ABOUT US

Our teachers are highly trained and committed to bring passion, creativity and knowledge into every class.

Silvia is from Argentina, where at the age of 5 she began dancing at her neighborhood dance studio. She then moved on to train at the National School of Dance, where after 10 years she obtained a National Dance Teacher Diploma. Silvia then began teaching at the age of 17 while also dancing at the prestigious Teatro Colon Ballet School, the leading dance company in Argentina, where she received her Professional Dancer Diploma.

In 1986, at the age of 19, Silvia moved to Canada, got married, and danced with companies such as Le ballet Classique de Montreal, Ottawa Ballet, PM Jazz and Le Groupe Dance Lab, where she worked with many international choreographers. Silvia was simultaneously teaching classes and workshops at many dance and non-dance schools, including Ottawa University.

Since 1999, Silvia has been happily living in Alexandria with her fun and creative architect husband and 3 wonderful soccer-playing boys. She divides her time between taking care of her family at home, teaching and dancing.

Silvia is a permanent staff member at Ballet Nova, where she teaches all levels of Ballet, Modern and Jazz. Additionally she teaches after-school programs at elementary schools throughout the area. Silvia has been dancing for ten years with Choreographers Collaboration Project, a small professional company in Del Ray, Alexandria, where she keeps growing as a dancer, choreographer and teacher.

"The more my body understands different ways of moving, the more I enjoy passing it on to my students -- from fellow dancers to beginners who want to learn how to dance. Every year as I keep growing and maturing as a person, as a dancer, and as a teacher. I bring excitement and passion into every class that I teach!"

Monica Favela George has studied yoga for 12 years. Naturally flexible, she always enjoyed stretching as part of other physical activities, and was delighted to discover the world of "official stretchdom" at a local yoga class in her 20s. Yoga is now integral and necessary for her life, a way of helping her maintain balance, fitness, and sanity! She is certified through Positive Energy Yoga, taught by local yogini Olivia Sheldon. Monica has taught children's yoga for 5 years, mostly at local Montessori schools and briefly through her own practice, BendyLegs Yoga. Monica loves the energy and openness that kids bring to yoga. They truly practice in the moment and show their enthusiasm for the simplest of poses! Many of the moves taught in her classes are based on traditional yoga, and many are based on everyday objects or experiences that children are already familiar with. Monica has a daughter, Gigi, who often attends her mommy's classes and helps demonstrate moves. Monica is excited to teach at Local Motion and help little yogis and yoginis start their own yogic journeys!

Tina started practicing yoga in New York City to increase flexibility and strength as a compliment to her dance classes. After a few weeks of practice, she surprisingly gained more focus, patience and an overall sense of calm. Suddenly the crowds in New York seemed more tolerable and the people much nicer—how could a few yoga classes do this? She was hooked and has been studying the answer to this question ever since.

Tina has been teaching yoga in the US and internationally for the past 7 years. She is a Registered Yoga Teacher at the 200 hour level, having received her certification from Sonic Yoga in New York City under the direction of Jonathan Fields and Lauren Hanna. Her love and background in music and the performing arts influences her class from beginning to end, offering detailed instruction with creative and challenging sequences.

Christine Heckel Legowik grew up in Tucson, Arizona, and has been in love with movement and music from her earliest memory. She has devoted 17 years to the art of classical ballet as a dancer, choreographer, and teacher, and has danced, choreographed, and taught with Tucson Regional Ballet, Ballet Rincon, Ballet Arts Academy at The Old Waldorf School, and The Studio Cooperative, dancing principal and soloist roles in many classical ballets as well as several contemporary works. Her teachers and mentors include Christopher Hird, Danile Geisy, Randall Marks, Daniel Catanach, Carolyn Haatainen-Wallace, Gary Mackenzie, Devin Krahling, Jayne Stephanie-Keating, and Oscar Hawkins.

Christine has made the study of the Vaganova ("Russian") ballet syllabus with its artistry, passion, discipline and simplicity, a key component of her teaching philosophy. It is her goal to provide any student who wishes to learn or return to dance with the skills needed to safely develop or hone their technique in a positive environment.

In 2009 Christine was introduced to Pilates and found it provided strength and control in her dance technique, as well as a method to both prevent and rehabilitate injuries. Her desire to share this with her students led to continuing her studies of movement, anatomy, and kinesiology through a contemporary, anatomical approach to Pilates. She studied at Balance Pilates Training Center in Richmond, Virginia and obtained her full certification as a STOTT PILATES® Certified Instructor in 2011. This includes training in the essential through advanced levels of Matwork, Reformer, Cadillac, Stability Chair, and Barrels as well as training in the use of props and exercise modifications through the Injuries and Special Populations (ISP) course. In 2012, she was accepted into the STOTT PILATES® Instructor Trainer course for Matwork and Reformer in Toronto, and will be continuing her study of Pilates at the next level. She currently teaches at The Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, Virginia.

Christine continues her study of ballet in Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. She has practiced yoga for ten years and believes that the mind/body/spirit connection is at the core of all forms of movement. She enjoys sharing her love of movement and encourages others to join her pursuit of excellence.

Jessie’s favorite part of yoga is the peace and happiness that it brings to her daily life, and she loves helping others to similarly discover the healing and empowering effects of a consistent practice. Her journey in yoga began in 2000 when a co-worker brought her to a Bikram class. It wasn't until she stumbled upon vinyasa in 2007 that Jessie truly fell in love with her practice. Embracing the style's ability to focus on safe alignment while promoting creativity, she loved the element of surprise that was offered every time she came to her mat.

Jessie works to create her classes in the same way that she travels through life: with a sense of humor, a passion for good music, and a focus on how our small, seemingly personal lessons are a way to connect universally. She believes that a playful, mindful practice will help students move through asanas with ease and enjoyment.

Sara Lavan has had a long love affair with movement.  She has been dancing for most of her life (currently dancing and choreographing for Choreographers Collaboration Project) and has practiced yoga for over 15 years.  She studied both while living in New York City, where she minored in dance at New York University and continued to study professionally at Peridance Center.  She also danced for Deborah Damast and Dancers for over a decade and taught dance throughout the greater New York area at daycares, preschools and dance studios.  Eventually Sara discovered Pilates.  For her it was a way to strengthen the body and prevent injuries, which she has found to be essential for the longevity in her career.  Sara received her Pilates training at the Kane School of Core Integration (now Kinected Pilates Center) in New York City, noted for its emphasis on anatomy and biomechanics.  She was drawn to this approach because of her own thirst to understand as much as possible about how the body works.

Sara’s classes -- both for children and adults -- have a deep focus on proper execution of movement, and have been instrumental for many when recovering from an injury, as well as those seeking knowledge on how to prevent them.  Sara hopes to give her students a unique understanding of movement that can be applied to other types of exercise, as well as every day, functional movement.  Sara’s approach to Pilates is one of careful efficiency.  Her focus and goals for her students and clients are to develop safe movement patterns, no matter what the movement is.  She wants to see everyone find movement they enjoy and then be able to do that movement for a very long time!  Sara’s pre- and post-natal classes are designed with the same careful consideration of biomechanics, taking into account all of the changes that occur in the pre- and post-natal body.  She received her pre- and post-natal training with Debra Goodman at the Kane School of Core Integration.

Sara is the mother of two boys, which has renewed her interest in creative movement.  Having had a difficult time finding an appropriate class for her boys, she was determined to find a way to teach dance and movement that was both well thought out and fun!  You can read more about the creative movement she has helped develop for the studio HERE.  Sara has also had an increasing passion for nutrition over the past decade and how it affects health and wellness.  She now keeps a blog to catalogue family recipes.

Local Motion is the culmination of all of these elements, and Sara hopes to share them with the community that surrounds her.

Jennifer Lee has been studying the performing arts for the past 22 years. Her training includes ballet, tap, jazz, modern, contemporary, hip-hop, and musical theatre. She has studied throughout the country with such choreographers as Frank Hatchett, Steven Boyd, Joe Lanteri, Mia Michaels, and AC Ciulla. Jennifer is a scholarship recipient and graduate of John Robert Powers School and Agency in Philadelphia. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Salisbury University in Interpersonal Communication with a minor in Dance. While attending SU she was a member of the SU’s Dance Company, where her choreography was featured in the Fall Student Showcase. Her choreography was recently presented in the production of Maggie Little from the Young Actors Theatre of Reston, VA under the direction of Mark Brutsche. As a teacher for the past 9 years, she has received recognition for Top Scores, Entertainment, and Choreography from numerous competitions.

Kylie is originally from Tacoma, Washington and now lives in Alexandria with her husband and one-year-old daughter, Lily. She has over ten years of experience working with children. Previously, she has toured with Missoula Children's Theatre and has taught theatre arts in public schools in Arizona and Fairfax County. She is currently working as teaching artist for Arena Stage's Student Playwright's Project. Kylie is overjoyed to be spending most of her time being home with Lily and watching her grow into a wonderful little girl.

At first, Nicole Radshaw experimented with yoga to balance running and the stress of graduate school. She became convinced of its benefits after her prenatal yoga experience. Each squat and hip circle helped prepare her body; and the focus, strength, and acceptance from the meditation and breath exercises ensured her mental and emotional being to be present, not only in birth, but in the ensuing challenges and joys of motherhood. The transformation -- from stress to calm, from weakness to strength, from clouded to clear, whether in a single breath or in an hour-long class -- kept Nicole coming back for more. Yoga has helped her find space within herself on and off the mat.

Nicole received her 200-hour teaching certification in Multidisciplinary Yoga led by Daniel Hickman and Jolene Ryan. A perpetual student, she also completed prenatal/postpartum yoga training with Leslie Lytle of Ommama, LLC. Nicole’s classes are inspired by the beauty, rhythm, and cycles of nature, and are infused with a foundation in the breath and a playful music selection. She believes in structure and exploration, taking it easy and working up a sweat, and keeping it real and letting it all go. When the mat is rolled up, Nicole can be found in the garden with her two children or sewing at the kitchen table.

Anne Sidney began teaching within the community setting while dancing with and directing the outreach program for DC Dance Theater, providing technique classes for children, movement classes for seniors and performances for a variety of communities. Anne has taught creative movement, ballet and modern techniques in the DC area for fifteen years. She currently works as a Teaching Artist for the Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning through the Arts. Anne is participating in a project within the Institute funded by the U.S. Department of Education to develop arts based strategies to support math curriculum in early childhood class-rooms.

Additionally, Anne works as the rehearsal director for Dana Tai Soon Burgess & Co., with whom she has worked for eleven years and danced for two seasons. Dana Tai Soon Burgess & Co. is known for originating Asian inspired works with visual clarity, synthesizing eastern and western aesthetics.

Anne trained at the Virginia Beach Community Ballet, the Maryland Youth Ballet and trained in the Horton technique under Miya Hisaka. Anne received a Bachelor's of Science in Nursing from Georgetown University and worked as a registered nurse at the Georgetown University Hospital for thirteen years. She received a Certificate in Movement Analysis from the Laban Institute of Movement Studies in 2001.

Anne is a mom of three children and is passionate about educating and empowering our young. She has the goal of creating a safe haven for children so they have the freedom to create and collaborate.

Emily took her first yoga class when she was pregnant with her second child. That night she had her first full night's sleep in months, and she was hooked. As a soccer player, Emily has experienced the customary aches and injuries that come along with competitive (and weekend warrior) sports, including a torn ACL and both knee and hip surgery. She knows first-hand the healing power of yoga and the necessity to respect the individual needs of each student.

Emily began teaching in 2006 and received her 200 hour teacher training from Rolf Gates, author of Meditations from the Mat. Drawn to the athleticism of vinyasa yoga, she believes in balancing any vigorous practice with patience and rest. Emily's enthusiasm and personality allow a lightness in the classroom that invites laughter and self-study. She is excited to teach at Local Motion which shares her goal of providing inclusive and non-competitive classes that are challenging, welcoming and fun.

Angela Townes was born and raised in Hampton, VA. At a very young age, all art forms intrigued Angela, especially dance. She trained in classical ballet, jazz, tap, modern, and hip-hop since five years of age. She graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University, where she received her Bachelors of Science in Interdisciplinary Sciences with a minor in Creative Writing, and danced on the Gold Rush dance team. Angela always loved working with children. In her final years of college, she realized she wanted to pursue a career in education. Now, Angela teaches Pre-Kindergarten at an arts-integrated school on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Her passion is teaching early childhood students because she loves helping give young children the foundation they need in order to be successful in life.

Jennifer began her yoga practice in the winter of 2002 after relocating to upstate New York from Virginia. Not interested in pursuing the popular cold-weather outdoor activities, she turned to yoga as a new pastime to help stay active and warm during the long winter. Listening to a friend’s recommendation, she began taking 90-minute Power Yoga classes, and was first impressed with the “workout” she was getting. Within just a few classes, she was also attracted to the sense of peace she felt during and after each practice.

Holding the RYT-500 hour certification, Jennifer strives to lead creative classes that are challenging yet nurturing and non-competitive to her students, offering modifications for all levels of practice. Her playlists represent a mix of classic rock, alternative, reggae, jazz and blues. Her absolute favorite part of teaching is providing assists and adjustments for her students. She is continually amazed at what our bodies can do "with just a little help from our friends." Born and raised in Pennsylvania, Jennifer studied Hotel/Restaurant Management and Nutrition at Penn State. She currently lives in Shirlington with her husband Mike, little yogini Sofie Rose, and three Shih Tzu fur babies, Joey, Zoey, and Tucker.

Abigail Wallace hails from the great Midwest, where she grew up dancing. After a series of strains to her lower back brought on by over-stretching, she turned to Pilates. Her teachers helped her begin to address alignment issues and muscle imbalances that had contributed to her injury. Although the journey continues, she has not had a back injury since beginning Pilates in 2003. In 2007, she became certified in Classical Pilates, and has taught the method in Colorado, Washington, and Japan. She also holds an MFA in Dance from the University of Colorado at Boulder. As part of her program she studied the Alexander Technique, a method of reprogramming the mind/body to eliminate unnecessary tension. This method is concerned with freeing the head and neck in order to move efficiently, and has influenced all of her teaching, from dance to Pilates. New to DC, Abigail is looking forward to growing as a part of Local Motion Studio. She also dances for Jane Franklin Dance and continues to participate in organizing an International Dance Festival in Seattle. In her spare time she enjoys hiking, cooking, gluten-free baking, and spending time with friends and family.