Jayne McAllister, Owner/Certified Pilates Instructor 

A native of Lancashire, England, Jayne McAllister began her Pilates studies in 1998 with Marty Hammerstein, who was trained by Joseph Pilates’ protégée, Romana Kryzanowska.  Jayne gained Mat certifications from the Physical Mind Institute in 2001 and Power Pilates in 2003.  The following year, Jayne began Power Pilates’ Comprehensive Teacher Training Program in New York City where she studied under Pilates household names such as Bob Liekens, Phoebe Higgins, Susan Moran and Dana Eisenstein.

Under the tutelage of Dr. Howard Sichel, Power Pilates’ president and a chiropractic doctor, Jayne became qualified to work with back, neck and knee injuries, osteoporosis, hip replacements, scoliosis, as well as pre-and post- natal clients.  Dr. Sichel remains a valuable resource to Ab Fab Pilates in an advisory capacity. 

In 2004 Jayne was diagnosed with osteopenia at a particularly young age.  Rejecting conventional medications, Jayne turned to Pilates to help increase her bone density.  Within eight months, she eliminated the disease from her left hip and radically increased the density of her lumbar spine.  Jayne’s passion is working with osteoporotic clients to help them increase their bone density. 

In 2006, Jayne completed further intensive training with Amy Taylor Alpers and Mary Bischof of the prestigious Pilates Center of Boulder.  A few months later, Jayne passed the Pilates Method Alliance’s national certification exam. 

Jayne has a BA and MA in Classical Arabic and Medieval Spanish from Cambridge University, England, from another life.  She has lived in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Caribbean and, since 1991, the USA.

Michael "MJ" James, Certified Pilates Instructor

A Palm Bay original, MJ has been practicing Pilates since 2004.  After injuring his knee, MJ was told by his therapist to seek forms of exercise that used natural body weight.  So he started doing traditional sit-ups, pull-ups and push-ups but found the routine to be stale.  At this point, he came across Pilates matwork and, as MJ says, "I understood that Joseph Pilates was a genius.  He found an alternative approach to the chest and arms mindset of the gym."  

MJ subsequently became intrigued by the Pilates apparatus and decided to pursue teacher training.  Two years later, MJ joined Ab Fab Pilates and became an aficionado of the Power Pilates method of teaching.  MJ is currently enrolled in the Power Pilates "Bridge" program which enables teachers with other Pilates certifications to re-certify under the Power Pilates umbrella.

MJ passed his first Power Pilates certification with flying colors and has now studied with Power Pilates luminaries such as Carrie Clark Campbell, Stefanie Ellis and the inimitable Bob Liekens.

MJ is thrilled that his plight for self-improvement has become a career move that enables him to help others.  MJ brings boundless enthusiasm to his teaching as well as a sense of humor when appropriate.  Be warned, MJ's Tower of Terror class speaks for itself!

Emily Ricca, Certified Pilates Instructor

Emily is a professional ballerina who came across Pilates as a complement to the rigors of daily ballet practice.  Knowing that dancers are prone to injury, Emily saw the value of classical Pilates training to maintain the integrity of the joints, leaving her less susceptible to injury.  It is a philosophy that she is able to apply to her Pilates teaching whether she is working with the chronically injured or with athletes.

Emily's strong commitment to the classical method of Pilates training makes her the perfect fit for Ab Fab Pilates' style and philosophy.  Emily practiced with Tod Rosenlieb, Gayla Zukevich, and Tonka Cascais prior to completing her Power Pilates Comprehensive Certification with Stefanie Ellis of Pilates of Boca and Ab Fab Pilates' Jayne McAllister.

As a ballerina, Emily trained at the Virginia School of the Arts under the direction of Petrus Bossman, a former principal dancer with the Royal Ballet in London.  After graduating, Emily joined Ballets de San Juan in Puerto Rico before relocating to Florida where she danced with the Florida Dance Theatre for three seasons.  Emily has also made guest appearances as a soloist with the Boca Ballet Theatre, Vero Classical Ballet, and the Florida Arts and Dance Company in Stuart.