All Superior Pilates Instructors are certified by True Pilates, New York. We feel it is important to have this authentic certification since there are variations on Pilates that are not true to the original method. Every instructor at Superior Pilates has a signed certificate by Romana Kryzanowska, Joseph Pilates protégé and his successor in the method.
Kristen Wolf
Owner/Instructor
Kristen Wolf opened Superior Pilates in May of 2007 at 405 West Superior Street in River North, Chicago. She was certified in Pilates in New York City by Romana Kryzanowska, world-renowned protégé of Joseph Pilates, who has been teaching the method for nearly six decades. Kristen attends continuing-education classes with Romana and other teacher/trainers with specialties in order to stay current on improved techniques and methods of helping with physical problems.
Kristen has taught at Pilates Studio of the North Shore, Wilmette Centennial Center, Evanston Athletic Club and East Bank Club of Chicago.
As a past pro circuit tennis player, Kristen is very aware of sports injuries and has made a specialty of helping people use Pilate’s methods of stretch, strength and control to alleviate and solve them. She works with a range of clients from athletes to the injured, from children to the elderly. She also has developed special programs for brides, pregnant women and tennis players.
Kristen was a professional ITF Circuit tennis player from 1993 to 1999. When she left the tour, she went to Northwestern University and graduated with a double major in 2004. She is bilingual and teaches in Spanish when required. Kristen is an ambassador for Lululemon Athletica and was recently featured with her client, Roz Varon, on ABC-TV, Channel 7.
Alessandra (Ali) Vaccaro was first introduced to Pilates at twelve years old by her mother, Cathy, a Romana’s Pilates certified instructor. When she left Chicago for college, Ali began studying at True Pilates New York and in 2006 became one of the youngest people to complete the Romana’s Pilates Certification program. She has taught for Equinox Fitness Clubs, Park East Pilates, Fordham University in New York City, Villari’s Martial Arts in Madison, WI and Pilates at Quads in Chicago.
Ali loves Pilates because it is a philosophy of movement that enriches any type of physical activity and restores the body to balance which is often compromised by everyday life. She has taught workshops on Pilates for dances, mat classes designed to help students de-stress and has co-taught workshops on Pilates for martial artists. She continues to grow as a Pilates teacher and student by attending annual continuing education programs, workshops for teachers and by regularly taking lessons from master teachers. Her favorite part of teaching is watching her students progress and take pride in their new found physical abilities.
Caroline Wettersten became a Certified Pilates Instructor in 2002. A lifelong fitness enthusiast, she enjoys long distance cycling, running and skiing (both water and snow). Caroline has pursued a wide range of fitness regimens and has found the Pilates Method to be highly effective as well as interesting to perform.
Caroline continues to enhance her Pilates education by attending seminars and training workshops on a regular basis. She firmly believes that the Pilates Method encompasses an optimal fitness program for the mind and body and is adaptable to all levels of physical ability. She sincerely enjoys helping her students derive the benefits of doing Pilates.
Caroline began practicing Yoga as a teenager and is thankful that her high school French teacher introduced her to it. She also attained her Certification as a Yoga Instructor from Chicago Yoga Center in 2005.
Caroline is a native of the North Shore and raised her three children in Kenilworth.
Jillian Wolande found Superior Pilates one day on a stroll home from Graduate school at DePaul University. She walked in and she never left. She was a client for two years and fell in love with the method. She decided to get certified through Romana’s Pilates training program. Her passion continues to grow as she studies with teachers and under Master instructor, Janice Dulak in Champaign, Illinois. She is currently certified in Intermediate and now is focusing on advanced exercises. “I am so happy to be part of the Superior team,” Jillian Wolande.
Kristin Zehnder grew up dancing in a children’s performing arts group in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She went on to dance with Disney in both Florida and Japan, and also spent six years with a theater company based in Tokyo doing musicals such as Contact, The Lion King, Evita and Aida, along with other original Japanese productions. A knee injury brought her to Pilates for the first time and, as you can guess, was amazed by the results. Taking her newfound interest one step further, she went to New York City in 2008 for teaching certification and has since been teaching in studios in Tokyo, Japan and Auckland, New Zealand.
Liz Capozzoli began taking Pilates in 2002 and from the beginning was amazed by what the Pilates Method does for the body and mind. She has always been physically active, but Pilates opened up a whole new outlook for her on exercise and health. Liz decided that she wanted to share this incredible method with others by becoming a Certified Pilates Instructor. In 2004 she began training under Master Teacher Romana Kryzanowska and Janice Dulak. With over 600 hours of training and observation Liz was certified in 2005 through True Pilates in New York City.
Aside from being a dedicated teacher she has remained a loyal student of the practice by attending many workshops and seminars, as well as practicing the method daily. In 2008 Liz began working at Superior Pilates and feels extremely blessed to be able to work with great clients and incredible teachers who inspire her everyday to be better.
Liz Roberts began dancing as a child. Areas of dance: Ballet, Afro-Cuban and Acrobatics. She performed in West Side Story, Music Man and Once Upon a Mattress. After a skiing accident left her with a broken leg (displaced spiral fracture of tibia and fibula) which was put together again with 3 screws, she lost the ability to do the thing she did best in dancing. This made her turn to classical singing and although the voice came along just fine, her ability to sing from the printed page without accompaniment was lacking.
After the intervention of life and its necessities, she came upon an article about Pilates which caught her interest since her husband was just diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. Thinking that she could learn enough just to teach him some exercises, she found that in order to teach anyone anything involving Pilates, she had to go through the program. She never intended to earn a living teaching Pilates; but after getting certified in 2000 through The Pilates Guild as Romana's Pilates was known then, she is still at it and loving it. Liz states, “It is always a challenge and the learning never stops. Each day a little light bulb goes on over my head and I see an exercise from a new vantage point.”
Luiza Barteldes is a Superior Pilates Instructor fully certified by Romana Kryzanowska's exclusive 600-hour certification program. She studied at True Pilates in New York City directly under Romana and her daughter, Sari Mejia Santo. Luiza has taught Pilates in the USA and overseas.
She is also a dancer, ballet teacher and choreographer with over 17 years of experience. She holds a degree in Dance and Choreography and constantly travels to Brazil, her native country, to teach master classes, including the prestigious Festival Eleazar de Carvalho, where she was personally invited to direct the dance department in 2004.
Luiza's teaching style is strong, but with a friendly and fun vibe. She enjoys working her clients hard, always keeping the flow of the movement. Luiza moved to Chicago and started teaching at Superior Pilates in February of 2010. She is happy to be part of such a positive environment with awesome people!
