Maria-Angeles Llamas - is the owner of Pilates Studio 1 and has a passion and commitment to sharing the benefits of Pilates for a sound mind and body. Marian, short for Maria Angeles, was born in Madrid, Spain in 1975. At the young age of 7, she began ballet training in Madrid which led to a professional career starting with the Joffrey Ballet in New York City in 1995. Her professional ballet career spanned decades and different continents; including Ballet Florida between 2000 and 2007 based in West Palm Beach.
Marian started the Pilates Method in 2000 as part of her ballet training and fell in love with it right away. She immediately saw the way the Pilates Method changed her body, strengthening and creating long lean muscles, improving her ballet technique tremendously. She soon realized that the Pilates Method was her passion and started training with Michele Larsson from Core Dynamics and received her Pilates certification in 2005, after two years of intense training. In addition to her first Pilates Certification, Marian is certified as a Pilates Master, Second Generation Pilates Teacher after completing a two year Master course with Lolita San Miguel, a First Generation Pilates Master and Elder. Marian is also a PMA® Certified Pilates Teacher.
As part of her commitment to continuing education, Marian has attended various osteoporosis and postural correction workshops and conferences through the years and strives to convey to the public the importance of safe exercise and form for people with osteoporosis, osteopenia, stenosis and scoliosis. She enjoys the wonderful process of guiding women through their Pilates workout during the months of pregnancy as well.
Marian’s personal mission and that of the Studio's is to contribute to the well-being and health of others through the Pilates Method. She loves seeing the wonderful transformation her clients go through when they discover their bodies. Joseph Pilates said that health is the first requisite of happiness. She has seen that in her own life experience and enjoys sharing the path towards health and well being with her clients. Marian is married and has a young daughter, her family lives and plays in Palm Beach County.
Nicoletta Cabianca – a native of Venice, Italy is an experienced Pilates instructor. In the fitness industry for almost twenty years, she carries numerous certifications and a comprehensive knowledge of exercise and healthy living. Her passions lie on the science of Pilates and its intrinsic benefits. She holds PIA and PMA certifications and has been teaching Pilates for over ten years. Nicoletta finds it extremely rewarding to be able to learn something new every day, thus she constantly challenges herself to further her education and skills. She truly loves her job, and what motivates her most is being able to guide her clients to a healthier lifestyle. Nicoletta’s Pilates workout makes her clients more aware of what their bodies can do, improving their strength, posture, flexibility and balance. Her passion transpires in her teaching. Nicoletta is also a Buff Bone certified instructor. Buff Bone is a researched base and medical approved exercise program for bone health for any age and level that specifically target osteoporosis.
Yamirys Li - a native of Cuba became an athlete in Diving and Rhythm Gymnastics at an early age. This began her love and commitment to motivate men, women and children to strive for health through exercise and nutrition. She moved to the United States in 1992 where her love of exercise and health led her to the Pilates world. In 2006, Yamirys became a certified Pilates instructor through Dr. Habanova’s Method. Over the last several years, she has practiced Rehabilitation and Fitness Pilates in Wellington, Florida. Her clientele includes equestrians, golfers and other athletes, as well as people with physical issues due to medical conditions. She teaches people to incorporate Pilates into their everyday lives. Because of her devotion to classical Pilates, she became certified through Power Pilates. She is also a certified Fitness trainer through ISSA. Her passion is to inspire people of all ages to feel good, confident and to love their bodies.
Laura Cordle - began Pilates in 2007 to rehabilitate from an ankle injury and became so passionate about the method that she began teaching in 2011. Laura was originally certified comprehensively in a 450-hour Classical Pilates teacher training program through From the Center Pilates Studio under Master Instructor Patrick O’brien in Chicago. Throughout the years, Laura continues her education and has been certified in several specialized courses allowing wide range of individuals to benefit from her teachings some of the specialized certifications include: Pilates for Pre and Post Natal, Pilates for Ankle and Foot rehabilitation, Pilates for Scoliosis, Pilates for Lower Back pain, and many more. Laura has studied the Pilates Method from the best and most distinguished instructors in the world and recently in July of 2015 Laura was one of the youngest instructors internationally to graduate from the respected Master Mentorship program of First Generation Master Trainer, Lolita San Miguel—Pilates Elder certified by the Founder of the Pilates Method, Joe Pilates. Laura has the privilege of being the youngest Lolita Legacy Educator- Lolita San Miguel’s comprehensive teacher training program. Laura loves creating challenging and unique workouts geared toward all levels, body types, and ages. She is inspired by the positive impact that the Pilates Method can create in a person's physical and mental health and is driven to make a personalized experience for her clients' diverse needs.
Kathryn Jacobson - A firm believer in "it’s never too late to try something new," Kathryn discovered Pilates in her sixties. As a lifelong athlete, she put years of wear and tear on her body playing tennis, riding horses, and skiing. She took her first Pilates class in 2016 when visiting her daughter in New York. As she continued to practice, her injuries faded and she discovered all of the benefits Pilates has to offer. Kathryn is a Lolita’s Legacy graduate and teaches at Pilates Studio 1. Her favorite part about teaching is helping her students realize that age doesn’t define your capabilities and that the advantages of Pilates are universal.
Christine Hanley - is a Lolita’s Legacy™ Pilates Instructor and a Board-Certified Employment and Labor Lawyer. Hobbled by an unfortunate roller blading incident nearly twenty years ago, Christine discovered, and then embraced, Pilates in her search for an exercise program that would improve her well-being. Initially, the Pilates mat repertoire was challenging because she had no discernable core strength. Then, little by little, her core strength improved until one day Christine realized that she was experiencing an absence of pain. She has been committed to the Pilates method (and mat work!) ever since.
Carli Ferrugio - is a former dance student of The Florida School for Dance Education from the time she was a toddler until she graduated high school. She continued her education at Florida State University studying Retail Entrepreneurship. Upon returning home, her love for fitness and movement remained.
During Covid, she found her love for Pilates and dreamed of one day working in the industry. Fast forward three years later, she has recently completed Lolita’s Legacy Teacher Training Program under Educators Danielle Armstrong, Laura Cordle, and Marian Llamas. She looks forward to sharing her love for Pilates and movement with those around her, and helping her clients meet their personal goals.
Jennifer Li - Passion for Pilates was inevitable for instructor Jennifer Li. Born and raised in West Palm Beach, this Florida native has had a history with fitness her whole life. Having mom, Yamirys Li, as a Nationally certified Pilates instructor has provided Jennifer with a strong foundation in the Pilates method since early childhood. This lifelong relationship with physical activity has motivated Jennifer to promote the Pilates Method as a lifestyle to her friends, family and clients. Jennifer Li has completed all of Lolita’s Legacy Teacher Training Program courses and was trained by Master Instructors Marian Llamas, Danielle Armstrong and Laura Cordle for two years. She is ready to share Pilates with the world!
