Katherine Denham ~ Owner and Founder of Kalijo Pilates, Dance & Health ~ Dance and Pilates Instructor

Katherine is a Certified Stott Pilates Instructor. After experiencing two car accidents in 1992, Katherine was introduced to Pilates through the Diane Miller Studio in Vancouver. There she gained her rehabilitation and strength to further her dance training. As a mother of three and a lover of dance, Katherine began dancing before she could walk. She grew up here in Sechelt, on the Sunshine Coast and began her dancing career with Gymnastics. After studying dance in Vancouver and then in Toronto at the School of Toronto Dance Theatre, Katherine moved back to the Coast to raise her family. She has taught and choreographed dance since 1990 for many of the local dance schools, as well as, the Sechelt Alternative School and the Sechelt Indian Band. KAliJo Pilates, Dance and Health provides classes for children and adults, promotes and produces dance performances here on the Sunshine Coast. Katherine believes that it is never too late to learn how to move with ease in a pain free way. She creates classes for the love of moving in a safe, fun, non-judgmental environment.

Sunyata Samson ~ Pilates Instructor

Sunyata was introduced to Pilates in 1992 while attending a summer Ballet program in Montreal. She did her teacher training in the classical Pilates method in 2002 in San Francisco, CA where her primary goals were to educate herself in enabling healing her injured body after head trauma and a broken hip and tailbone. She aims to assist others in defining their individual core strength and empowerment in breaking through old patterns and regaining a joyous state of flow and grace within their bodies. Sunyata strongly feels that an attitude of compassion, consistency and good humor are foundational for expanded growth and attaining personal goals! Her background includes formal training in classical ballet, modern dance & choreography and stage production, as well as yoga teacher trainings in Hatha & Anusara yoga. She has had the privilege to teach and perform in Canada, Europe and the western United States and has designed and taught teacher training modules on advanced cueing and functional anatomy. She is currently certified with the Pilates Method Alliance and continues her on-going education as a teacher and workshop facilitator. She is absolutely delighted to be part of Kalijo Pilates and the Sunshine Coast community!

Yolunda Heinen ~ Pilates Instructor

After a year long stint in eastern Canada teaching Pilates at the Stott Pilates studio in Toronto, ON and 3 1/2 months at the Sivananda Yoga center in Kerela, India, Yolunda is now re-established on the West Coast in Vancouver, BC. Able to merge, both yoga and Pilates, Yolunda offers her expansive repertoire of movements to any work-out. Share your physical goals with her in order to maximize your potential in your sessions. Yolunda is excited to be able to return to the Sunshine Coast community to teach what she has learned around the world.

Samantha Lefort~ Pilates Instructor

Samantha worked as a professional contemporary ballet dancer before becoming a Pilates instructor.  She has worked with professional athletes from Team Canada, the Ottawa Senators and the Vancouver Whitecaps.  She specializes in cross-training for athletes and kids.  In addition, she has a particular affinity for working with older adults who are rehabilitating from an injury.

Rayann ~ Pilates Instructor, Dance Instructor

Rayann completed her mat and equipment certifications with Pilates Core Integration in Arizona. As a dancer and a student of Vajrayana Buddhism, she brings her experience in many somatic techniques (Bartinieff, Skinner Releasing, Continuum Movement, Laban, BMC) and her intensive studies in Tibetan yoga to her teaching approach. She holds a BA in Psychology from the University of Calgary and will soon have completed her BFA in Dance from Simon Fraser University. Rayann has been teaching dance for over 10 years and enjoys creating with students of all levels. Rayann is passionate about using Pilates and dance to create freedom in the body and mind. She is excited to join the Sunshine Coast community!

Nicola Tiburzi ~ Yoga Instructor

Nicola has been a dedicated student to the art and science of yoga for nearly half her life. She began teaching in 2000, over the last 10 years she has continuously been a student of senior teachers of the Iyengar system worldwide. In 2008 she had her first opportunity to study with Geeta Iyengar in Canada, and recently returned from studies in India with the children of B.K.S Iyengar, Geeta and Prashant Iyengar and local teachers at the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute (RIMYI) in Pune. 

Janet Shimizu ~ Administrative Assistant