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Athens Pilates Symposium Presenters |  |
Lolita San Miguel
 First generation Pilates Teacher,
Grand Dame of Pilates for her first time in Greece
New York-born Lolita San Miguel celebrated in 2008 her 50th anniversary of practicing the Pilates Method of Body Conditioning. She received her first certification from Carola Trier, Joseph Pilatesʼs first disciple to open her first studio and then studied with Pilates himself.
Lolita holds the distinction of being one of the only two known practitioners to have been officially certified by Joseph and Clara Pilates and awarded degrees by the State University of New York to teach the Pilates Method.
She has also been certified by Polestar Pilates Education and was awarded a Gold Certificate by the Pilates Method Alliance. She is one of the five "Distinguished Elders" of the Pilates Method Alliance and a member of the Advisory Board of Pilates Style magazine.
After a distinguished career in dance she was a soloist with the Metropolitan Ballet for over ten years and ballet mistress for Ballet Hispanico for three years. Lolita San Miguel moved with her husband to Puerto Rico in 1977, where she founded Ballet Concierto de Puerto Rico, now Puerto Ricoʼs finest ballet company, and was its Artistic and Executive Director for 28 years. Ms San Miguel also founded Pilates y Mas, Inc. in Puerto Rico in 2000 to teach, train and certify teachers in association with Polestar Pilates Education. She retired from Ballet Concierto in 2004 to dedicate more time to teach, train and give conferences and seminars on the Pilates Method.
Symposium Seminars: »
Tips from a Master Teacher
Mat Master Class: Pilates for All
Reformer Repertoire
Cadillac Repertoire
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Samantha Wood
 Physical Therapist, M.B.A., Rehabilitation Specialist
BASI Pilates & Yoga Certified Teacher
Samantha Wood is a M.P.T., M.B.A., BASI Pilates™ Certified Instructor, PMA Certified, Yoga Alliance Registered Instructor
Sam is one of the owners of The Cypress Center, Physical Therapy and Wellness Center in Pacific Palisades, CA. As a physical therapist, she specializes in orthopedics, sports therapy, Pilates-based rehabilitation, and functional rehabilitation.
Sam studied Pilates under her mentor, Rael Isacowitz at On Center Conditioning in Newport Beach, CA in 2001 and since then has attended many of Rael’s advanced workshops. At The Cypress Center, Sam ensures that Pilates is incorporated into Physical Therapy treatments and is proud to report excellent patient outcomes for over 9 years. Sam is also a Yoga Alliance certified instructor and enjoys teaching her patients and clients the benefits of yoga.
Sam’s interest in physical therapy began when she worked in the athletic training room at the University of Southern California (USC). She enjoyed working with injured athletes and helping them return to their sports. She worked with athletes from all teams while at USC but specialized in volleyball, football and track. After two years of traveling the world working as a Fitness Instructor for The Golden Door Spa on Cunard cruise ships, Sam decided it was time to start her real career. She attended Western University of Health Sciences and received a Master of Physical Therapy (M.P.T.) degree. During her 13 year career as a PT, Sam has worked with many celebrities and professional athletes. While at HealthSouth in Arizona, Sam managed the sports medicine complex at America West Arena and was the Physical Therapist for the Phoenix Suns, Phoenix Coyotes, Phoenix Mercury and Arizona Rattlers.
In 2002, Sam returned to USC and earned her MBA. Inspired by the knowledge gained in business school and in the 9 years of managing a Physical Therapy Center and Pilates Studio, Sam now lectures on "The Business of Pilates" and offers consulting services to other entrepreneurs. She has also lectured at the BASI Pilates™ "Learn from the Leaders" Conference, and last year represented BASI Pilates™ internationally at the Hong Kong AFEEX. There she presented workshops on "Therapeutic Exercises for Scapular and Lumbar Pathologies, Achieving Stabilization through Pilates Techniques", and "Introduction of the Pilates Method for the Physical Therapist". Sam is honored and excited to be one of the BASI Pilates™ faculty members providing Advanced Education for Pilates Instructors.
Sam resides in Malibu, CA. In her free time she enjoys traveling the world, global volunteering, yoga classes & taking Pilates from other instructors, hiking, swimming, scuba diving, surfing, cycling, studying Spanish, reading books and living the beach lifestyle!
Symposium Seminars: »
Pilates: A Physical Therapy approach for:
Lumbar Spine Pathologies and Pilates Exercise Design
Pilates Exercise Design for Knee Injuries
Shoulder Injuries and Pilates Exercise Design
Pilates Exercise Design for the Neck
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Eduard Botha
 Senior BASI Pilates™ Faculty,
Athlete, Boxing & Martial Arts Instructor
Ed has been teaching Pilates for 9 years representing the BASI Pilates training program. In recent years he has joined the team at BASI Pilates as a Faculty member teaching the Comprehensive Teacher Training Course in his home town of Cape Town, South Africa as well as Japan, China, and Indonesia.
Ed has always enjoyed athletics and brings a great depth of knowledge about fitness to his Pilates instruction. Prior to taking up his Pilates practice Ed was a Martial Arts instructor and a certified personal fitness trainer from the Exercise Teachers Academy in Cape Town. More recently, Ed has become a certified Russian Kettlebells trainer and an avid boxer.
Ed has a passionate interest in movement sciences and dedicates his time to furthering his knowledge within this field. In 2005, Ed spent the year working with BASI, and the AASFP, teaching and developing Pilates programs in Beijing, China. His innate passion, combined with his training in Martial Arts, Pilates, Boxing and general fitness demonstrate Ed’s natural tendency to follow and support the legacy of Joseph Pilates.
In addition to owning their own Pilates studio edb Pilates, Ed and his wife Tamzyn are also co-owners of The Armoury Boxing Club, a premiere boxing gym in Cape Town.
Symposium Seminars: »
Cardio Pilates Mat
Wunda Complete Workout
Pilates Arc: Strength & Flexibility
Practice, Practice, Practice: the BASI Pilates™ Block System with athletic flow.
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Vivi Letsou
 Symposium Director & Presenter
Master of Arts, Bachelor of Science,
Certified Teacher: BASI Pilates™
Anusara Yoga
Yoga Alliance 500 hours
Vivi is a dynamic and creative visionary who revels in creating community and loves to empower people through yoga, meditation, and pilates. Combining a strong sense of spirituality, business acumen, and natural love of life, Vivi is a highly skilled teacher and an effective organizer. Always curious and super-active, Vivi left Greece at 17 to study just about everything in California. Her multi-disciplinary education included a Bachelor˘s degree in Aeronautical Engineering, an A.A. in Business, and a Master˘s degree in Theater Arts. Later she attended courses on Asian Healing Arts & Massage, as well as countless teacher-training programs in Yoga and Pilates. With great enthusiasm and love for people, culture, and spiritual growth, Vivi always worked to create platforms for meetings of teachers with students, and artists with audiences. She worked for nearly 20 years as a director and producer of films, documentaries, and plays in the San Francisco area where she lived.
In 2004 she and her beloved husband, Eraj Shakib, came to Greece to realize their dream: they opened NYSY Studios, a lively center in the heart of Athens, dedicated to the practice of Yoga, Pilates, healing and community. Vivi teaches Anusara® yoga and BASI Pilates™ classes with joy, sensitivity, and a deep understanding of the body-mind-heart connection. Her mark of a good class? Students feeling uplifted on every level. She also leads the NYSY Studios 200 and 500 Hours Yoga Teacher Trainings, two well-rounded, highly successful programs that offer a path for deeper yoga study and practice.
Pilates Path
Vivi˘s training in Pilates includes studies with the Physical Mind Institute, Ellie Herman Pilates, and BASI Pilates™, a system she has grown to love and teach with great enthusiasm. She teaches classes and privates daily, and her highest joy is to see
students empowered, healthy, and uplifted. Also, to see the team
of teachers & administration at NYSY & BASI growing harmoniously to support each other and the community.
Vivi believes that the key to good pilates is good training. Thus she has worked diligently to nurture the BASI Pilates™ Teacher Training programs at NYSY. The program has become one of the most successful and well-respected Pilates trainings in Greece and graduates of BASI become highly sought after in the professional pilates arena.
In an effort to support pilates teachers to continue learning, Vivi spearheads the annual Athens Pilates Symposium, a fun, experiential, and highly educational international Pilates conference, one of the most successful in Europe.
She is a founding member and vice-president of the Greek Pilates Association, and she oversees a new workshop for pilates professionals, "Skills in Excellency."
Symposium Seminars: »
Optimal Alignment: Keys to Standing, Sitting, & Lying Balance
Pilates Teachers Panel: 7 Keys to Success
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Amit Younger
 Senior BASI Pilates™ Faculty,
Ex-International Contemporary Dance Performer,
Pilates educator specializing in teachers˘ continuing Education.
Born and raised in Israel, Amit Younger has lived in London, England since 2001. Amit joined the BASI Faculty in 2005 and became a Senior Faculty member in 2008. Amit is the co-founder of Pilates Junction Studio, where he also teaches the BASI Teacher Training Courses as well as workshops and regular Master Mat classes for teachers. Prior to opening Pilates Junction, Amit was the co-founder and professional manager of Pilates Performance Studio at the Royal Academy of Dance between 2004 and 2009.
Amit holds Pilates Teaching Certifications from BASI as well as Studio Tamar, one of the leading studios in Israel. He has trained with Rael on many different occasions and has worked alongside several members of the BASI Faculty of Education. Amit is proud to represent BASI in the UK and to be in a position to expose Pilates students and teachers in the UK and Europe to the BASI flavor and philosophy.
Amit comes from the world of Performing Arts. His ten years of dance has taken him all over the globe, performing with various companies. His extensive dance training includes not only Ballet and Modern techniques, but also Pilates, Feldenkrais and other Mind-Body methods. In addition to being a dancer, Amit has performed as a Violinist and has taken part in professional Theatre and Opera productions.
Symposium Seminars: »
Teaching Skills for Excellency: Practice & Observe
BASI Pilates™ Mat: "Keep up the Flow"
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