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About Us

The Pilates Method of Body Conditioning, as practiced at The Art of Control®, offers both individual and group training, independent work for experienced students, individual sessions at home for students otherwise unable to come to the studio, and group and individual Mat classes. There is also the opportunity for those dedicated to the method to become instructors. The studio also offers massage therapy and other bodywork services. The Art of Control® is the first studio in upper Westchester that descends directly - in its methods and in its certification - from Joseph Pilates himself. Every instructor at The Art of Control® has been trained and Certified by the Master teacher, Romana Kryzanowska, who was herself, trained by Joseph Pilates, or by Simona Cipriani, the Director of The Art of Control® . The certification program assures that the system as developed by Joseph Pilates is taught safely and effectively, and is consistent with the experience of more than 70 years of practice.

Simona Cipriani, directs The Art of Control®. She is a Teacher/Trainer with the USPA, and a Certified Instructor of the Pilates Method for more than 15 years. Ms. Cipriani studied extensively with Romana Kryzanowska at Drago's Gym in New York City, where she taught by Romana's side for many years. A former dancer for more than thirty-five years, Ms. Cipriani started performing professionally at the age of fourteen in Italy, throughout Europe and the United States. She has appeared in commercials and on television presenting The Pilates Method of Body Conditioning several times. Ms. Cipriani has worked with many dancers, athletes and movie actors such as Glenn Close, in the Westchester and Connecticut area for the past 15 years. As a ballroom dancer, she participates frequently in competitions, and is a consistent first place winner. Ms. Cipriani has studied at Juliard and holds a B.F.A. in Dance from SUNY at Purchase. She has been a faculty member of SUNY Purchase since 2006. She is also a licensed massage therapist in Connecticut and New York State. Ms.Cipriani was a member of the massage therapy team at the Olympics in the Athens Summer Games in 2004, and the Torino Winter Games in 2006. She was also the massage therapist for director Darren Aronofsky during the production of “Black Swan.” Ms. Cipriani has co-written two articles with Dr. Joseph E. Muscolino on Pilates that have been published in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies (jbmt). Ms. Cipriani has been a Feldenkrais practitioner since 2009. She also graduated from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition in New York City in July 2009 as a Health Counselor. She is a member of the AMTA, FENA, and NCBTMB. Click here for pictures from the Olympics.

Other Pilates Instructors

Dana Nelson
Dana Nelson came to Pilates through an unconventional route. She graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in journalism, followed by graduate work in publishing at NYU. For many years, Dana worked as a film and photography producer, traveling the world to produce advertising campaigns for such clients as Honda, Oldsmobile, Dewar’s, Maybelline and many others. After marrying, she moved into the publishing world and worked as Photo Editor of Conde Nast Traveler and finally as Photography Director of Conde Nast’s House & Garden magazine. Dana then had two boys, which didn’t quite mesh with the 10-12 hour working days, so she retired from publishing. Finally, it was time for Pilates! Dana began taking Pilates seven years ago and discovered her new passion. She has been working with Master Teacher Simona Cipriani for the past three years, who inspired her to join the apprentice program at The Art of Control (SUNY/Purchase) last Fall. Dana looks forward to becoming a Pilates instructor and sharing the joys and benefits of The Pilates Method with beginners and veterans alike!

Lauren Montefusco, LMT
Lauren is a Licensed Massage Therapist, as well as an Instructor of the Authentic Pilates Method of Body Conditioning. She is a 2005 graduate of the Connecticut Center for Massage Therapy. During her studies at CCMT, she was an approved tutor, and a course assistant for clinical and science classes. Lauren became certified in 2010 for Pre and Post Natal Massage. She is currently maintaining her own private practice in lower Fairfield County, CT. Lauren’s Pilates experience began as a young dancer in 1996. Between 1996 and 2007, she studied two distinct styles of Pilates, and the Authentic Pilates Method became her preference. She studied under the tutelage of Romana Kryzanowksa’s student, Simona Cipriani at The Art of Control in Purchase, NY, and completed over a 600 hour certification program in 2009 with the USPA. Lauren continues to study regularly with a few of Romana Kryzanowska’s own students such as Simona Cipriani, Kathryn Ross Nash, and Mejo Wiggin. She has also taken numerous workshops and classes with Jay Grimes, Peter Fiasca, Brooke Siler, Alycea Ungaro, Dorothee VandeWalle, and Mari Windsor. She currently teaches for the Art of Control in Purchase, NY. She also teaches many clients privately in their home, in lower Fairfield County, CT. With Lauren’s background of Massage and Pilates, and her past experience working in a hospital performing Medical Massage, she is able to safely and effectively customize sessions to meet the needs of each individual client. She looks forward to a future filled with sharing the careers she is passionate about, Massage & Pilates. She is eager to engage her clients in all the therapeutic benefits of these transforming modalities, and share her skills to promote health and wellness.

Francine Morina
Fran has been a Property /Casualty Insurance professional for over 25 years working in the corporate environment as well as a consultant. She graduated from SUNY @ Oswego with a degree in Business Administration and followed with her Finance MBA from Pace University in New York. Fran has been passionate about physical fitness and nutrition for most of her life and eight years ago, after her third child was born, decided to pursue her passion by obtaining her Yoga Fit yoga certification. Her style of teaching has been greatly influenced by the Anusara Yoga Method. Five years ago Fran was introduced to Pilates and became devoted to the principles that Joseph Pilates developed. She became a regular practitioner and devotee to the Authentic method which then lead her to the Art of Control (SUNY Purchase) Pilates apprentice program in the fall of 2008 teaching both apparatus and mat.

Tracy Bloom
Tracy Bloom, LMT, BS, lost 60 pounds after ten years and three children, with the help of her personal trainer. She then became certified through the American Counsel on Exercise to train fitness, and licensed in NY and CT as a massage therapist. She began teaching mat Pilates in 2004 and recently completed Authentic™ Pilates mat and apparatus certification through Art of Control at SUNY Purchase, NY. Recently (2008) Tracy was ranked a Master’s National Champion in the Olympic sport of Weightlifting. “I know what can be achieved with hard work. Pilates is a great adjunct activity for any athlete, for strength, recovery and injury prevention. Healing occurs in the presence of movement.” Tracy is excited to continue teaching Pilates and fitness, and offering therapeutic massage. She also enjoys writing, has written several articles, and is an alum of Columbia University and Sarah Lawrence College.

Anna Morejon
As a ballet dancer, Anna was first exposed to Pilates during high school as a rehabilitation tool. She continued to supplement her dance training with the core strengthening that Pilates offers. Anna attended SUNY Purchase as dance major, and after 2 years, chose to leave the conservatory and dance professionally with Nashville Ballet. During her time in Nashville, she developed a hamstring injury, which forced her into physical therapy. Her research on her own injury sparked her interest in anatomy and the fields of fitness and rehabilitation. After encouragement from friends and family, she decided to enroll in Linda Farrell's mat certification program, and was certified in February 2010. Anna is currently enrolled in prerequisite courses in hopes of attending Physical Therapy School.

 

Feldenkrais Instructors

Tamala Bakkensen
Tamala Bakkensen holds a BFA in theater and music from Florida International University and a Master’s of Fine Art from the University of California, San Diego. She has performed in regional theater, in New York, and on television, as well as traveled to Bali to study dance and mask making. A graduate of the Feldenkrais Institute in New York, she teachers public classes at the institute and works one on one with private clients. She has also taught movement with the School for Film and Television.

 

 

 

 

Feldenkrais

The Art of Control®