Ballet with Shannon H.

Shannon was introduced to Pilates through professional dance. She performed with Bodiography Contemporary Ballet from 2002 to 2007. Here the company encouraged dancers to study Pilates to enhance their performance. Around this time, she was diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis and found that Pilates relieved some of the symptoms. This encouraged her to further her training. In 2004 she was certified in mat through PHI Pilates (formerly PowerHouse Pilates). In 2007 Shannon moved to Chicago to apprentice with a number of dance companies including River North Chicago Dance, Giordano Dance Chicago, and Cerqua-Rivera Dance Theater. In 2009 she joined Inaside Chicago Dance. It was here where she learned about the Body Arts and Science International training program at Flow Studios. Shannon was fortunate to be a finalist for BASI’s Kathy Grant Memorial Scholarship where she personally interviewed with BASI founder, Rael Isacowitz. Upon retiring from concert dance after 11 seasons, Shannon joined BASI’s CTTC program in 2013 and graduated in 2014. She has completed multiple workshops for continuing education in TRX, CoreAlign I & II, Trigger Point Foam Rolling, Jumpboard Dynamics, and rotator cuff & osteoporosis workshops with the inspirational Karen Clippinger. In 2015 Shannon attended a 3 day intensive with Esther Gokhale in the Gokhale Method. She recently became a corrective exercise specialist in the BioMechanics Method, 1 of only 6 in Chicagoland area. She also completed training in Yamuna Body Rolling and the American Ballet Theater National Training Curriculum Pre-Primary through Level 3. Shannon has a passion for continuing education and sharing her knowledge. These modalities have allowed her improve her own posture & to completely eliminate her 10+ years of SI joint pain. She understands the value in treating the body from a holistic point of view. In addition to teaching Pilates, Shannon has taught dance for over 15 years and is the director of both the Hinsdale Ballet Theater Junior Company and the Jazz/Contemporary department at Hinsdale Dance Academy.