meet our instructors

CATHERINE CUZZONE

Owner / Manager PilatesRI ​
​Principal United States Pilates Association

Catherine began her Pilates journey in 1995 in New York City under Pilates Elder Romana Kryzanowska. She merged her competitive sports background and 10 year corporate history into opening the first Pilates studio in Providence in 1996. PilatesRI became the first RI Pilates Certification Center in 2003. In 2005, she co founded the USPA,  exclusive licensee of The New York Pilates Studio Teacher Certification Program, whose launch was made possible by a team of professionals she assembled exclusively from Rhode Island.
 
She continues to pursue an active lifestyle which embraces holistic health/wellness, nutrition, organic, and green living. 

• 1996 Authentic Pilates Certification
• 2002 Gyrotonic Certification
• 2003 New York Pilates Studio Teacher Trainer
• 2004 USPA Teacher Trainer
• 2005 United States Pilates Association Principal/Director

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TORI JOHNSON

Instructor
Tori has been teaching Pilates since 2007. She began teaching Pilates after many decades of an active lifestyle embracing fitness, nutrition, and holistic wellness. She continues to cultivate a healthy, green/organic lifestyle for her husband and two children while teaching Pilates and managing the RI studios. Clients LOVE Tori's warm, caring personality balanced with her unique ability to simultaneously challenge, innovate & inspire.

• 2007 Mat Pilates Instructor (PRI)
  
• 2012 Grandfathered Pilates Instructor
  
• 2013 Mat & Equipment Certified (USPA) Level 2
  
• 2017 Full Classical Certification (PRI/USPA)

SHEILA MELLO

Instructor
Authentic Pilates Certification (Chicago) 2002 via The New York Pilates Studio, Chicago, Illinois.

Sheila is the senior instructor at PilatesRI, and a Teacher of Teachers for the U.S.P.A. in the Providence, RI training center. She is a former classical ballet dancer, who began her study of the Pilates method in Chicago, IL, under the tutelage of master teacher Juanita Lopez. She obtained her certification from Sari Mejia Santo in 2002 through the New York Pilates Studio Teacher Certification Program.
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Sheila moved to the New England area in 2004 and has continued her education by attending workshops and taking lessons, from such wonderful instructors as Jay Grimes, Peter Fiasca, Brett Howard, Kathi Ross-Nash, Mari Winsor, Mejo Wiggins, Dana Santi, and Brooke Siler. Sheila is committed to keeping Pilates pure, authentic and true to its original form.

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lAUREN

Lauren became a certified instructor through the United States Pilates Association in December of 2017. She spent 600+ hours studying under Sheila Mello, Teacher of Teachers for the U.S.P.A. at Pilates RI, and Brett Howard, Director of Education for the U.S.P.A.

Lauren studied at the George Washington University and received a BS in Geoscience. After graduating, she was a ski instructor at several different ski mountains throughout the U.S., where she developed her love for teaching movement.

As a lifelong runner and skier, Lauren struggled with foot and ankle issues. She originally discovered Pilates in the hope of learning to stabilize the body properly and avoid more injuries. After developing these skills, Lauren realized how much day to day life was improving through proper movement, stability and strength. Lauren is dedicated to helping others properly use and strengthen their bodies by using the Pilates method.