Verena ("V.")-Owner Hailing from sunny San Diego, Verena (“V.”) has successfully passed on her proudest accomplishment, Bird Rock Yoga Studio, and is now excited to pursue her new endeavors with 9th & 9th Pilates right here in Salt Lake City. After many years working as an animal trainer, Verena’s intuitive sense of the beings around her was her inspiration to pursue a Vinyasa teaching certification through Corepower Yoga in 2006. Having fallen head-over-heels for her new passion, she immediately began teaching full-time throughout San Diego, and has since received her E-RYT 200 accreditation. Originally European, Verena has lived and travelled extensively throughout the world. Repeatedly adapting to new cultures and surroundings has taught her the importance of flexibility in the mind above all else. Drawing on the mind-body connection she began practicing and instructing Power Vinyasa Flow, matching breath to movement and focusing on “being” rather than “doing”. Amazing teachers such as Steve Ross, Budokon’s Cameron Shayne, Erich Schiffman, Michael Fukumura, Rachel Krentzman, Bhava Ram, Simon Park, the gang at White Lotus Foundation, and each and every student she has ever had the privilege of teaching have all helped to shape her path. V’s style of teaching can be described as light-hearted and personal. Caring deeply about her students’ growth and well-being, her classes will allow you to flourish in your own personal yoga journey at a pace that works for you. Her goal is to create a welcoming and supportive community at 9th & 9th Pilates (and beyond), where everyBODY is celebrated on and off the mat. V. is STOTT Pilates and TRX suspension system trained, and the founder and owner of the barrEVOLUTION® brand.
Michelle Royer-Instructor Michelle is a licensed, Nationally Certified and clinically trained Master Massage Therapist, and the owner of Healing Hands Massage Therapy. She likes to hike, bike, ski, do yoga, pilates and barrEVO. Art inspires her. In her prior lives she worked as an American Sign Language Interpreter, a Wildlands Firefighter, on a fishing boat in Alaska and lead kids on wilderness survival canoe trips in Northern Minnesota. She is motivated each and every day to do and be the best she can be and lives by the motto, “suit up and show up.” She is so excited to join the 9th & 9th Pilates team and to teach and share her enthusiasm for barrEVO with you! Be prepared for fun, fast paced and physically challenging workouts. When she is not providing treatments, exercising, or teaching barrEVO classes, you may just find her engaged in a Nerf war with her 10 year old son!
Laura Madsen-Instructor Laura Madsen, also known as the “Energizer Bunny,” comes to us from Price, Utah. Laura has a BA in Communications from the University of Utah.
When she’s not burning our cores, she’s teaching PE to little munchkins at Whittier Elementary.
Christian Sorensen-Instructor Christian Sorensen, a former BYU ballroom dancer, hails from Gillette, Wyoming. Christian is known for his intense, high-energy Pilates workouts and is often referred to as the "Mad Dane." He thinks all workouts should be fun, and by "fun" he means "challenging."
When not putting students' obliques and glutes to the test, Christian puts his English MA to work in technical writing and editing.
Nate Marcotte-Instructor Nate is a Salt Lake City resident and is avid endurance athlete, yogi & pilates practitioner. Nate's goal is to show students how practicing across multiple techniques helps compliment both the physical fitness & mental toughness required to make gains in personal performance & sense of well being. When taking a class from Nate, students can expect to be challenged with concepts & techniques that improve not only their practice in studio but extend to their other daily activities as well. Nate works to ensure students make connections with the common threads of core stability, solid foundation & moving with intention throughout each class he teaches.
Amanda Bennion-Instructor Amanda Bennion, a native of Sandy, Utah, has years of experience in movement, having been trained in Russian Ballet since the age of four. Amanda teaches Pilates and dance to both young and old throughout the Valley, and can occasionally be seen doing breathtaking moves in various local aerial dance performances.
Amanda is completing her degree in Political Science at the University of Utah and dreams of joining the circus and becoming a Ninja warrior. Seriously.
