About us

Backcountry Pilates is a private/duet movement studio in Madrona. In addition to serving our neighborhood clientele of all ages & levels of fitness, we offer crosstraining for athletes & outdoor enthusiasts around the Seattle area, such as skiers, climbers, cyclists, tennis players, & mountain bikers.

We are a body-positive studio, and we believe that learning to appreciate your body for what it can do and how it feels is the best way to cultivate a healthy mind-body relationship for people of any gender and physical ability.

Studio owner, teacher

Originally from Sun Valley, Idaho, Faith is a lifelong dancer and skier, and has practiced the Pilates method for fifteen years. She received her comprehensive Pilates certification from Vitality Pilates in Seattle. Faith earned her BFA in Dance with a focus on education from Cornish College of the Arts, as well as her Pilates mat teaching certificate. She is also Barre Above certified.

In the Puget Sound region, Faith has worked with Vitality Pilates, Pivot Movement Studio, and PilatesStudio11, among others. She has taught dance, Pilates, skiing, and other movement methods to students ages 18 months to 80, and has experience with post-rehab injury recovery and athletic crosstraining.

Faith's Pilates ‘lineage’ begins with mentor Michele Miller, a student of Cary Regan, who was trained by Romana Kryzanowska, who continued to run Joseph Pilates’s studio after his death and is considered to have been one of the primary experts in his method. Applying modern exercise science to the Pilates repertoire, she teaches a contemporary Pilates style that is grounded in the original athletic style of Joseph Pilates. Drawing from her experiences in many athletic activities, including aerial performing arts, Faith's goal as a teacher is for her clients to gain physical freedom through the Pilates method of movement to support their diverse bodies, needs, and goals as they move through life.

Outside of the studio, Faith moonlights as a stage manager & vertical dancer. She loves to bake, as well as to hike, kayak, and climb in the Pacific Northwest.

Faith founded Backcountry Pilates in the Madrona neighborhood of Seattle in 2021.

Faith Coben

Naphtali Beyleveld

***Teacher***
An adoration for movement began at age four. Naphtali was living in Southern California and had begun taking ballet classes. Her study and love of dance continued and blossomed into a B.A. in Biblical Studies with a minor in dance at Belhaven University in Jackson, Mississippi. It was in college that she discovered Pilates.
Pilates empowered Naphtali to take her mind-body connection to another level. As she continued her dance practice at the Psophonia Dance Company post-graduation, she also invested in her Pilates practice. In 2004, she earned her Pilates Mat certification. In 2008, she earned her Pilates reformer certification at Balanced Body University.
In 2009, Naphtali took the leap to move to Seattle. She began teaching Pilates at Maya Whole Health, Seattle YMCA, Vera Fitness, and Pilates on 10th. In all her classes, she blends a passion for movement arts with fitness techniques that help clients get into workout flow. In addition to teaching Pilates, Naphtali has also taught fusion fitness classes, Above the Barre, and Franklin Method techniques. She also specializes in prenatal and postpartum Pilates. Naphtali continued to advance her Pilates training through courses at Vitality Pilates.
When she isn’t in the studio teaching Pilates, Naphtali works as a freelance dancer in Seattle. She’s performed with companies across the PNW including: Coriolis Dance Collective, Karin Stevens Dance Company, DanceJENKINSDance, Elizabeth Mendana Productions, Sarah Seder, MaryAnn McGovern, Wade Madsen, and Sarah Alaways.
Naphtali also loves spending her time hiking and backpacking in the beautiful PNW!

Crishna Grelle

Teacher

Crishna Grelle has always loved exercise. Crishna grew up playing soccer, dancing, cross-country skiing, and running. She knew from a young age that taking care of one’s body should always be a priority.

She first pursued a career in massage therapy. It was after watching the transformational effect of Pilates on some of her clients that Crishna did some investigating of her own.

Soon after, she discovered her love for the exercise. Crishna is now a STOTT™ Certified Pilates Instructor and received her training through Bodycenter Studios in Seattle in 2009. She has been teaching Pilates in the Seattle area for the past 15 years. Her passion for Pilates is evident in the joyfulness and energy she brings to every session.

Crishna knows that each person has their own body and their own story. She makes sure that each lesson is catered to the needs and abilities of her clients, whether they want one-on-one session Pilates or a small group for team Pilates.

When Crishna isn’t teaching, she is spending time with her friends and family, reading, hiking with her dog, and Tango dancing.

Teacher

Kari fell in love with Pilates 13 years ago when her dance teacher introduced it as a way to enhance her strength and flexibility. With a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science and over a decade of experience teaching group fitness classes and working one-on-one with clients, Kari brings both expertise and passion to her practice. After several years in New York City, where she honed her skills teaching group reformer classes and training private clients, Kari is excited to be back on the West Coast.

Kari believes that movement is more than just exercise — it's a form of medicine and a celebration of what our bodies can do. She will meet you where you're at to tailor a movement practice that is accessible and welcoming to everyone, regardless of fitness level and ability. With Kari, you'll find the perfect balance of flow and challenge, leaving each session feeling more connected to your body, stronger, and refreshed. She has experience training a broad spectrum of clients from professional athletes to broadway performers as well as prenatal/postpartum clients to those rehabilitating an injury.

When she’s not doing Pilates, Kari is reading, going to farmers markets, studying integrative nutrition, enjoying live music, experimenting in the kitchen creating nourishing recipes, and learning about astrology. She is happiest in the sunshine and by the water, so when Seattle gets a little too gray she loves to travel to get her fix of vitamin D and vitamin sea.

Kari Johnson

Teacher

Nina Moser is a certified STOTT PILATES instructor. She has been teaching Pilates in Seattle for more than twenty years at Bodycenter Studios, where she received her training, as well as Conscious Body Pilates, and out of her home.

Nina works with a diverse range of clients, providing guidance to help identify and meet their individual fitness and wellness goals. She is motivated by the potential of Pilates to restore and revitalize the body, addressing prenatal and postpartum stages, scoliosis, osteoporosis, and injury rehabilitation. Her training includes various movement disciplines: Zenga, HALO, CORE, Fascial Movement Foundations, and Aston Patterning, among others.

Prior to her Pilates teaching career, Nina designed scenery and costumes for theater, film, and television.

Nina Moser

Teacher

With a background deeply rooted in the world of dance and movement and a lifelong connection to outdoor activities such as backpacking, biking, and rafting (see her photo from a week long trip on the Salmon!), Jonnie brings a holistic perspective to the practice of Pilates.

Earning her Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in Dance from Boise State University, Jonnie began exploring the connections between the mind, body, and movement. As a multi-passionate individual, movement and somatic healing arts have always been driving forces in her life, leading her through a wide range of classes and certifications, including Healing Touch, Reiki, and Franklin Method.

Her introduction to Pilates came at an early age in a dance company, where it was integrated into her training for strength and conditioning. Since then, she has been captivated by the transformative potential of Pilates, both physically and mentally. Training with mentor Kate Yesis, Jonnie earned her comprehensive Pilates certification with PilateStudio11, and now teaches at multiple studios in the Seattle area. Jonnie is eager to share this passion and help individuals discover their inner strength, improve their form, and integrate structured movement into their everyday lives.

In addition to her love for Pilates, Jonnie is an avid practitioner of mixed martial arts, further enhancing her understanding of body mechanics and movement. She has also taught dance to a variety of ages and skill levels, enriching her ability to adapt her teaching style to meet diverse needs and abilities. With her modern approach to Pilates, she enjoys creating innovative flows, aiming for each student to leave her class feeling empowered and balanced.

Jonnie Pedersen

Teacher

Hannah Rice is a movement researcher, artist and teacher committed to connecting with others through the body’s distinct language. She graduated cum laude from Cornish College of the Arts in 2018 with a BFA in dance and Pilates certification. Hannah also studied with Hali Fiano at Awake Bodies in Leavenworth, WA, and earned her full apparatus certification through Vitality Pilates in Seattle.

Before her journey as a Pilates instructor began, Hannah taught ballet and contemporary dance to children and adults for 10 years. She has directed dance programs at recreational studios and guest taught for University of Washington. She currently works at Cornish College of the Arts as a Pilates-based movement instructor.

Hannah’s approach to the Pilates technique comes from a love of ballet- discovering length in the body while maintaining alignment, strength and pushing the edges of expansion. Her teaching is largely inspired by the work of those who came before her: Irene Dowd’s soft and abstract sensibilities, Michele Miller’s rigor and attention to isolation, and Hali Fiano’s approach to rehabilitation.

When she’s not teaching or working on art projects, Hannah spends her time exploring in the Cascade Mountain Range and riding her bike to the next state.