Sheppard Method Pilates

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Sheppard Method Pilates Instructors

Sheppard Method Pilates Instructors

  • Risa Sheppard
    Risa Sheppard
    Founder and Owner of Sheppard Method Pilates
  • Janine Venable-deZarn
    Janine Venable-deZarn
    Senior Pilates Instructor
  • Leo
    Leo
    Director of Cuteness
  • Carolyn Wright
    Carolyn Wright
    Pilates Instructor, Personal Trainer
  • Lindsay Doering
    Lindsay Doering
    Pilates Instructor
  • Alex Thompson
    Alex Thompson
    Pilates Instructor
  • Shawn Taryn
    Shawn Taryn
    Pilates Instructor
  • Sara Miller
    Sara Miller
    Pilates Instructor
  • Jessica Bramer
    Jessica Bramer
    Pilates Instructor
  • Alexis Hurtado
    Alexis Hurtado
    Front Desk Staff
  • Chelsea Mosley
    Chelsea Mosley
    Pilates Instructor
  • Olivia Flood-Wylie
    Olivia Flood-Wylie
    Studio Manager
  • Dwight Johnson
    Dwight Johnson
    Pilates Instructor

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Risa Sheppard
Founder and Owner of Sheppard Method Pilates

Founder of the Sheppard Method Teacher Training Program

Noted as one of the most sought-after Pilates Instructors in the world by both celebrities and individuals with life-changing injuries, Risa Sheppard is dedicated to the methods of classical Pilates and the many benefits that accompany the practice. While her life’s work is dedicated to helping others achieve personal perfection and maintain optimal health at any age, her practice and teachings are deeply rooted in the mind, body, and spirit connection as they tie directly to personal empowerment.

Risa began teaching “The Pilates Method” in 1975 where she fell deeply in love with the work and decided she would never look back. Having gained her formal Pilates training education by working directly with Ron Fletcher, legendary Pilates elder and founder of Fletcher Pilates®, Risa’s work undeniably incorporates the Graham-based elements of movement and dance into the equipment-centric structure of Joseph Pilates’ original creation.

Since then, her practice incorporates an understanding of the thoughts of the mind and how they affect our lives and bodies. Through every classical Pilates class taught at Sheppard Method Pilates, the trainings are based on teaching and healing, expression of the authentic self, and allowing the body to move in a fluid, efficient, powerful, coordinated, and relaxed manner. Through this method, it is Risa’s hope that the results will allow each client and student to move beyond their limitations, allowing them to feel more and more comfortable in their own skin. With this, Risa’s practice and The Sheppard Method is movement with grace, agility with beauty, and power with a gentleness that brings out your true inner spirit.

Not only is Risa the founder and owner of the Sheppard Method Pilates Studio based in Westwood, but she is also the founder and remains as one of the head instructors of the Sheppard Method Teacher Training Program, a Pilates Method Alliance (PMA) certified program with successful graduates who teach throughout the world.

Trained Under The Elders of Pilates

While there is an endless amount of incredible Pilates instructors, few have been trained under the elders of Pilates. Risa, on the other hand, began her Pilates career alongside Pilates Elder Ron Fletcher and is the only remaining instructor with a studio in Los Angeles who trained in his LA school. In addition, she continues to preach the original goals of Joseph Pilates as a restorative art

Mindful Movement: Heal Your Back Pain with BAM Therapy

by Dr. David Tannenbaum D.C. & Risa Sheppard
Risa Sheppard and Dr. Tannenbaum have poured over seventy years of combined experience in healing into Mindful Movement, along with cutting-edge medical research that supports Body and Mind Therapy (BAM). Read More:
Barnes and Noble
Apple Books

Notable Achievements

Education

Features & Appearances

 

Janine Venable-deZarn
Senior Pilates Instructor

Functional Anatomy Teacher

Co-Teacher for the Sheppard Method Pilates Teacher Training Program

Backed by more 24 years of experience as a Pilates teacher, Janine Venable-deZarn brings an unmatched wealth of knowledge to the team at Sheppard Method Pilates and remains as the Co-Teacher for the studio’s Pilates Teacher Training Program. Her passion, which stems from helping clients learn to use their bodies optimally through Pilates so they feel better in their physical presence, allows her to improve the quality of life of every client by empowering them to care for themselves. As a result, one of her greatest joys as an instructor is when she hears a client say that Pilates is helping them in unimaginable ways, that they no longer have pain every morning, or that a lifelong injury has healed after so many other forms of treatment. This is what keeps Janine going and lets her know that she has done her job well. For this reason, it is without doubt that her favorite part of teaching at Sheppard Method Pilates is the personal nature of the studio’s instruction, where the team seeks treat the whole person, not just the body.

Janine’s Journey to Pilates

In 1998, before the practice was ever popularized, Janine discovered Pilates. She had been a professional dancer in musical theatre on the East Coast. Years after she had stopped dancing, Janine moved to Westwood and a friend who owned a Pilates studio asked if she would teach Pilates at her studio. Her friend admitted that she desperately needed an instructor and said she would even pay her to learn.  A seemingly good offer that was too good to refuse, Janine thought, “What have I got to lose?” Little did she know, she would soon fall in love to with Pilates, creating for herself a career of teaching clients and not too long after, a career in also training future Pilates instructors.

For the next two to three years, Janine continued to work at her friend’s studio until she was offered a job by a pain management doctor where she would work closely with the doctor’s patients. In this arena, Janine worked with patients suffering from chronic pain or recovering from a surgery/illness and who needed rehab, which in turn, completely changed her outlook. Over the next 16 years, Janine absorbed nearly everything about the human body from Dr. Axler and developed an appreciation for the power of healing through Pilates. Through this journey, Janine realized that anyone could learn Pilates, no matter their age or physical ability so long as they had a willingness to do so. In 2005, Janine began working with Risa, training future Pilates instructors and thus began a new chapter in her Pilates career.  All in all, Janine’s journey has been one that is nothing short of amazing, and the evolution only continues.

Education

Leo
Director of Cuteness

Leo has participated in 6 teacher training programs since he was adopted in 2021. His interests are treat collection, following Risa around the studio like a shadow, and mastering the Wunda Chair.

Carolyn Wright
Pilates Instructor, Personal Trainer

With more than a decade of experience practicing Pilates, Carolyn Wright curates enjoyable yet challenging classes for her clients to help them find thoughtful, practiced, dynamic movement. With a love to create magnified energy in group classes, Carolyn deeply enjoys witnessing and sharing the increased well-being of a person as they grow through their Pilates practice. For these reasons and so many more, Carolyn brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to our Westwood Pilates studio.

Carolyn’s Journey to Pilates

Since childhood, Carolyn has participated in dance and a variety of athletics. As an adult, she began running, working out with personal trainers, and enjoyed every cardio class she ever tried. Curious about the wonderful world of Pilates, Carolyn took her first mat Pilates class more than ten years ago and discovered that she had all sorts of untapped muscles that hadn’t been strengthened through other forms of exercise. She continued and increased her mat Pilates practice, which eventually led her to discover (with great joy) the Reformer, Cadillac, Ladder Barrel, and other Pilates equipment to unwind and realign her body.

She joined our Westwood Pilates team at Sheppard Method Pilates for the sophisticated, intimate charm, and excellent selection of equipment. Now, Carolyn enjoys the warm, friendly community that her clients enjoy.  Small enough for friendly chats, yet large enough to feel vibrant and buzzy in the morning and after-work hours, Carolyn adores providing each Sheppard Method Pilates client with the best possible Pilates experience.

Certificates

Education

Alex Thompson
Pilates Instructor

Alex has been a member of the Sheppard Method family since beginning her certification journey in 2021! A former dancer, Alex began taking Pilates classes after experiencing hip injuries stemming from dance at age 16. She was instantly obsessed and knew she wanted to get certified one day, and kept it in the back of her mind as she completed high school and began to study Dance at San Diego State University. Her dance background includes ballet, contemporary, jazz, modern, commercial hip hop, and various street styles. Through the SDSU dance program, she was able to take Pilates one semester as an elective, and knew it was time to make the change when she liked the Pilates class the best! The pandemic hit that next semester, and after a year of being at home she chose to stay in Los Angeles to pursue a Pilates certification instead of returning to school. It is easily the best decision she’s ever made. She believes teaching is her “spark”- she taught ballet and jazz to kids ages 3-7 at On The Edge Dance Studio in high school and loved every second of it, so teaching Pilates is a wonderful continuation of that. Alex believes Pilates to be not just exercise, but a movement technique, and she enjoys explaining the “why” of all the exercises she teaches her clients. To her, there’s nothing more fulfilling than seeing a client’s tangible improvements over time. Alex also has plans to complete her Bachelor’s degree in Communications in the near future, having been inspired by all of the public speaking skills and interpersonal relationships she’s developed through teaching Pilates.

Alexis Hurtado
Front Desk Staff
Chelsea Mosley
Pilates Instructor

Chelsea earned her Bachelor of Arts in Dance from San Francisco State University in 2018, where she specialized in Jazz, hip-hop, West African, ballet, modern, contemporary, and various street styles. Her academic career was enriched by opportunities to work with renowned choreographers such as Ray Tadio, Janice Garrett and Charles Moulton, Cathleen McCarthy, and Wendy Diamond. These experiences deepened her commitment to dance and broadened her understanding of the body in motion. Following her degree, Chelsea furthered her dedication to movement by becoming a certified Pilates and Yoga Instructor. She completed 450 hours of classical pilates teacher training through Sheppard Method Pilates, gaining a strong foundation in both mat and equipment principles . Chelsea also expanded her expertise in yoga, earning certifications in 26&2 method, Power Yoga, Rocket Yoga, and barre and Sculpt yoga through Hot8yoga. These qualifications have empowered her to offer a holistic approach to fitness, combining the precision of Pilates, the mindfulness of yoga, and the strength-building aspects of barre. Chelsea’s teaching philosophy is rooted in the belief that movement is a transformative tool for both physical and mental well-being. She is dedicated to creating a safe and supportive environment where clients can explore the freedom of dance and achieve balance, strength, flexibility, and comfort in their bodies and lives.

Olivia Flood-Wylie
Studio Manager

As a former dancer and current organizational aficionado, Olivia helps keep the studio running with her love for Pilates, the Sheppard Method, and the studio dog, Leo.

Dwight Johnson
Pilates Instructor

Raised in a small Northern California town, just an hour from the ski slopes, Dwight spent most of his time outdoors or in the gym. Hiking, swimming, mountain biking, trail running, snowboarding, and skateboarding were all part of his daily routine, no matter the season.

From a young age, he competed in men’s gymnastics across all six events for 10 years before transitioning in high school to water polo and the snowboarding team.

After working in digital media, journalism, and eventually computer coding, Dwight turned to Pilates as a way to reset—both physically and mentally. Though he is no longer a competitive gymnast or slalom snowboarder, he finds Pilates just as challenging and treasures the deep connection between body and mind.