The Pilates Detroit team is made up of highly trained, passionate professionals dedicated to helping every client move better and feel stronger. With expertise in movement science, rehabilitation principles, and personalized instruction, our instructors provide thoughtful, supportive care in every session.
Owner
Allison Nakisher, MPT is a licensed physical therapist with 27 years experience in orthopedics and spinal rehabilitation. Allison received her Master’s degree from the Schools of Physical Therapy at Northwestern Medical School.
Allison has always had a love for fitness, wellness and helping others. After having her third child, she took her therapy practice to the next level by becoming a certified Stott Pilates instructor. Allison was drawn to Pilates because of its emphasis on flexibility, strength, and restoring symmetry and function in the body. She regularly combines her deep knowledge of anatomy, therapy and Pilates to engage her clients with unique and enjoyable ways to strengthen and rehabilitate.
Allison likes working with clients of all levels, including professional athletes, and excels at catering to each individual while guiding them to realize their full potential. Her biggest pleasure in teaching is seeing people’s progress and the difference it makes in their lives.
Having competed in 14 Ironman triathlons, including the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii, Allison understands what it takes to get to the finish line. As the owner of Pilates Detroit, Allison hopes to help foster and grow the Pilates community for the betterment of her clients, their family and friends.
Carly is a fully trained STOTT Pilates instructor continuing to perfect her craft as she prepares for certification. With a background in competitive gymnastics and a lifelong passion for coaching, Carly has always been drawn to movement and body awareness.
Over the years, she has integrated Pilates into both her coaching techniques and her personal practice, developing a deep appreciation for its precision and control.
With a deep appreciation for the mind-body connection, Carly strives to help clients build strength from the inside out—focusing on form, breath, and functional movement. She believes that Pilates should be both challenging and restorative, empowering each person to move through life with greater confidence, awareness, and ease.
Always drawn to relieving the pain and discomfort of others, Beth became a licensed Massage Therapist. She focused on the power of therapeutic Massage to help her clients release tension while becoming more centered and grounded. Several years later, Beth discovered Stott Pilates and became a certified instructor, enabling her to help her clients build their own strength, flexibility, and self-confidence. Not long after discovering STOTT Pilates, Beth became a certified Gyrotonics and Gyrokinesis instructor, rounding out her toolkit, and offering her clients another path to achieving freedom of movement.
Utilizing whichever method is appropriate for a particular client, Beth finds deep satisfaction in guiding her clients to new levels of mind/body connection, health, and stability.
Beth’s favorite Pilates exercise to teach?
“Spinal rotation. I love this exercise because it helps loosen up tension in the spine, hip as well as relax the front of the shoulder and chest.”
Maddie is a fully certified STOTT Pilates instructor with a Bachelor of Science of Dance from Wayne State University. Dancing since she was three years old, Maddie was first introduced to Pilates when she started at Wayne. As a requirement for the program, Maddie was doing Pilates three times a week to supplement her dance performance. She quickly fell in love with the practice and knew she wanted to pursue the full STOTT certification to be able to spread her love of all the Pilates apparatuses.
Maddie loves helping clients start and/or continue their fitness journey. She believes movement is medicine and Pilates provides an array of movement for people to try. Her favorite exercise is Coordination since it requires both physical strength and mental awareness to remember the choreography.
Kristen is a fully certified STOTT Pilates Instructor.. Kristen has always loved fitness, from playing sports like volleyball and tennis to strength training. She realized how much she loved Pilates after practicing for a few years and seeing improvements in her own strength and wellbeing.
Kristen enjoys working with clients who are new to fitness. Introducing clients to a new form of exercise, helping them develop their mind-body awareness and witnessing their progress is exciting!
Kristen’s favorite exercises to teach are in extension such as Arms Pulling Straps and Swan. We spend so much time hunched over at desks and on our phones that extension through the spine feels great for most clients!
Dejia is a certified STOTT Pilates Instructor. Her journey with Pilates started 2 years ago when she began attending classes and quickly realized how amazing it made her body feel. Previously, she played volleyball and competed in powerlifting. She has always tried to keep herself in good shape as an adult by going to a gym. But having difficulty with previous injuries with her knees, she knew she needed something different. After attending classes and learning more about Pilates, she was able to see how it can be a fun and healthier alternative to traditional exercise.
Dejia is very excited to share what she’s learned about pilates and how it can help strengthen, tone, and better balance the body.
“My favorite exercise is Tree. I love the challenge of controlling your roll back as you get a hamstring stretch, and then sometimes adding the extension of the upper back. It feels so great and controlled!”
Niki is thrilled to be teaching at Pilates Detroit after living in Boston for several years. She has been fully certified in STOTT Pilates (2002) and GYROTONIC ® (2006) and was on the dance faculty at the Interlochen Arts Academy and Walnut Hill Schools for the Arts. She has developed injury prevention and rehabilitation programs for athletes, musicians and dancers and presented at conferences in the USA, Europe and Asia. Niki also holds pre and post-natal certification from the Center for Women’s Fitness. She also enjoys writing about education in newsletters, social media and print publications.
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Niki will be teaching small group classes and seeing private and duet clients on the various Pilates and gyrokinesis equipment.
Niki’s favorite exercise to teach is the roll up, because it tells her a lot about your strengths and weaknesses, and it feels so good when done correctly!
Laura began studying Pilates nearly 28 years ago when it was still known as “Contrology,” the study of control. Having just finished college at CMU, gotten married, and moved to Tampa, FL, she started an internship at a golf and tennis resort. Needing a way to get out of her chair at her desk job, she attended her first mat class. Figuring that since Madonna was doing this “workout” and looked great, she was curious.
She was amazed at how challenging the seemingly simple movements were. Her body changed, her energy level soared, and her once athletic body became more ‘fit’ than ever, with a core of strength. The most unexpected transformation was the way she treated herself and the way she moved. She felt free and more aware of all her muscles and her posture.
Falling in love with the practice, she decided the hospitality industry was not for her. She found a teacher training studio in NYC, and the rest is history. She studied classical Pilates under her first amazing teacher, Jennifer Kries. She traveled to her studio, learned from many ‘original’ teachers of the method, and then went on to open her first studio back home in Michigan in 1999.
She has since gone on to further study corrective bodywork such as the Alexander Method, Feldenkrais, Medical Qi Gong, Kundalini Yoga, Raindrop Therapy, and so much more. She believes the body has an incredible ability to heal itself when given a safe place with positive energy, proper alignment, breath, and core connection.
Nichole is a fully trained STOTT Pilates instructor continuing to hone her craft as she prepares for certification. With a background in dance and a love for strength training, she’s always been drawn to movement. Over the years, Nichole has enjoyed balancing time in the gym with Pilates as part of her weekly routine. What began as her own Pilates practice quickly grew into a passion she loves sharing with others!
In her classes, Nichole focuses on core strength, stability, and control — tailoring each session to the body in front of her. She enjoys incorporating short box work into her flows and creating workouts that leave clients feeling strong, balanced, and connected.
When she’s not teaching, you’ll find her exploring new cities or getting lost in a good book. She’s excited to be part of the community and can’t wait to meet you in class!
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