Instructor Bios

Stacey | Candy | Dana | Karen | Cristin | Kerry | Debbie | Joie | Ashun

Stacey Vargas
Stacey Vargas founded the Pilates Institute of Southern California (PISC) in the year 2000, and is currently an active instructor and the Director of the PISC Teacher Certification Program which started in 2002. She has been teaching Pilates locally since 1997.

Stacey has been dancing since the age of 2. At the age of 10 she was the youngest member of Oakland Metropolitan Ballet Company. She continued her dance career in the Los Angeles area with many talented and distinguished choreographers. Because of her commitment to dance, Stacey's career flourished. She moved-on to perform in numerous venues, such as theater, film, television, and, for a brief time, worked with the world renown “Laker Girls.” Stacey graduated from California State Long Beach with a BA in Dance.

With an intrinsic love for the human body, Stacey understands the body's natural movement not only from a dancer’s perspective, but from an athletic standpoint as well. As an active runner and swimmer, Stacey has been working with all types of athletes to help them re-pattern their movements to become more efficient in their respective field and to help strengthen existing injuries.

Stacey began studying Pilates in 1994. She initially began her study of the Pilates method in New York and later obtained her Pilates certificate at the internationally known Pilates Center of Boulder.

Candy Currie
Candy has been practicing Pilates for over seven years. She started doing Pilates as a way to develop her core strength and diversify her fitness routine. She developed a passion for Pilates because of the physical and mental challenges that it provided her, along with the deepened core strength in her body. Inspired by her instructors and wanting to share her personal experience with others she became a certified instructor at the Pilates Institute of Southern California, in the summer of 2007.

Candy is a Southern California native and has been a resident of Manhattan Beach for the past 11 years with her family. She is active in local charities and schools where she has served on the Board of Directors. Candy has a Bachelors of Science Degree from Cal State Northridge.

We encourage you to call or stop by the Pilates Institute for any further questions.

Dana Peters
Growing up on the beach in the South Bay, Dana has been involved in athletics, particularly volleyball, as far back a she can remember. By the age of ten, Dana played competitive volleyball on both club and school teams. Dana discovered Pilates in 2002 when she began dong mat classes at Spectrum Health Club. While in college Dana played competitive volleyball and noticed how much stronger and more connected she felt after doing Pilates. During her junior year, she enrolled in a semester Pilates course and began to further her knowledge. With an intuitive passion for health and fitness Dana knew that she wanted to continue to pursue a career in the fitness industry, focusing on the Pilates Method.

Upon graduating form Chapman University in 2004, Dana was accepted into the prestigious teacher certification program at the Pilates Institute of Southern California. With teachers and mentors Stacey Vargas, Sara Dacklin and Kerry Wachtfogel Dana learned immediately that Pilates was not just an exercise method but a way of life. She quickly realized she had found her true passion and began teaching at the Pilates Institute in early 2005. Dana deeply enjoys helping people stay mentally and physically fit and she continues to deepen her knowledge of Pilates by taking courses and seminars annually. Dana stays active still playing beach volleyball, running, walking, playing golf, and of course doing Pilates.

Karen Richardson
Karen Richardson has been in the health and fitness business for over 20 Years as a Group Exercise Instructor and Manager for the elite Spectrum Clubs. With bad hips and back from years of high impact aerobics, Karen began taking private lessons from long-time friend Stacey Vargas. After just a few sessions she began noticing a dramatic difference.

Karen entered the Pilates Institute of Southern California teacher training program in 2004 and completed over 700 hours of comprehensive study to achieve her certification. She retired from management to become a full-time Pilates instructor.

Thanks to Pilates, Karen continues to run, cycle and everything she never thought she would be able to keep doing. “Pilates is the voice between the mind and the body. My desire is to empower my students with this knowledge and encourage them, through Pilates, to live a healthy and balanced life.”

Cristin Schult
(310) 570-7943

Pilates and overall mental and physical fitness is more than a passion, it is a lifestyle that Cristin both embodies and shares with her loyal clients. It is her fiery enthusiasm for an overall better way of life that has enabled her to improve the bodies and minds of many people, and also helped her spread her wings into a variety of mediums, including modeling, writing and acting.

Cristin's love of dance & movement began as a toddler, and continued to grow over her life as she rigorously trained in tap, ballet, jazz and hip hop. Cristin's passion and commitment paid off as she danced competitively for 10 years and was featured on ESPN's National Dance Competition, where she finished in the top five for two consecutive years.

In addition to dance, Cristin is an accomplished athlete having competed in soccer, gymnastics and cheerleading. Excelling in athletics throughout her life, Cristin ultimately became a member of the University of California, Santa Barbara's triathlon team. Cristin graduated from the University of California Santa Barbara in 2003, earning her bachelors degree in Sociology.

Following college, Cristin sought a way to blend her love of the athletics and dance. When introduced to Pilates, she found her answer and completely embraced the Method lifestyle. Leaving behind a lucrative corporate job, Cristin realized it was her professional calling to motivate and guide her clients to achieve mental and physical fitness through Pilates. She completed an intense year-long program at the Pilates Institute of Southern California to achieve her Pilates Certification where she was classically trained on all apparatus, and taught the disciplines and philosophies of Joseph H. Pilates, founder of the Pilates Method. Cristin remains current in all areas of the industry through her affiliation with the Pilates Method Alliance.

In addition to her classic training and teachings, Cristin peppers her clients' workouts with progressive, creative ways of doing Pilates, including her signature high-energy "Cardio Pilates." Cristin never tires of finding new ways to inspire and motivate her clients to help them remain committed to a healthy and balanced lifestyle.

Despite her full time career as a well respected Pilates Instructor in Manhattan Beach, California, Cristin is taking her talents into the worlds of modeling, writing and acting. Most recently, she appeared in Pilates Magazine twice. In 2007 she modeled for Brooke Siler's article,” Pump up your Practice." In 2008 she graced the January Special Edition Cover, and penned an article for the magazine, "Gonna Make You Sweat." In 2006, Cristin was the face of fashion accessory line Cameron Nicole Designs, having appeared in print and on-line magazines such as: Quick & Simple, Item, GlossyAddict.com; Fashionwiredaily.com and E!Online. Cristin is also slated to be the face and spokesperson for rising organic skincare line, Noah's Naturals. Cristin was also featured in the movie "Greenflash", which was filmed in the summer of 2007. On top of all this, Cristin is a brand ambassador for Lululemon Athletica.

With each new path Cristin takes, she sees it as an opportunity to share with, and inspire others, to live a balanced and healthy lifestyle, making sure that it is, above all, FUN every step of the way.

Kerry Wachtfogel
Kerry is a graduate of Long Beach State University where she earned a Bachelors degree in Sports Medicine. She spent many years as a Certified Athletic Trainer, working with athletes in junior college and high school. Throughout those years, Kerry also worked part time as a fitness instructor. This is where she discovered Pilates when she took her first mat class with Stacey Vargas. Kerry embraced the philosophy of the Pilates Method and became certified in 2002. Since then, she has truly enjoyed her work as and instructor at PISC as well as being a member of the PISC Certification Program teaching staff.

Debbie Young
Debbie Young began her study of the Pilates method in 1998 with Stacey Vargas. Debbie's passion for the Pilates method as the premier vehicle for achieving overall fitness led her to obtain her teacher certification at the Pilates Institute of Southern California in 2006 and her Certified Pilates Teacher designation from the Pilates Method Alliance in 2007.

Debbie's love for teaching began in the classroom after she obtained her B.A in Speech Communication and Multiple Subjects teaching credential form UCSB, and an M.A. degree in Special Education. Debbie has held a lifelong devotion to movement and physical fitness, and continues to pursue her love of swimming, hiking and, of course, Pilates.

Joie Shettler
(310) 251-2713

Joie Shettler, who has been a professional dancer for over 20 years, came to the world of dance later than most. After taking her first lesson at age 14, she knew this was to be her destiny and never looked back. Joie refused an academic scholarship from Arizona State University to pursue a career in Los Angeles and landed her first job within two months after arriving from Phoenix — and has not stopped working since.

With her deep respect and knowledge of the human body, Pilates was a natural segue after the birth of her two children. She received her certification from Pilates Institute of Southern California in 2008 under the instruction of Stacey Vargas, Kerry Wachtfogel and Leila Shukur. Her clientelle includes a variety of athletes and A list entertainers.

She began her career as one of the originators of the Pussycat Dolls, and has danced with such artists as Prince (American Music Awards), Michael Jackson (video Ghost) and performed with Robin Williams for the Academy Awards in 2000. She is presently appearing on the small screen in BRAVO’s A-List Awards with comedian Kathy Griffin.

Her feature film credits include "That Thing You Do," starring Tom Hanks; "George of the Jungle," "Night at the Roxbury," "Orange County" and "Raising Helen." She most recently appeared with Clint Eastwood in the critically-acclaimed "Flags of our Fathers."

Joie toured as a back-up vocalist with the Brian Setzer Orchestra where she appeared on stages all over the world and on numerous television shows including The Today Show, Late Night w/Conan O'Brien, and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

Ashun Freedman
(310) 292-9674

Ashun has had a passion for movement from a very young age. By age 3 Ashun was already involved in gymnastics and dance and continued to participate in gymnastics till the age of 12, competing in numerous competitions. Dance has always been a big part of Ashun's life as well. She was on the High school drill team as a freshman at Mira Costa High School and continued on to J.V. cheerleading and Varsity cheerleading. Her Cheer squad competed in several competitions during her sophomore, junior and senior year. Ashun was also very involved in soccer, playing A.Y.S.O as a perennial all-star, as well as club soccer. She was always a very fast runner who earned the nickname: “the girl with rockets in her butt”.

Ashun went on to College in Santa Barbara, majoring in Communications with a Political Science minor. She was an integral part of the cheerleading squad for 3 years. It was during this time in Santa Barbara that Ashun realized how important movement was to her; and that her career path would have to incorporate movement in a manner that would allow her to impart this passion to others.

After working for two years at her family's real estate business (Villa d'Arte Development) Ashun was ready for a change. She found the Pilates Institute of Southern California through a family member and applied for the teacher certification program. She was very excited to be accepted knowing that this was going to be something truly special. It turned out that pilates was her “calling”. Pilates is much more than just a form of exercise to Ashun: it is a lifestyle.

Ashun has now been teaching at the Pilates Institute for over a year and has loved each and every moment of the process. She has been able to quickly build a client base of dedicated devotes. Ashun believes that it is her passion for the regimen of the art that has created clients who are addicted to this form of self-improvement. This is clearly evidenced by their loyalty and willingness to refer others that they believe Ashun can help. Many pounds have been shed by Ashun's unique blending of classical and modern Pilates techniques such as “cardio Pilates”. Several of Ashun's clients suffering from conditions ranging from scoliosis and fibromyalgia to joint pain, back pain and high blood pressure have seen significant improvement in their overall health since beginning their Pilates training with Ashun.