Team

Nancy Gwinnell Hurd, Founder

-Peak Pilates Level IV Master Instructor

An educator for over 35 years, Nancy holds a BFA in Dance and a Masters in Education. Nancy is certified through Peak Pilates®, The Pilates Method Alliance, and The PilateSystem®.  She has also studied with Pilates elder Lolita San Miguel, earning her the title of a Lolita San Miguel Master Teacher™ and originally trained with PMA co-founder Colleen Glenn Wilson. Additionally Nancy was certified in Gyrokinesis™, The Gyrotonic Expansion System®, and Pilates for Golf. She is listed in Who’s Who among America’s Teachers and is a member of The Pilates Method Alliance and The Authentic Pilates Union.

Nancy has been a Peak Pilates® Master Trainer for over 20 years, is a Senior Mentor and serves on the Advisory Board.  She is the Director and Owner of The Austin Pilates Barn, creator and curriculum developer of DMI-MPT™, a NCPT CEC provoder and teaches workshops and trainings in Austin, throughout the US and has had the pleasure of sharing her work with trainers around the world.

Her Passion is bringing the joy and health benefits of movement to a wide variety of people. Nancy has worked with populations ranging from athletes to re-hab, youth to elders, and novice to advance. She strongly believes in the success of every “body”.

 

Amy Benenate

Amy realized that dance was a lifetime passion when she was attending Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas. She graduated from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia with a B.F.A. in Modern Dance in 1997. She danced and choreographed with companies Group Motion and Ausdruckstanz in Philadelphia, and has toured worldwide with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre's second company Ailey II. While living in New York, she choreographed and performed in several states on the east coast. Amy is a Comprehensive Certified Pilates Instructor in Peak Pilates. Pilates has improved her technique as a dancer, and has revealed itself in her everyday life.  Amy loves to share Pilates with others so that they too can benefit from the healing effects of Pilates

 

Mark Gates

Mark is Comprehensive certified instructor through Peak Pilates® and has been teaching the method since 2006. He first discovered Pilates in a mat class and quickly embraced the entire method. After regular sessions, he began to recognize and understand the exceptional benefits of consistent Pilates work.  In addition to his Comprehensive training Mark has completed Continuing Education courses in “Facets of Fascia”, “Support, Stabilize, Step': Optimizing Our Feet Through Pilates, “Proprioception/Interception and Pilates”, Advanced Chair, Barrel, Cadillac and Ped O Pull and is currently enrolled in "Discover*Move *Inspire" - an 18-month post- comprehensive program for an in-depth study of movement and teaching. Now Mark enjoys the variety when working with his clients, regardless of what brings them to the system - an old injury, the desire to improve posture, well-being, to become a better athlete or those that are simply looking for increased overall fitness. Mark has a keen visual sense of proper alignment and focuses on teaching a strong foundation of Pilate’s movement. "There is a place for every body in Pilates"

 

Veronica Ethridge Barrick

Veronica is an American College of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer, a Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Teacher, and a Peak Pilates Comprehensive Certified Pilates Instructor. She has been certified in many group exercise formats over the years, including indoor cycling and cardio-kickboxing. Veronica holds a degree in Exercise and Sports Science and has been practicing yoga and meditation for 20 years and teaching personal training and fitness for over 10 years. Veronica fell in love with group fitness after taking a step classes from her friend’s mom in high school. That passion brought her to where she is today. Currently she is teaching therapeutic hatha yoga, classical Pilates, traditional strength and conditioning, vinyasa yoga, aerial yoga, yin yoga, restorative yoga, stand-up paddle-boarding (SUP), SUP yoga, cycling, running, rowing, kickboxing and has led a personal trainer certification course at the University of Texas-Austin for 4 years. 

As a FITCORE Master Instructor, she loves teaching the FITCORE fusion formats to fitness professionals, because FITCORE combines 3 of her loves: yoga, Pilates, and strength training for a well-balanced, total mind-body workout! 

 

Brooke Williams Howard

Brooke Williams Howard was first introduced to mat Pilates for strength and conditioning as a ballet dancer in the 1990s.  In 2003, she began regularly practicing Pilates on all equipment at a local studio, and that is where her love of the connection of mind, body, and spirit through movement began.  The Pilates studio is always her “happy place,” so, she fulfilled her dream in completing the Peak Pilates® Comprehensive certification and began teaching with Master Instructor Nancy Gwinnell Hurd.  Brooke is continuing her education through the 18 month Discover*Move*Inspire™ post comprehensive teacher program.

Brooke truly loves sharing how the classical Pilates repertoire will lengthen and strengthen clients’ bodies in all ages and stages of life.  She has enjoyed working with a variety of clients, from a high school boy with scoliosis, to post-menopausal women, and many others in between who also love the benefits of a good, challenging Pilates session.  Her personal favorite workout is the advanced, classical, Level 3 mat, but the Wunda Chair holds a special piece of her heart.  Brooke’s greatest joys in life are her two daughters, Ruth and Rebecca, and she is grateful to be able to follow her two passions, being a Mom and teaching Pilates. 

 

Gregory Gudz

The fascination of body movement started in early adolescence for Gregory when he began dancing and working in musical theatre. His love affair with dance took him all around the world as a professional dancer for over 15 years. Once he settled back in Texas he began teaching ballet, tap, jazz, partnering, and ballroom to kids from 5 to 75. After teaching dance and doing choreography for 10 years in Galveston Greg was wanting more from his Pilates practice, and became a Comprehensive certified Peak Pilates Instructor.  Greg is thrilled to share is love of dance and Pilates to anyone willing to listen and pass on all that has been given to him.

 

Your DMI-MPT™ Development Team

 

Nancy Gwinnell Hurd, PMA®-CPT, BFA, M.ED.

Founder, Program Coordinator, Curriculum Development, Course Instructor

 

 

 

An educator for over 30 years, Nancy holds a BFA in Dance and a Masters in Education from Arizona State University. Nancy is a Second Generation Pilates Teacher and is certified through Peak Pilates®, The Pilates Method Alliance, and The PilateSystem®.  She is proud to be one of Lolita San Miguels disciples earning her the title of a Lolita San Miguel Master Teacher™ and to have originally trained with PMA co-founder Colleen Glenn. Additionally Nancy was certified in Gyrokinesis™, The Gyrotonic Expansion System®, and Pilates for Golf. She is listed in Who’s Who among America’s Teachers and is a member of The Pilates Method Alliance and The Authentic Pilates Union.

 

Nancy has been a Peak Pilates® Master Trainer for over 10 years, is a member of the Peak Pilates® Leadership Team and is PMA CEC provider.  She is the Director and Owner of Austin Pilates Barn and teaches workshops and trainings in Austin, throughout the US and has had the pleasure of sharing her work with trainers from around the world.

 

Her Passion is bringing the joy and health benefits of movement to a wide variety of people. Nancy has worked with populations ranging from athletes to re-hab, youth to elders, and novice to advance. She

strongly believes in the success of every “body”.

 

 

Kristy Demers, PT, DPT

Curriculum Development, Course Instructor

Kristy is a licensed physical therapist and a certified Pilate’s instructor.  Kristy received her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Washington University in St. Louis in 2006, and prior to that she graduated with her B.S. in Motor Development and minor in Psychology from Texas A&M University in 2002. Kristy has primarily practiced in the orthopedic sector of physical therapy since graduation where she primarily specializes in treatment of musculoskeletal pain syndromes of the spine, pelvis and extremities.  Areas of expertise include movement impairment disorders, chronic pain, repetitive stress injuries, sports injuries, pregnancy and post partum, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, and scoliosis. Kristy enjoys combining her physical therapy and Pilate’s knowledge to identify impairments in movement, alignment, muscle length, strength, and stiffness and their relationship to the underlying cause of one’s pain.

 

Laura Phillips Hampton

PMA®-CPT, BFA, Peak Pilates® Master Instructor

Course Lead Instructor-Houston

Laura, has been a student of movement for most of her life. A Pilates teacher for over 10 years, and a Master Instructor and Continuing Education provider for Peak Pilates for the last 4, she believes that Pilates offers a way of moving that benefits everyone, regardless of age or fitness level. Her ongoing study focuses on healing movement, and restoring fitness, function and balance to the body. Laura seeks out opportunities to learn and develop a deeper understanding of the body, and then opportunities to share this with other teachers and students. The founding president of the Houston Pilates Association, Laura works to support the profession of Pilates instructors, building community and bridges between teachers and studios.

 

Cherry Herzog

PMA®-CPT, Peak Pilates® Master Instructor, C.I.A.R

Course Lead Instructor-Dallas

Cherry Herzog is a Texas native with over 30 years in the health and fitness industry. She completed her first certification with Physical Mind Institute in 1997 and in 1999 her formal Pilates training with Colleen Glenn at Goodbody’s Wellness Center in Dallas, Texas. She joined Peak Pilates in 2003 as a classical teacher trainer and presenter conducting certification courses and workshops locally and nationally.  She is co-owner of Pilates Connection Studio/Peak Pilates training center in Dallas, Texas and is known and respected for her passion and dedication to excellence developing teachers from California to Florida and many states in between.