Janine deZarn

Co-director of the Sheppard Method Pilates Certification program has been a fitness professional on both coasts since 1987.  Janine began as a certified aerobics instructor and personal trainer in Boston, performed fitness lecture/demonstrations throughout New England for Reebok as part of an elite team of aerobic instructors and  after relocating to Los Angeles, began teaching Pilates in 1998.  Her training as a professional dancer for 18 years made for an easy transition to teaching this new discipline  which Janine considers to be the best form of physical conditioning she has ever done.  Janine is certified in mat Pilates through Physical Mind, and to teach all equipment through the Sheppard Method Pilates Certification Program.  Additionally, Janine works in Santa Monica with a pain management doctor teaching Pilates in a physical therapy setting.  Janine feels fortunate to be a part of the team at Sheppard Method Pilates and to be able to create health awareness and healthier bodies.

Anne Grimaldo

Anne Grimaldo has been teaching since 1984. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from UC Santa Barbara and her Masters in Dance Performance from UC Los Angeles. Anne danced professionally with The Rudy Perez Performance Ensemble for 15 years and presently has her own dance company with her husband Jeffrey called “NAKED with SHOES”.

Anne was trained under Risa in 1988. She was certified in the method, and works with home clients as well as at the studio.

Jeffrey Grimaldo

Jeff has been a professional dancer for 17 years and a Pilates method practitioner for 12. It was through dance that he was introduced to “the method’s” mat work. He has studied intensively with Jillian Hessel at the Well-Tempered Workout in Hollywood, and is a member of the Physical Mind Institute in Santa Fe, New Mexico. With more than six years of studio experience, Jeff has worked privately with elite athletes and dancers as well as the injured and physically limited. Jeff believes that the Pilates method is a valuable system for improving body strength and length, and most importantly for learning to connect mind to muscle. It is this body awareness that one can then take into every activity for life.

Rini Starkey

Rini brings her special magic of inspiration, technique, and love to the Pilates work. Her studies at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and St. Edward’s University contribute to her all around knowledge of communications and teaching abilities. A certified Pilates instructor, she has extensive experience in the health industry working with injuries of the back, shoulder and knee. Students love working with her, and most importantly, she loves working with students.

Michael Mills

Michael has a degree in Exercise Science from California State University Northridge and has worked in sports medicine for twelve years. His extensive experience working at a physical therapy clinic in Beverly Hills has made him an expert in pain management and soft tissue manipulation. He brings to the studio his own unique healing techniques.

Laura Hartson

Laura is a native of the great state of Michigan, and a graduate of the University of Michigan, where she studied French and anthropology as well as dance. Laura is also an ardent baker, and strikes a balance between her inordinate fondness for sweets and her desire to stay in shape with a strict exercise regimen centered on Pilates. Also an avid runner, Laura has been a Pilates practitioner since 2000, completing her certification with Risa at the Sheppard Method Pilates Studio. She has boundless enthusiasm for the Pilates method, and believes it to be a very powerful system of exercise, singular in its ability to strengthen and shape the body while simultaneously calming the mind.

Laura Todd

Laura was raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, is a professional dancer with a degree in Dance from UC Irvine, where she studied Pilates as a means to help maintain the physical demands as a dancer. After studying and certifying with Diane Diefenderfer at Studio Du Corps in Orange County, Laura realized that not only did she have a passion for pilates, but she also had a need to communicate her knowledge in hopes of helping other people from all walks of life. Laura finds pilates to be both physically and mentally challenging, but best of all spiritually motivating!