Meet Our Instructors
The teachers at Ning Pilates are very passionate about Pilates and are dedicated to studying each movement and its teaching methods. They have all completed 600+ hours of classical Pilates training and have accumulated over 200+ hours of teaching experience. We welcome everyone to come and take classes with their favorite teachers!
Founder/ Instructor
Michelle (Chuning Sun)（English Chinese）
Trained in pre/post natal pilates
Michelle, the founder of Ning Pilates, began her classical Pilates journey when took her first class in 2016. She had been immediately impressed by how the practice promoted physical wellness and introduced her to have an awareness of her body.
With the purpose of sharing her love for Classical Pilates with more people, Michelle rigorously trained for more than 600 hours to complete her 3rd Generation Classical Pilates certification at Real Pilates. To add on to her experience, she is also trained in Prenatal & Postnatal Pilates to help new mothers readjust to their changing body. She is currently part of the teaching team for the Classical Pilates Collective.
Michelle has the ability to assess different bodies and provide appropriate exercises to help clients at all levels achieve their goals and take care of their body. Her classes often focus on the alignment of asanas and the precision of each movement. She is keen to apply hands-on instruction to effectively support clients’ postures and guide them toward a more healthy and balanced body through Joseph Pilates sequences.
Instructor
Nicole (English Chinese)
Trained in pre/post natal pilates
Nicole began her Pilates journey in 2018, and over the years, Pilates has become an important part of both her physical and personal growth. After becoming a mother during the pandemic, her experience with postpartum depression and physical discomfort inspired her to deepen her practice and pursue professional Pilates training.
Through Classical Pilates, Nicole experienced firsthand how the method can not only transform the body, but also positively impact mental and emotional well-being. Inspired by her own journey, she became passionate about helping others discover the same strength, confidence, and positive energy through movement.
Nicole is a fully certified Pilates instructor through Power Pilates and also holds specialized pre- and postnatal Pilates certifications, allowing her to thoughtfully support clients through different stages of motherhood and beyond.
Known for her warm, attentive, and encouraging teaching style, Nicole has become one of the most popular instructors at Ning Pilates, creating sessions that are both challenging and supportive while staying true to the Classical Pilates method.
Instructor
Duffy（English Chinese）
Trained in pre/post natal pilates
Duffy Du began her Pilates journey while working at a contemporary art museum in Beijing, China. The demands of a sedentary work lifestyle led to shoulder pain, prompting a friend to introduce her to Pilates as a potential remedy. The practice quickly became an integral part of her routine, offering relief and rejuvenation. After moving to New York City, Duffy was drawn to the historical roots of Pilates, which originated in the city during the time of Joseph Pilates. Through the Real Pilates Teacher Training Program, she pursued a professional study of the method to deepen her understanding and expertise.
With a background in the contemporary art world and a major in anthropology, Duffy views Pilates as more than just an exercise; it's a holistic approach to healing both the body and mind. Her teaching philosophy is grounded in precision, aligning with the Classical Pilates method, and she strives to help others experience the transformative power of this practice.
Instructor
Melissa（English）
Trained in pre/post natal pilates
Melissa loves pilates because it is a full body workout that is fun, challenging, and supports everyday functional movement.
She enjoys building postural alignment and body awareness to become more centered as a whole. Pilates is a lifestyle and with consistency builds strength, stability, mobility, and flexibility throughout. What she loves the most about Pilates is becoming centered, present, feeling the movement, deep in not just your core, but the core of your being.
She would love to help people reach their personal goals and simply, feel amazing everyday!
She is also trained in pre/post natal pilates and functional movement for bone and joint health.
Melissa has her Mat and Comprehensive Pilates Certification from Core Pilates NYC. She is an avid lover of continual education, running, hiking, biking, and playing time in the mountains.
Instructor
Jenny (English Korean)
Trained in pre/post natal pilates
I became fascinated with physical fitness after receiving a lesson from a personal trainer at a gym. Since then, I have tried several exercises; weightlifting, yoga, Zumba, Salsa, etc. I gravitated towards Pilates because it was a challenging workout that helps improve core
strength and flexibility. From my past experience as an office worker and in
the service industry, I am familiar with the stress daily life can place on the body.
I believe that Pilates helps to strengthen body and mind. MY goal is to help others improve their health just like my inspiration, actress Hanee Lee, who taught me that beauty should be on the inside as well as the outside.
Instructor
Emma (English Chinese)
After discovering Pilates as an inspiring balance to a demanding corporate career, Emma became a certified instructor to share its transformative benefits with others. With a deep understanding of how movement enhances both physical and mental health, Emma creates tailored sessions that help clients build strength, flexibility, and confidence. Whether you’re new to Pilates or looking to refine your practice, Emma’s expert guidance offers a welcoming space to move, grow, and feel your best.
Instructor
Anny (English Chinese)
After years in a sedentary professional environment as a designer, Anny discovered Pilates as the ultimate antidote to "desk life." Inspired by its transformative impact, she deepened her knowledge and practice by completing a 600+ hour comprehensive program at Real Pilates NYC.
She found that Pilates is the key to an active lifestyle—it's what allows her and her clients to pursue the activities they love with greater strength and without pain or restriction.
Anny is passionate about empowering her clients to gain true ownership of their movement, helping them feel strong, capable, and good in their own bodies. Her teaching focuses on technical precision and clear, actionable cues to build a resilient and balanced powerhouse. She is happy to offer instruction in both English and Mandarin.
Instructor
Katie (English Korean)
Katie first discovered Pilates as a way to improve her health and posture, and it quickly grew into a passion for helping others feel strong, confident, and balanced in their own bodies. She completed her comprehensive Pilates certification through Equinox, building a strong foundation to guide her teaching.
With a nurturing approach, Katie creates a welcoming and supportive environment tailored to each client’s unique needs and goals. Her sessions focus on mindful movement and helping clients build a connection with their body, whether they’re looking to improve strength, posture, flexibility, or overall well-being. Katie believes Pilates is not just about fitness but about empowering individuals to feel their best, both physically and mentally.
Instructor
Olga (English Russian)
With nearly three decades of experience as an art educator and university professor, Olga brings a thoughtful and refined approach to her work as a Pilates instructor. Her background in the arts has deeply shaped her understanding of movement, balance, and the expressive intelligence of the body.
Her connection to movement began in childhood through dance and continued through many years in the fitness world, including participation in international fitness conventions and competitions. Pilates became a natural continuation of this journey—offering a method that unites precision, awareness, and strength.
Olga completed her Comprehensive Classical Pilates Certification through Real Pilates in New York. Her teaching focuses on developing alignment, control, and a deeper relationship with the body. She enjoys working with clients at all levels, guiding them toward greater strength, stability, and confidence in movement.
For Olga, Pilates is not simply exercise, but a thoughtful practice that supports both physical well-being and inner balance.
Instructor
Fiona (English Chinese)
Pilates taught Fiona that one’s sensation can be deceitful. What feels centered in our bodies is not always correctly balanced. This insight shapes her alignment-focused approach. She helps clients notice compensation patterns, understand each exercise’s purpose, and engage the correct muscles.
Fiona’s experience in yoga, weight training, surfing, and climbing gives her a perspective on a culmination of strength, mobility, and functional movement. She often works with clients with anterior pelvic tilt, lower-back discomfort, recovery movement related to disc herniation, or clients who simply need dynamic stretching for daily life and athletic performance. Rather than chasing an impressive range of motion, she adapts movement to individual needs and capabilities.
As someone with a sedentary desk job, Fiona understands the stress and physical fatigue that come from daily errands and habits. She views Pilates as a life practice of self-acceptance and healing therapy. She welcomes open communications from clients and seeks to creates sessions where clients feel safe, heard, encouraged, and thoughtfully challenged.
Instructor
Ellee (English Chinese)
Ellee is a Third-Generation Classical Pilates Teacher who completed her 600-hour Comprehensive Pilates Teacher Training through The Classical Pilates Collective under Blossom Leilani Crawford, Jennifer DeLuca, Janet Li, and Chuning Sun.
She discovered Pilates as a student and became fascinated by the depth of the method and the way small details can transform a movement. Her personal practice eventually grew into a passion for teaching and a desire to share that experience with others.
Ellee works with clients to develop strength, control, and body awareness, with an emphasis on understanding how and why they move. She aims to help each client feel more confident and connected in their practice.
Instructor
Sisi (English Chinese)
The body is a master of quiet shortcuts. Pilates taught Sisi to see them: the head drifting forward, the shoulders doing the core's job, one side carrying more than its share. These patterns often go unnoticed until something aches. Her clients learn to recognize them, understand what each exercise asks, and feel how much small adjustments matter.
Sisi is a certified third-generation Classical Pilates teacher who remains a student of the work, continuing to refine her practice under senior instructors of the lineage. She works with everyone from first-timers to those seeking better posture or a stronger core. Knowing that daily habits shape the body as much as any workout, she helps clients build alignment that carries beyond the studio.
For Sisi, Pilates is a practice of connecting with your body, not pushing harder. Progress lives in subtle moments: a steadier center, shoulders that finally let go, a deeper breath. She hopes every client leaves feeling supported, challenged just right, and at home in their body. Away from the mat, Sisi is an avid baker, a craft that, like Pilates, rewards precision and patience.
Instructor
Helen (English Chinese)
For Helen, Pilates is a conversation between body and mind, where the body grows stronger and more flexible while the mind finds stillness. What began as a breath of fresh air from corporate life grew into something more - a journey of self-discovery, a source of meaningful friendships, and a passion she now shares as a teacher.
Having navigated the aches and demands of modern life herself, Helen understands what today’s clients need and tailors each session to balance challenge with encouragement and warmth. She believes Pilates shouldn’t end when class does, sharing practical tips to help the practice quietly follow you out the door and into your week.