Emily grew up learning gymnastics and playing sports, including varsity tennis and soccer in high school and college. She earned her bachelor's degree in Spanish, Communications and Elementary Education at Albright College and later a master's degree in Liberal Studies at Villanova University. After college, she pursued work in higher education.  In her spare time, she joined a gym and tried various group fitness classes, like boot camp, step aerobics, spin, and this thing called Pilates. She fell in love with Pilates! It combined strength and flexibility which reminded her of her early athletic pursuits. In no time, it became clear to Emily that Pilates is about more than just the hour spent in the studio. It’s about how to move thoughtfully throughout life. Practicing Pilates became a passion that soon became a career. Emily has been teaching Pilates since 2010. She earned her mat certification from Balanced Body in 2009 followed by the apparatus certification from DK Body Balancing.  Emily opened EmJ Pilates studio in 2015. She completed a mentorship with Kerry DeVivo of Excel Pilates Annapolis in 2021 and an intensive teacher training program with Chris Robinson of Pilates and Sports in San Diego in 2023. In addition to Pilates, she still loves playing and coaching tennis. She received her PTR Level I Tennis Coaching certification in 2021.  

Movement has always been a large part of Laura’s life. Her love for the performing arts as a child followed her to college where she received a B.F.A. in Dance Performance from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia in 2004. Her performance career started as a Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleader and continued  with performances in shows in Atlantic City, Las Vegas, New York City, and abroad.  In 2011, she fell in love with Barre classes and became a certified Pure Barre instructor, where her love of teaching was born. 

As much as she loved the energy of group classes, she felt she couldn’t effectively help the individual in a group setting, as each client had a variety of goals and limitations. The desire to make a difference to the individual is what led Laura to classical Pilates instruction. She received her Beginner & Intermediate Mat certification in 2015 and completed the 600-hour comprehensive certification in 2017 through Power Pilates. She was an apprentice for mentors Aubrey Johnson at Moxie, Mind & Body Studio in Pittsburgh, and Gina Heysek at Pure Pilates in Lancaster. She continues to attend continuing education workshops with world-renowned teachers such as Kathryn Ross-Nash, Jerome Weinberg, Peter Fiasca, and Karen Frischmann.

What Laura loves most about Pilates is its ability to heal the body through movement! 

During a transitional time in Summer's life, Pilates and Yoga became meaningful as an avenue of personal growth. In 2011 she began a regimented Pilates practice and started the rigorous process of a Peak Pilates® comprehensive mat & equipment certification. She has experienced firsthand how Pilates transforms the mind as well as the physical being by bringing clarity and inner strength from the work into her life. Summer enjoys sharing what she's learned while helping others discover and integrate a Pilates practice into their lives. Outside of the studio, Summer enjoys hiking with her husband and adorable dog, Fern.