Meet Our Team

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

Ariel is the founder and owner of Pilates Santé. She is a highly skilled Physical Therapist and Polestar Certified Rehabilitation Specialist in Pilates-based Exercise, of 20 years. She received a  B.S. in clinical exercise physiology, and an M.S. in physical therapy from Boston University in 2002.

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 a traditional outpatient orthopedic physical therapy clinic 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” in 2008. Her Philosophy is that by improving a clients functional ability, they can return to their desired lifestyles and regain their health. Ariel's focus is on correcting muscle imbalances & poor movement patterns, improving motor control, strength and functional mobility for clients.

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. Prior to this, she worked as a Polestar Pilates Mentor for their Teacher Training Program from 2011 to 2016. She has completed additional specializations: CoreAlign, Pilates for Osteoporosis, Pilates for the Oov, and Pilates Adaptations for Scoliosis.

Ariel is a single mother to a 7 year old little girl. In her free time, she enjoys learning. She is currently enrolled in the center for thriving relationships coaching program. Other interests include holistic nutrition, meditation, and her spiritual journey.

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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. 

MARCIA SORIANO
PTA, Pilates Instructor

Marcia completed the Ohlone College Physical Therapist Assistant Program with honors in 2018 and has worked in both outpatient and inpatient settings. During her career path towards Physical Therapy, she received a Balanced Body based Comprehensive Pilates Certificate at the College of San Mateo in 2015. She aims to empower her clients with the tools and resources to help them move through life. In her spare time, Marcia can be found spending time with her family, enriching herself with continuing education courses in either Physical Therapy or Pilates, and bonding with the ocean through surfing.

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. ​

SARAH BRACAMONTES
DC, Pilates Instructor

Sarah is a chiropractor who has embraced her passion for Pilates and the amazing physical and mental benefits it has to offer by pursuing a Pilates Certification through West Valley College, focused on extensive training in the STOTT method. She found Pilates as a valuable tool to add to her current practice as a chiropractor. She received her doctorate in 2005 from Southern California University of Health Sciences, and has a private wellness care practice in downtown Los Gatos, specializing in Activator Methods technic, Cox Flexion Decompression, as well as an osteopathic technic called Craniosacral therapy.
In her free time, she enjoys doing Pilates, Swimming, Yoga, hiking the open space preserves, and spending time by the ocean, or a natural hot spring. ​

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.

RENATA PONTIL
Pilates Instructor

Renata is passionate about sharing the healing benefits of Pilates. Her focus is on form and technique, encouraging the mind-body connection. After years of practicing TaeKwonDo and competing in  Powerlifting competitions, Renata discovered Pilates as a way to add balance to the physical demands that lifting and martial arts placed on her body. She earned her Pilates certification through West Valley College with extensive training in the STOTT method. She is a certified Personal  Trainer, Certified Pilates Instructor and has certifications in Sports Medicine + Group TRX Suspension  Training and Kettlebells. 
​In her free time, Renata enjoys volunteering with Special Olympics Northern California teaching fitness to  over 100 participants via Zoom. She loves her long walks with her dog and her husband. She enjoys  riding around in her URAL sidecar rig, and spending time with her children, who are now wonderful,  almost-young adults.

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! 

LAURA HILL TEMMERMAN
​Pilates Instructor

Laura enjoys immersing herself in the discipline and detailed learning process of her Pilates practice while simultaneously celebrating the liberating sense of the movement and strength. Laura is a fully certified Pilates Instructor with Body Arts and Science International (BASI). A lifelong athlete starting with competitive tennis, dabbling in some rowing and running, she is now an endurance road cyclist. With athletics comes the need for rehab and recovery, and Laura has been inspired by how Pilates has been the foundation for structuring her recovery from prior injuries and prevention of future injury. Additionally, she can sometimes be found in the dance studio performing with a vintage social ballroom dance ensemble. Laura is known for bringing structure and focus to her classes balanced with a gentle and nurturing approach.

STACEY ROPER
​Pilates Instructor

Stacey fell in love with pilates when she began classes to help with chronic low back pain. She completed her instructor training with Balanced Body in 2019. She has had the privilege of taking courses with some of the most fantastic, experienced, well established at Balanced Body. In addition, she has completed the ACE personal training program and barre instructor training through Barre Intensity. Her main goal is to help people get the same benefits from Pilates as she has, have more control, strength and awareness of their body.
​When she's not working she enjoys just hanging out with her husband, dog, and family or taking her best friend (her dog, Elwood) for a nice, quiet hike.

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?
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