Teachers
Meet Barbara Morini
Barbara’s committed to helping others live a healthier and more fulfilling life, inside and out, started three decades ago, when she became a professional dancer. After graduating from the famed Classical Ballet Academy Cosi-Stefanescu, Barbara began observing various fitness regimens from around the world and started integrating those ideas into her personal philosophy of genuine mental and physical health.
Barbara’s success as an international dancer and choreographer helped her launch a career as a Certified Pilates Instructor. For 10 years, she owned To Be Studio Pilates in Milan, Italy and was the “go to” fitness trainer for many celebrities, businessman, dancers and clients of all ages.
Barbara has been a guest on all the major Italian TV networks such as RAI1, RAI 2, Canale 5 and RETE 4. In addition she has been featured in magazine such as Sportweek, Grazia, Silhoette, Io Donna, and Starbene. She is a Nationally Certified Pilates Teacher and has completed training programs with the Melt Method, American Institute of Reboundology, Cardiolates and Bellicon. For Cardiolates and Bellicon she is the first Italian Certified Instructor/Trainer and has trained more than 250 teachers.
Barbara is married to Roger Mazzeo and the proud mother of two beautiful girls, Nicole and Sophia. Barbara and her family are proud locals and enjoy sharing their enthusiasm for everything the town has to offer.
Come and experience Barbara’s two decades of knowledge in the field along with her nurturing Italian twist.
Meet Abbie Bekov
Abbie is a dedicated and enthusiastic instructor with a deep passion for movement, wellness and the holistic connection between the body and the mind. She brings a contemporary style with a unique energy tailored to every client into her classes.
Her pilates journey began with her own personal passion for pilates that evolved into wanting to help others improve their physical and mental wellbeing and share her love of pilates!
She is committed to creating a supportive and empowering environment to create a fun and supportive environment where clients not only challenge their bodies, but also create mindful connection with their movements.
Enjoy Abbie’s positive and energetic energy in a dynamic class.
Meet Ylla Palenque
Ylla first fell in love with Pilates 15 years ago when an orthopedist recommended it as a safe post operative work out. She quickly incorporated it into her daily health and wellness routine, after leaving a career in Marketing, Ylla took her pursuit of Pilates to the next level, and completed her Pilates Teacher training in 2019.
Having lived all over the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean Ylla is bilingual (English/Spanish) as well as Multi cultural. She recently relocated to Montclair and is excited to join the To Be Pilates Team.
Have fun with Ylla’s positive and uplifting energy in a class today!
Meet Elvy Perez Zorich
Elvy is a Pilates teacher and Transformational Life and Wellness coach. She received her Pilates certification in New York City through Romana Kryzanowska. Elvy’s passion for movement began growing up in Colombia, where she was a member of several dance companies as a young girl. Elvy lived in London and then moved to New York City, where she graduated from the NYU Stern School of Business.
She practiced Pilates as a private client for many years before becoming certified as an instructor about 20 years ago. She combines her expertise in Pilates, incorporating mind/body to improve and enhance the lives of her clients. She owned her boutique, Casa Pilates Studio, in Montclair, NJ, which is now permanently closed, and currently teaches her clients from other certified studios.
Elvy’s passion is to guide others in living an active, healthy, and conscious lifestyle. She continues to advance in her practice, continuing to evolve as a Transformational Life Coach and in her love for Pilates by studying through workshops, conferences, and private sessions with world-class instructors, such as Kathy Ross-Nash, Sari Mejia Santo, Cynthia Lochard, Jay Grimes, Jerome Weinberg and many more.
Elvy lives in Montclair, NJ, with her husband, Simon, and has two grown daughters, Isabella and Sofia, and her youngest son, Jasper.
Come and enjoy Elvy’s calm and kind demeanor along with her many years of classical training!