Meet Our Instructors
Johanna VanderBeek
Johanna was introduced to Pilates through her modern dance teacher. She was drawn to the increased strength, the sense of well-being, and the remarkable improvement it made in her dance technique and in her movement while swimming. She received her Pilates certification in Advances in Pilates Technique (currently known as Pilates Leadership Concepts) through Marie-José Blom in 2002 at Long Beach Dance Conditioning. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Human Development at Long Beach State. After experiencing GYROTONIC® through a physical therapist, she became certified in 2006 in Level 1 and certified in GYROTONER® in 2008. She continues to further educate herself as much as possible and enjoys sharing her knowledge with a variety of clientele. She plays guitar, flute, oboe, and piano and delights in being a mommy to her 8 year old boy.
Stefanie Fredella
Stefanie Fredella grew up on Long Island playing soccer, swimming and running. She received a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting in 1995 and spent over ten years building a successful career in finance. In 2007, while on her daily run through her neighborhood, she discovered a Pilates studio where she eyed a row of mats and springs bolted to the wall, but she kept on running. After an injury derailed her, she knew just where to go to gain the strength she needed to get back on her feet. She was hooked after her first class. Admiration for her knowledgeable teachers was her motivating force to become one. She completed her 600+ hour training at Brooke Siler’s re:AB Pilates in New York City. Stefanie appreciates the increased strength, body awareness, and self-esteem that Pilates offers and was excited to make teaching it her full-time job and pass along the gifts of this unique form of exercise.
Raquel ‘Rocky’ Valencia
Raquel ‘Rocky’ Valencia aka “The Gymmama” is a Long Beach native, who has studied Dance, Martial Arts, and Body Building. As a graduate of Body Arts Science International (BASI) Pilates program, Rocky has been an innovative fitness enthusiast fusing body building & fitness competitor training skills to help others achieve greatness in their unique, individual movement. As a Certified Law of Attraction Life Coach and Reiki Practitioner, she realizes the fitness movement ends and begins with a custom design in mind. Rocky has arrived to help others see the Beauty of Movement, have Love for Strength & to MOVE the body temple to higher vibratory playing ground. Currently, she is sharing her gifts at Culver City Honda and Toyota serving as the Healthy Lifestyle Guide. “I GET to help people improve and succeed no matter the weight of the Goal. For this, I AM so grateful”
Lei Lahni DiMeglio
Lei Lahni DiMeglio has been instructing Pilates since 2012. She studied at Body Arts & Science International (BASI) Academy in Costa Mesa, CA to become a Mat Pilates Instructor and continued her education at BASI to learn the art of instructing on all Pilates apparatus. She loves to spend time outdoors hiking, rock-climbing and snowboarding. In fact, it is because of a lower back injury sustained while snowboarding that her love for Pilates began. Through Pilates she experienced first hand how the mind/ body connection can deepen exercises to develop a balanced musculature and proper posture to relieve back pain. Lei Lahni has an extensive background in retail management with an education at Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) as well as a BA in Business from California State University, Fullerton. While her passion has always been in helping others, she learned that personal growth comes from goal setting, positive coaching and taking a sincere personal interest in others. Now, she continues to assist clients in their journey to health and fitness by setting progressive and attainable goals. She is constantly in awe of the positive effects that focused practice can have on the mind and body.
Jennifer Reicheg
Jennifer’s perspective on health and vitality is very holistic. With a Bachelors degree in Psychology and Social Behavior, Jennifer emphasizes the importance of exercising both the body and the mind. Through yoga, Jen draws the connection between both. Her studies at UC Irvine (where she graduated with honors) included Health Psychology and mechanisms of Human Stress and its Prevention. Post baccalaureate, Jen excelled in coursework in Human Anatomy and Physiology. She has several years of experience working in assisted living facilities and inpatient rehabilitation centers. She is a certified yoga instructor, massage therapist and licensed esthetician. She is also CPR and group fitness certified. In her spare time, you might find Jen lifting weights, jogging at the park or the beach, training for another mud run, exploring her community on her bike, or reading a good book.
Dana Linsmayer
Dana grew up in Minnesota, where she enjoyed downhill skiing and choreographing for her Varsity Dance Team. Upon graduating from High School, Dana went to ASU in Tempe, Arizona to get her degree in Business and Communications. Soon after college she moved to Southern California to pursue a career in Fashion. Everyday, while driving to the Fashion District in Downtown LA, Dana passed a Bikram Yoga studio. She was really missing dance and movement so she decided to give yoga a try. Dana ended up practicing Bikram for six months, but then decided to expand her knowledge of yoga. She went around Southern California, trying out different forms of yoga. Her favorite became Power Yoga. In 2012, Dana completed her Yoga Sculpt Teacher Training at CorePower Yoga in Huntington Beach and went onto getting her 200-hour Power Yoga certificate at the end of 2014. Soon after, she finished another 100 hours of training through CorePower Yoga’s Extensions Program. Outside of the studio, Dana can be found working on her Fashion Blog, hanging out with friends, playing with her dogs, eating chocolate and planning her 2015 Wedding (usually one or more of these activities at the same time). Dana hopes to inspire her students to strengthen their bodies and minds and bring balance and contentment to their everyday lives.
Angela Allen
Angela has always loved the outdoors, adventure, and anything that can challenge her both physically and mentally. She grew up in Seal Beach, CA and graduated from UC Irvine with a bachelors in Human Biology in 2014 and hopes to attend medical school. She began practicing yoga in 2010 and fell in love with power yoga and yoga sculpt. She loves that these forms are both meditative and physically demanding. With the realization that yoga helped balance all areas of her life from school and work to challenging mountain hikes and marathons, she decided to embark on her teacher training journey to deepen her practice and share her passion for yoga with others. She absolutely loves guiding and practicing with her students as their energy constantly encourages her growth in her own practice both on and off of the mat.
Carly Rogers-Dayton
Carly’s passion for movement and the power of the human body started growing within her from an early age. She spent nearly 20 years of her life studying dance, training in ballet and modern at Cornish College of the Arts preparatory dance program in Seattle, as well as the Royal Academy of Dance, and later through the dance department at the University of Southern California. Yoga seemed like a natural continuation of her dance training, and she began studying it, and the anatomy of human movement while completing her undergraduate studies at USC. She haas studied various forms of yoga in Australia, Seattle, and Los Angeles, and has completed trainings through the Anusara School of Hatha yoga as well as completion of Yoga Alliance 200RYT with Noah Maze (YogaMaze). Her classes focus on alignment, and build off the foundations of the Anusara principles and Iyengar yoga. She hopes to inspire students to think of yoga as transformation–not only in the physical sense, but in every possible way. Yoga helped her body recover from a serious back injury, and working through the healing process affirmed in her that yoga is a life-altering and truly magnificent practice.
Lissy Lex
Lissy began her dance training at the age of 5 at the Long Beach Ballet Arts Center where she received classical ballet training from nationally and internationally known teachers and dancers. She expanded her dance training at the EDGE Performing Arts Center and the Millenium Dance Complex, both in the Los Angeles area.
Lissy Lex Burboa received her BFA in dance from the University of Arizona in Tucson with equal emphasis in ballet, modern, and jazz techniques as well as kinesiology and dance education. She has danced with the Arizona Dance Ensemble, the Los Angeles Classical Ballet Company, and local sports teams. She currently coaches the competitive dance team at Mater Dei High School in Orange County. After college Lissy found a love for strength training. She has taken those techniques, in conjunction with dance/ballet techniques and has developed her own style of a barre workout. The focus of her classes include strength training as well as lengthening and tightening the muscles in those “target” areas. Lissy loves to share her knowledge and is excited to be a part of the Naples Fitness Family!