Hi there, I’m Brenna!
I couldn’t be more excited that you have found your way here! Whether you are a dancer, the parent of a dancer, an athlete, or just someone who loves moving, I am here to help with your goals and dreams. I am pretty obsessed with both Pilates and dancing, and overall body movement and health. Pilates is so much more than a workout, something I’ve learned first-hand. When I suffered a serious injury from dance, Pilates was the only method that helped me through the pain. Pilates is a way of life. This means not only increasing strength and flexibility, living with grace and dignity, avoiding injury, and giving you the freedom to pursue any choice in life and go after it with energy and confidence. I can’t wait to work with you on your journey.
A few fun facts about me! I have lived in Arizona my whole life, which means I get to see my family every day! I love to dance (of course!) and I have a hard time sitting still. I’m also really interested in nutrition and wholistic wellness and while I read fiction every once in a while, I’m usually surrounded by books for self-learning! I also love tea, like to make my own Almond milk, am a huge essential oils fan, and am slightly obsessed with Justin Timberlake (my boyfriend knows this). I’m also learning how to play golf, and because I believe everything should be Pink, I own a lot of it, which means all my golf balls are pink too. I’ve also cut and donated my hair 4 times now. I’m trying to donate 7 ponytails before 30 because 7 ponytails make a wig – how cool is that?!
Blending Dance & Pilates to create strength
My Pilates Story
I initially started out as a dancer, first hitting the dance floor 23 years ago, when I was 3! And I did it all: ballet, jazz, tap, hip hop, lyrical, contemporary. I was a major competitive dancer and was anticipating a career in dancing!
After becoming a student at the University of Arizona, after 3 tries, I was accepted into their dance program but I fractured my spine my sophomore year while dancing. I desperately wanted to avoid surgery and all of my dance professors said to try Pilates to help with my pain. Fletcher Pilates is headquartered in Tucson and because of an agreement they had with the university, I was able to take 2 hours of Pilates every morning, which eliminated my back pain and I could dance. When I didn’t do Pilates, my back quickly gave out.
During my senior year of college, the Pilates program recruited me for their teaching program – and the rest is history. I knew that I couldn’t dance forever but I wanted to be actively involved in the movement and dance community. And honestly, after my spinal injury, it truly was an awakening moment – we do not take care of our bodies. We push them constantly and I wanted to do something to change that. When I first started teaching, I could see the potential injuries before they even happened, especially when working with kids.
This has become my greatest passion: to make sure young dancers aren’t breaking down their bodies by the time they hit 18. I do not want what happened to me, to happen to other people. I believe so strongly that Pilates can be the answer for so many young dancers out there, and the wishes they have for a long dancing career.
Professional Me
After graduating college, I became certified in the Foundational Training Program with Fletcher Pilates to become a Fletcher Pilates Teacher. Since 2016, I have been dancing with the LA dance company, MusEffect, which has allowed me to live and work in both LA and AZ. Through MusEffect, I have been able to use the art form of dance to help give back to the community. In 2018 I was part of the NBA Phoenix Suns Dancers for the 2018-2019 NBA season and it was with the Suns that I had the incredible opportunity to dance and work with several choreographers including Tyce Diorio, Lacey Schwimmer, Matt Stephanina, Anthony Garza, Tribe 99, Ade Obayomi, Heather Morris, and many more. With the Suns, I also performed with artists Coolio and Lumidee.
While I absolutely love performing, teaching is such a massive passion of mine! Since I was 16, I have had a love of working with younger dancers and helping to train the future generation of movers. In this upcoming year, I will continue my training with the Fletcher Professional Training Program to better understand the body and be the absolute best dance teacher I can be. Merging dance and Pilates allows me to help younger kids better understand their muscles and help to avoid injuries in the future. I hope to make everyone feel their best so that they can dance with energy and enthusiasm, and for many years to come.
“My daughter has worked with Brenna for over a year and a half and I have seen so much improvement in her balance, strength, flexibility, and confidence. Brenna not only works with my daughter to improve overall strength and flexibility, but also targets muscle groups for certain skills that my daughter is trying to perfect while also working additional muscles to prevent injury due to overuse. The sessions are always organized and build upon each other. Brenna has an innate gift in bonding with my daughter and improving her confidence during these sessions. Sessions were also held virtually when in-person options were not available to due the pandemic. Thanks to Brenna, my daughter has become a stronger and more confident dancer.”
“We love Brenna! I have seen so much improvement in my daughter, Macy since she began working with Brenna. She is very knowledgeable, kind and encouraging. Macy has had success in straightening her legs and loosening up her hamstrings. In fact we found out Macy has a mild case of scoliosis and we were excited to find out Brenna has had extensive training on scoliosis. Brenna is a positive force and a great role model and I highly recommend her to everyone I can! “
“My daughter Sage is a dancer so she began doing Pilates with Brenna because of her knowledge in both modalities. I have been so impressed with Brenna’s knowledge of anatomy and body mechanics. Sage loves the way she feels after a lesson with Brenna. She says she feels stretched but not in pain. ”
“I love how pilates transforms bodies and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my girls working with Brenna. We have one dancer and one swimmer and both girls are seeing improvements in their training goals from consistent workouts with Brenna. Brenna’s knowledge and passion is a powerful tool in our wellness journey.”