Meet Our Team

Ariel Lehaitre, MSPT, PMA, CPT, Owner and Founder

Ariel is the founder and owner of Pilates Santé, and a highly skilled Physical Therapist and Pilates Instructor. She has an M.S. in Physical Therapy and a B.S. in Clinical Exercise Physiology from Boston University. She has been practicing as a physical therapist since 2002 and founded Pilates Santé in 2008. Ariel became a certified pilates instructor through Polestar Pilates in 2005 and worked as a Polestar Pilates Mentor as a part of their Teacher Training Program from 2011 to 2016.

Ariel trained as a pre-professional classical ballet dancer at the School of American Ballet, San Francisco Ballet and Pacific Northwest Ballet. Numerous dance injuries led her to pilates for rehabilitation and conditioning. Injuries sidelined a ballet career but opened up a path to professional salsa dancing. Ariel instructed and competed in numerous countries, including Mexico, Italy, Spain, Singapore and Columbia.

Ariel's dance career and injury recovery journey inspired faith in the healing power of pilates. After practicing in traditional outpatient orthopedics for six years, she became aware of limitations in therapeutic outcomes. The desire to implement pilates as the foundation of treatment led her to create Pilates Santé - pilates for "health." Health is restored by improving functional abilities, allowing clients to return to their desired lifestyles. We do this by addressing muscle imbalances, motor control, strength and functional mobility.

Ariel is passionate about teaching pilates teachers how to work with various injuries and conditions of the body, and therefore started a teacher training program, which includes specialized workshops and individual mentorships. Pilates paired with high quality teaching allows for limitless potential in healing through movement.

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THERESE VOELKER
​MPT

Therese​ earned her M.P.T. in 1993 from Mount Saint Mary's College, and has gained valuable experience as a physical therapist working in outpatient private practice, hospitals and rehabilitation facilities. Therese is a Polestar Certified Rehabilitation Specialist in Pilates-based Exercise, and focuses on the correction of muscle imbalances, core stabilization, and improved functional mobility and strength throughout the body. Therese is a CoreAlign teacher, and has received additional training in McKenzie and Maitland based manual therapy. She began studying Pilates in 1998, with emphasis on the rehabilitation of orthopedic and sports related injuries. 

KATE NICKERSON 
PT, PMA, CPT

 Kate received her physical therapy training through Fresno State University and has been a physical therapist for more than 25 years.  After working as an orthopedic physical therapist for many years, she completed her training to be a Polestar Pilates Rehabilitation Practioner in 2014 and became certified through the Pilates Method Alliance (PMA®). She has completed additional specialized training including CoreAlign, Pilates for Osteoporosis, Pilates for the Oov, and Pilates Adaptations for Scoliosis. Kate's focus is on correcting muscle imbalances, improving posture, re-training healthy movement patterns, and increasing overall strength and endurance.

CHRISTINE ZAFIROPOLUO 
​​PTA, Pilates Instructor

Christine received her B.S. degree in Kinesiology/Physical Education at Fresno State University, A.S. degree in Physical Therapy from De Anza College and is a certified Polestar Education Rehabilitation Pilates instructor. She has over 20 years experience with a wide variety of areas that include rehabilitation orthopedics and Pilates, aqua therapy, and personal training. She also worked as a corporate physical therapist assistant where she implemented injury prevention, ergonomics, treatment and exercise programs. In her free time she enjoys spending time with family, trail running, mountain biking, swimming and snowboarding. ​

LEAH JOHNSON-HATT,
​PTA, Pilates Instructor

Leah Johnson is a Licensed Physical Therapy Assistant, Certified Pilates Instructor through Polestar Pilates, and Certified Massage Therapist. While working as a  physical therapy assistant for over a decade, her main focus has been outpatient  orthopedics where she combines her manual therapy and Pilates skills to achieve  optimal outcomes. Her experience ranges from pediatrics to geriatric populations,  and includes rehabilitation from post-operative injuries, orthopedic injuries,  incontinence, and chronic disorders such as low back and neck pain.   Leah obtained her Associate in Science Degree in Physical Therapy Assisting (PTA)  at Loma Linda University in 2009. She obtained her Bachelor of Science Degree with  an emphasis in Exercise Science through the Department of Kinesiology and Health  Science at Sacramento State University in 2006.   

LARA FARWELL
Pilates Instructor

Lara’s understanding of fundamental movement patterns enabled her to play competitive volleyball at the collegiate level, and she graduated with a BA in communications from UC Santa Barbara with an emphasis in teaching. Lara discovered Pilates in 2003, and completed her complete mat and apparatus certification with Balanced Body University in 2011.  Lara's teaching style is fun, creative and compassionate and she enjoys helping others to experience the overall sense of well-being, strength and harmony that Pilates brings to the body.  

CRISTINA WALSKI
​Pilates Instructor

An active equestrian, Cristina’s passion for Pilates began over 15 years ago as a way to enhance her riding and support the physical demands of her life with horses. This led Cristina to teach the classical work of Joseph Pilates and earn accreditations from Balanced Body and STOTT Pilates.  Cristina is also a certified Personal Trainer and Functional Training Specialist through the
​American Council on Exercise. 

GABBY ORTANEZ
Pilates Instructor

Gabby started her movement journey back in 2013 with the TRX suspension trainer in the Philippines. After seeing the importance of functional and bodyweight training, she moved to the Bay Area and pursued her career in fitness. She is currently a NASM certified personal trainer, Lagree fitness instructor, and a Polestar Pilates certified instructor. Her style involves a body-neutral, enthusiastic, and safe approach to movement that meets
​you where you are.

TRACI ROSHITSH
​Pilates Instructor

Traci is certified through the PhysicalMind Institute to teach Pilates as well as the American College of Sports Medicine as a Health Fitness Specialist. She has 21 years experience teaching Pilates and 25 years experience as a personal trainer and teaching cardio kickboxing. 
Shaolin Kung Fu has been a lifelong passion contributing to different fitness modalities including Yoga. Traci recently completed her 200 hours of yoga training with Yoga Ayurveda Center.  She provides online training classes to tech companies in the area. Traci embodies an openness to this energy flow in her teaching style.  She is happy sharing her passion for movement and experience with others and is grateful for the opportunity to do so! 

SHAINA DOWELL
Office Manager

Shaina Dowell graduated this Spring from San Jose State University with a B.S. in Kinesiology. She hopes to attend a DPT program in the future to pursue a career in physical therapy. She enjoys working out and continues building her knowledge of exercise and movement of the body.

DANIELLE KOLMAN
Office Manager

Danielle worked at Pilates Santé from 2018-2019 with Tiffany. She has now returned alongside Shaina as Office Manager. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her many animals who keep her active and busy!

Interested in joining our team?
Pilates Santé Jobs