher Pilates® Teacher
Susie began teaching Pilates over six years ago and has enjoyed sharing her love for this discipline ever since.  She earned her teacher certification in the classical form of Pilates from Frog Temple, Inc., a member studio of the Pilates Method Alliance and is currently continuing her education by participating in the Ron Fletcher Program of Study here at Helios.  She is very excited to be expanding her knowledge and to be discovering a deeper sense of connection to this work.  With a background in performing and theater management, she has been and ongoing, active member of the Chicago theatre community since earning her BS in Theater from Northwestern University.  Her devotion to Pilates has helped strengthen her actor voice, giving her greather flexibility for performing and offering creative insight into the importance of physicality in her character work.  Susie shares her home with her wonderful husband Scott, a couple of crazy cats and a brilliant border collie.  She is the proud step-mom of three beautiful college graduates, Olivia, Emma and Dan. 

Ginny Ilich, Qualified Fletcher Pilates® Teacher
Ginny fell in love with movement as a toddler when she experienced her first gymnastics and ballet classes. Dancing, singing, acting, swimming, twirling, tumbling, and competitive gymnastics moved Ginny through childhood and into college where she rediscovered classical ballet, yoga, and Pilates. She began studying with Jenna at Helios in 2008 and completed the 2009/2010 Ron Fletcher Comprehensive Program of Study. During that time, Ginny was pregnant with and gave birth to her beautiful daughter Sonja Grace. As a result she has an in-depth understanding of and passion for pre/postnatal movement, movement to bond with baby, and movement for children. In addition, Ginny has her Bachelor of Science in Education degree with a concentration in Mathematics, a Master of Arts in Psychology degree with a concentration in Human Development, and is currently studying to become a Kundalini Yoga and Children’s Yoga teacher. Over the past decade she was an Elementary Education Teacher, Math Specialist, and a Gifted, Talented, & Differentiation Specialist. Ginny strives to combine all of these experiences to give you a well rounded and joyful movement experience. She currently resides in her Roscoe Village home with her husband Jovan, their daughter Sonja, and their two dogs, Max the Moose and Lola.

karinKarin Dabrowski, Studio Manager, Qualified Fletcher Pilates® Teacher
Karin Dabrowski is the Studio Manager at Helios Center For Movement. She first came to Helios in 2008 with a varied background in customer service and hospitality as well as a B.A. in Integrated Marketing Communications from Roosevelt University Chicago.Karin's interest in Fletcher Pilates® was initially piqued as an innocent bystander working the front desk. She heard the breath, saw the movement and thought, "I'd like to do that too!"In the beginning, her Pilates goals included improved posture and athletic ability. She quickly found that through the regular practice of Fletcher Pilates®, not only were her goals reached but she was also exceeding them. Through her own commitment to her practice, she saw the body transformation that she had read about through the "pilates promise." She became inspired to continue her study on a much higher level and entered the Ron Fletcher® Program of Study in May 2010. Karin graduated in May 2011 as a Qualified Fletcher Pilates® Teacher.

Alejandra LindemannQualified Fletcher Pilates® Teacher
Alejandra has been a active participant in fitness activities her whole life from class activities like spinning as well as large events like the Chicago Marathon and American Birkebeiner 54K cross-country ski race. Ale (pronounced "Ah-lay") got hooked on Fletcher Pilates® after her first private session at Helios in 2008 and found her calling to pursue a teacher training in this study to help people get healthy and change their lives. Ale is drawn to the elements of breath, movement, and intensity of focus involved in the study of Fletcher Pilates®, which compliments her experience in endurance races and standard fitness programs. Having first hand experience as a student herself, Ale brings a keen insight into helping her students apply the Fletcher techniques. Ale grew up in Santiago, Chile where she received a degree in Landscape Design. Ale moved to the states in 2001 and studied at St Thomas University in St Paul, MN. Ale has been in Chicago since 2005 and lives with her husband Joe, her Pug Spike and her cat Jude. Alejandra graduated in May 2011 as a Qualified Fletcher Pilates® Teacher.
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