About the Pilates Collective Team
As a collaborative studio, each Pilates instructor and wellness practitioner contributes her unique experiences and diverse expertise to the group. This gives us endless opportunities to learn from one another. As a result, you take class from more fulfilled, well-rounded, and knowledgeable instructors.
Denver Pilates Instructors
Sarah Leifer
Studio Owner, PMA-NCPT pilates instructor
Sarah@pilatescollectivedenver.com
Sarah grew up dancing since the age of five, and was trained classically in ballet through the Royal Academy of Dance (R.A.D). She was introduced to Pilates at Emerson College in Boston, where she graduated magna cum laude with a B.F.A in dance/theatre. She immediately fell in love with it and later received her official training, first with Dana Santi, and later with Risa Shepherd in Los Angeles, making her a third-generation Pilates instructor. Sarah opened her first studio in 2007 in Santa Monica, CA which she successfully operated for 13.5 years. After the pandemic, she relocated to Denver with her husband and two children and became the proud owner of The Pilates Collective in June 2021. Sarah looks forward to sharing her passion for Pilates with the Denver community! In her spare time, she enjoys spending time outdoors gardening, hiking, and skiing.
Molly Groeschl
PMA-NCPT Pilates INstructor
Molly@pilatescollectivedenver.com
Molly Groeschl, a PMA/NCPT-Certified Pilates Instructor, found her passion for Pilates through ballet. At the young age of twelve, it was suggested to her that she incorporate Pilates into her training regime, and she immediately noticed its positive effects on her ballet technique. While she has practiced Pilates for many years, she received her formal Pilates training through Clara Gelatt, Claire Brunelli, and Lisa Wolf in 2016. Molly has had the privilege in assisting many athletes, dancers, and clients on their road back to recovery after injury. She takes annual continuing ed courses to stay up-to-date on new information, and was recently awarded a scholarship to attend the Anatomy Trains dissection courses. She has danced professionally for Utah Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet, Colorado Ballet, and Ballet Tucson, and holds a B.F.A. in Ballet Performance and Nutrition Minor from the University of Utah. Molly's other passions aside from ballet and Pilates are hiking, running, baking, and spending time with her husband and their two Welsh Corgis.
melissa may
Studio Manager, Pilates Instructor
melissa@pilatescollectivedenver.com
Melissa May was a classically trained ballet dancer and has over twenty years of movement experience. She holds a Comprehensive Teacher Training Certification from BASI Pilates®. She has been practicing Pilates herself for over fifteen years and teaching Pilates for ten years - seven of which have been at The Pilates Collective! Melissa has years of experience working with dancers, ice skaters, and professional athletes, as well as clients with imbalances and injuries. She strives to equip her clients with as much knowledge as she can during their sessions, leaving clients feeling empowered with a strong foundation and confidence. She loves learning about how each individual's movement patterns and habits shape their life. In her free time, Melissa loves seeing concerts around Denver, trying new restaurants with friends, and appreciating the outdoors with her two dogs, Jack and Graham!
Marianne Hallinan
Pilates Instructor
Like many people, Marianne has lived in many different bodies in her lifetime: the young athlete; the weekend warrior; the work-a-holic; the tired mom. And, at times, the injured. One of these injuries brought her to Pilates after surgeries and PT failed to relieve debilitating pain. Pilates not only relieved that pain, but changed her movement patterns and spurred her to study Pilates as a method of sports injury prevention and recovery. Marianne is now a Balanced Body certified instructor and currently studying the Classical Pilates method with Sarah Leifer. She also completed a Pilates Foot & Gait Specialty workshop with Nancy Meyers and holds an additional certification on the CoreAlign. She has spent the last year working with athletes, some of whom recently underwent hip, knee or ankle procedures, to help them strengthen muscles around the joint and lower the risk of future injury. Besides Pilates, Marianne loves dogs, dancing, sports, music, traveling, her family, especially her two teenage boys, laughing, learning new things, and coffee ice cream (not necessarily in that order!).
Jacqueline Campos
Pilates Instructor
Jacqueline Campos is a professional dancer, dance educator and certified Pilates Instructor. She was first introduced to Pilates through her early dance training where she used it as a form of cross training and injury rehabilitation. After seeing all the physical and mental benefits of Pilates, it became an important part of her daily life. Jacqueline received her Comprehensive Teacher Training Certificate from BASI Pilates. She strives to help her clients gain a greater understanding of their bodies through movement. In addition to teaching Pilates, Jacqueline is a guest artist with Industrial Dance Alliance and a faculty member at Colorado Movement Lab.
Debbie Cristofano
PMA-NCPT Pilates instructor
debcristofano@msn.com
Debbie believes: “Your Body Tells Your Story”. Life experiences are expressed through posture and unique movement patterns. She helps clients connect to new ways of thinking through new ways of moving. This process can create a living canvas that embodies personal awareness, movement freedom, and somatic trust. She is a nationally certified Pilates instructor through Balanced Body Education and a Slings Myofascial Foundation Level Teacher through Art-of-Motion International Academy. Pilates and movement modalities help her move beyond decades of chronic pain; and now she finds it very rewarding to support clients on their personal journey of self-discovery through movement. Debbie enjoys gourmet cooking, baking and connecting with nature.
LauraLouu Scannapieco
PILATES INSTRUCTOR
laura.louu.yoga@gmail.com
Laura started her healing journey in her early 20’s with hot yoga. Her first class was all she needed to know that this practice was magic. Lauralouu was a practitioner for about 4 years before she got her yoga certification. Yoga and personal development became her life, she was teaching and practicing daily. Pilates came into the picture a few years later after dealing with injuries from yoga. Pilates helped Laura rehab her body in ways yoga could not. She says yoga is rehab for the mind and pilates is rehab for the body. Movement in general is the best medicine. After 2 years practicing pilates, Laura decided to deepen her education and got certified in Pilates, which was a big game changer for her. Lauralouu enjoys helping her clients see their potential with strength and mobility. Check out one of her classes.
PEGGY ROACH
PILATES INSTRUCTOR
Peggy moved to Colorado in 2006, coming from the lakeshore area of southwest Michigan. Her love of the outdoors is evident in her diverse hobbies ranging from fly fishing and hiking to camping, skiing and long distance running. Peggy’s Pilates journey began as a response to a running injury in 2016, a turning point that not only changed her life but also allowed her to continue her passion for running long after she thought possible. Drawn to further explore the world of Pilates, she pursued a Comprehensive Pilates Certification at The Pilates Collective under the guidance of Sarah Leifer, the owner. Thrilled to now be part of The Pilates Collective, Peggy is excited to share her passion for Pilates with others. Through teaching, she looks forward to providing others with the opportunity to explore the transformative and healing benefits of Pilates.
Jaime Thomas
PMA-NCPT Pilates INstructor
Jaime was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. She grew up dancing, studying mainly ballet and jazz through high school. However, once she got to college her heart was drawn in a different direction and she completed a Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. After the birth of her third child she found Pilates and immediately fell in love with the movements as well as the strength and flexibility she gained. After studying Pilates for 10 years she finally decided to get certified and learn to teach what brings her heart so much joy. Jaime truly believes that Pilates is movement therapy which supports everyday movements, along with other, more specific, training programs. Jaime lives in Parker with her husband, 4 kids, and a naughty little pug.
MARTHA Pyron
PMA-NCPT PILATES INSTRUCTOR
Martha is a PMA and ASFA-certified Pilates and certified Iyengar yoga instructor with over 20 years of experience. Her deepest joy comes from instructing differently-abled bodies to improve health through exercise. When she’s not teaching she enjoys spending time with family, focusing on her own personal fitness and health, and being dragged down the street by her giant dog, Buddy!
Natalie Taylor
PILATES INSTRUCTOR
With over a 20 years of experience guiding clients out of pain and improving performance goals for people of all ages and abilities, professional athletes and sports enthusiasts, Natalie is known for her sharp eye, deep understanding of the human body, and transformative results that pilates can offer. She was born in Colorado. After her time as a professional ballerina, she found her love of Pilates and Gyrotonic and became an instructor and studio owner. Natalie enjoys connecting with others through Pilates. In addition to that, she loves being a mom to her three year old son, the outdoors, hiking, dance and being a student of pilates and continuing education. Her mission is to provide clients with the tools to connect them to their body’s natural intelligence and help others to develop a sustainable practice and obtain optimal health and well-being through Pilates training.
Interested in joining our talented team? Reach out.