Founder & Certified Pilates instructor

Colette, the owner and founder of Rare Body Pilates started her Pilates career in New York City where she trained in Classical, Balanced Body, and Peak style Pilates. Her fascination with Pilates began in 2005 during her years as a hip-hop and step dancer, and with a push from her mom. Colette started the Rare Body brand as a skin care line in 2010. She favored the tagline “Be rare, be you” for the skincare line, however she desired a greater reach for her company. She leaned into her evolving passion for Pilates and started teaching classes in 2013. Colette acquired a space from the studio’s former owner in New York City, a few years later. Sadly, COVID stole all her clients, so she relocated to St. Petersburg, Florida in 2020. A bonus perk for Colette was that her now husband and step daughters already resided in St.Pete. With the help of her family and trusty staff, she’s moved Rare Body Pilates from a quaint. 1,700 sq. ft. studio on MLK to the gorgeous 4,000 sq. ft. location down the street with over 100 regular members and 12-14 classes per day.

Studio Manager

Tatiana began her Pilates journey in 2021 after hearing wonderful things about it through friends and on social media. The fitness form piqued her interest, so she enrolled in classes and fell in love. Two years after her introduction to Pilates, she met Colette and the pair clicked instantly. Tatiana became the manager of the studio thanks to her positive attitude and unmatchable work ethic. She greets each client by name and with a sweet smile before checking them in and directing them to their class. Her other responsibilities include answering questions about memberships and packages, marketing, enrolling new students, and social media. When she isn’t at the studio, Tatiana loves creating music, spending time in nature, and, of course, taking Pilates classes.

Certified Pilates instructor

Samantha is a certified Pilates instructor who earned her 500 hour teaching credentials at age 17 in her hometown of Asheville, North Carolina. At the time of certification, Sam was the youngest Pilates instructor in the country for three years. She has always be intrigued by the movement of the body. At a young age she tagged along with her mom to Pilates classes, and started enrolling in gymnastics, as well as aerial silks classes. As she grew older love for cirque and gymnastics fueled her curiosity toward Pilates. The movements reminded her of the activities that sparked her fondness for these fitness styles. In 2021, she moved from Asheville to sunny St. Pete for a change of scenery. She now works as one of the main Instructors at Rare Body and continues to practice gymnastics and silks.

Certified Pilates instructor

Janan has been a fitness enthusiast for most of her life. She is certified in all the Zumba formats, Insanity, and Bodyworks. In 2017, she embarked on her Pilates journey, which was the most enlightening! She is Stott Certified in Mat, Reformer, and Barre. She started her Pilates journey in Ghana, West Africa and traveled to Dubai for her training and certification at Real Pilates studio. She taught Pilates at P4Pilates Studio in Accra, Ghana for 5 years before moving to St. Petersburg in August of 2022, where she started teaching at Rare Body Studio almost immediately. Her passion is to help people with different ailments as well as help people reach their fitness goals. She is happy to be part of the Rare Body Studio team!

Certified Pilates instructor

Health and fitness have always been passions of Tali’s. After years of softball and high intensity training, she discovered her love for Pilates. After self practicing for 2 years, she quickly wanted to learn as much as she could and got comprehensively certified in all apparatuses in 2022. Tali loves that Pilates is low intensity but still so challenging. In her classes you can expect Taylor Swift songs and butt kicking workout with minimal breaks!

Receptionist & Pilates Apprentice

Meet Matlyn... Currently, she's working the front desk and keeping things clean at the studio while studying to become a certified instructor! With a background in running a creative business as an artist, she's now diving into the world of Pilates. Matlyn discovered Pilates as a form of self-care, finding solace in its mindful movements and holistic approach to wellness. Her Pilates journey began at New York Pilates, where she practiced while traveling for her art. With five years of practice under her belt, Matlyn is deeply inspired by the transformative power of Pilates. She's currently studying to become a certified instructor, bringing a creative and holistic approach to her practice. Matlyn is excited to share her love for Pilates and help others on their fitness journey!

Certified Pilates instructor

Hannah has been a Pilates instructor for 7 years. She loves working with different people and injuries to help them reach their fitness goals and feel good! Hannah started teaching Pilates because it is a workout that everyone can do and is modifiable. She is passionate about it because it has always been a workout that she has enjoyed doing and has seen the most benefits from. She is also a Registered Dietitian and loves helping people heal with food.

Pilates Apprentice

Katelyn’s journey to Pilates started while struggling to maintain her career as a hair stylist due to chronic pain. When everything else was failing, she found Pilates; little did she know the practice of Pilates could relieve her pain almost completely. Starting as a beginner student, her passion was cultivated within Rare Body Pilates Studio. She is Stott reformer trained and continuing her education while working in the field. She believes there’s remarkable about dedicated clients gaining strength and confidence within their Pilates practice.

Certified Pilates instructor

Sanna has been practicing Pilates for as long as she can remember and she became a certified instructor with Balanced Body about 4 years ago. She started teaching because she wanted to share the many layered benefits of Pilates that she fell in love with when she first discovered it. For Sanna Pilates is all about mindful movement and therefore a perfect way to clear your mind, recharge, and strengthen your body. It's truly all about focusing on your form, breathing, and controlling each movement. When you master all of that the benefits & results are endless. Sanna is also convinced that Pilates doesn’t just tone and strengthen your body. It heals your relationship with your body. That peace of mind that results is priceless and it will do the same for you.

Certified Pilates Instructor

Hope began working at a Pilates studio in 2020 while working as a senior sales associate at the front desk. While working there, she started to take classes and fell in love with all pilates offers. Being an athlete her whole life, she started to see the negative physical effects on her body. Since starting Pilates, Hope has strengthened her body in a different way and has seen an improvement in her back & knee pain. She started teacher training in 2021 and completed her 500 hour certification in 9 months. She is now certified in Mat, Reformer, Cadillac, Springboard, chair, and spine corrector. Since being certified she has enjoyed watching people grow stronger and improve in their practice. Hopes future goal is to become a master trainer and grow within her training.

Certified Yoga Instructor

Ami has been practicing yoga for more than a decade and teaching in St. Pete for 8 years. Studied in a variety of styles, from Hatha & Vinyasa, to Acro & Ashtanga, she has found a true passion for the restorative/yin practices. Ami creates a class built around deep stretches, full joint mobility and mindful breath work designed to prepare each guest for rest and relaxation. Props are encouraged (and plentiful) and classes are open to every level of practice.

Certified Yoga Instructor & Pilates Apprentice

Mack is a former NCAA Volleyball athlete and current Pilates enthusiast. She has years of experience coaching sports and instructing all types of fitness training. More recently she’s found her obsession for Pilates and Yoga and loves sharing it with others. She is working toward her Comprehensive Pilates Certification with Balanced Body. Also trained in ACE Group Fitness and Yoga RYT200.

Pilates Apprentice

As someone who grew up playing competitive volleyball, staying active and fit has always been a priority for Tess. Over the years, she’s tried various workouts like HIIT and CrossFit, but it wasn't until she discovered Pilates in 2022 that she realized it was the perfect fit for her! Tess quickly became obsessed with the workout and decided to turn her passion into a career. One of the many reasons she love Pilates is because it's a great workout for anyone, regardless of their fitness goals. “Whether you want to build strength, tone your muscles, or improve your flexibility, Pilates has something to offer for everyone” Tess explains. “In my classes, you can expect a wide variety of movements to keep things interesting, and I always have a great playlist to keep you motivated throughout your session.”