JASON OHLBERG
I came to Pilates from a career in dance. I spent my twenties touring with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Dance Kaleidoscope and working with several smaller companies as both dancer and choreographer. When it came time to retire from performing I decided that Pilates would be a natural transition. I decide to move to Seattle. I had been there on tour and had fallen in love with the Pacific Northwest. When I first came to Dorothee's studio I was amazed by how comfortable I felt. She had a way of making me feel inspired about the work by just being in her presence. Dorothee made the system make sense to me. Going through the certification program at Metropolitan Pilates was wonderful. I was aware every day of how much I had to learn from Dorothee and how lucky I was to be there. The studio is so full of life with multiple sessions to observe, assist and learn from. This is a rewarding program that will change your life. I currently enjoy a very fulfilling career teaching at Metropolitan Pilates and pursuing my certification as a teacher-trainer for M·A·T Pilates. I'm continually reminded how incredible Dorothee is and how very lucky I am to be able to study with her. There is no program out there that will better prepare you to be the best teacher you can become! KAZUKO IKEDA BOEKER
I took my first Pilates lesson in 2005. I have been an athlete all my life and represented my home country, Japan, in alpine skiing events at the Nagano Olympics in 1998. I started Pilates because I was intrigued about how Pilates could change the way I use my body. During my ski career, I had always trained with the best -- the best coaches, the best gear, the best nutrition. I had solid endorsement deals with Rossignol and I enlisted the help of top trainers from all over the world. So, it was just in my nature to go seek out the best in Pilates training. I was willing to go anywhere in the world to get the best training. I was sent to Dorothee VandeWalle at Metropolitan Pilates in Seattle, Washington. For me the best training meant not only learning the right Pilates technique, but also to be inspired by a great teacher. Dorothee was this great teacher, and Metropolitan Pilates was the best place to pursue my certification. My apprenticeship with Dorothee ended up being a life changing experience. Today, I enjoy teaching Pilates on a daily basis. I'm the personal coach for gold-medal Olympian Julia Mancuso who practices Pilates every day.