Tom Dessereau

Tom was certified as a Pilates instructor in 1998 by Power Pilates. He has studied with Romana Kryzanowsha, Bob Liekens, Peter Roel, Susan Moran and Phoebe Higgins. He was a senior instructor at Power Pilates for 9 years before establishing Form, Fitness and Function with his wife Monika Gross. Together, they offer a package of wellness services including Pilates, shiatsu, Alexander Technique and training for runners, from beginners to advanced. Tom studied shiatsu at the Ohashi Institute and has been a shiatsu practitioner for 15 years. Tom is also an avid long distance runner, completing 13 marathons and ultra marathons. He was a coach for six years for the New York Flyers, New York's largest running team.

Personal Philosophy on teaching Pilates
Pilates is an excellent system of exercise designed to promote strength, flexibility and coordination. It focuses on core muscle development and proper breathing and alignment. Pilates exercises can be modified to account for different fitness levels and injuries, so if you have not exercised in years or if you are a competitive athlete, a Pilates program can be designed for you. People with lower back, neck, hips or knee injuries can also benefit from Pilates. The awareness of the body that comes from Pilates can be applied to other physical activities such as walking, running, golf, tennis, skiing and dancing.

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Bob Denatale

Bob is certified in both mat and equipment Pilates through the PhysicalMind Institute. He has been a dancer and teacher for over 20 years. He has also studied Qi Gung, yoga, and Butoh dance, all of which informs his work.

Personal Philosophy on teaching Pilates
Pilates is a holistic exercise that involves the entire body. In his Pilates sessions, Bob focuses on activating and strengthening the core, improving alignment and functionality, and addressing the imbalances in the body that can cause pain. Being healthy means feeling good in mind and body. It means having a graceful and functional body that works at its peak performance and efficiency in every activity, whether daily life or athletic. Pilates sessions should be invigorating, enjoyable, and effective.

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Megan Bascom

Megan Bascom received her Pilates certification through the Kane School of Core Integration in NYC and her BA in Dance Studies focusing on Dance Injury and Prevention from the University of South Florida. She has had a passion for anatomy for as long as she can remember and enjoys sharing her anatomy knowledge with clients to help them better understand exercises and how the body moves. Her experience as a dancer provides her with a detailed sense of movement, allowing her to facilitate a thorough movement experience and individual workout for each client. Megan also teaches dance to children in NYC and CT and dances professionally with a Brooklyn-based modern dance company.

Personal Philosophy on teaching Pilates
Pilates promotes strength, flexibility, coordination and a deeper overall sense of one's own body. There are many ways of modifying each of the Pilates exercises to suit the individual's needs. The basic core principals of the Pilates method can be applied to other forms of activity in our lives.

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Mary Foster

Mary received her certification through The Kane School of Core Integration, New York in 2003. She has been teaching private sessions, group classes, and mat classes in New York City and Long Island for the past six years. Mary firmly believes in structuring her sessions by carefully explaining the core principals of the work, before building up a client's strength to go on to more advanced work.

With a background in classical ballet, which Mary has studied for nearly 30 years in London, Los Angeles and New York, she was initially introduced to Pilates through her ballet teacher in London. She continues her studies in this fascinating work, taking workshops whenever she can. She has also studied yoga and modern dance, and loves to dance Argentine tango.

Personal Philosophy on teaching Pilates
Pilates is a total mind/body centering practice. When properly practiced, it brings enormous benefits: longer, leaner muscles with strong core abdominals and a greater freedom of movement and well-being.

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