meet the team 

Johanna Dalgleish, PMA®-CPT

Union Pilates Owner/Director
Fletcher Pilates® Professional Teacher
Fletcher Pilates® Program of Study, Faculty - Vancouver
She/Her

Johanna is the owner of Union Pilates and heads our team of passionate movement educators.  She is a Fletcher Pilates® Professional Teacher and is proud to be the designated Faculty for Fletcher Pilates® Teacher Training in Vancouver.

For Johanna, Union Pilates is the culmination of over two decades of movement study and practice.  Originally introduced to Fletcher Pilates® through her professional dance training, Johanna has been a student of this work since 2005 and a teacher since 2009.  Her Pilates practice has profoundly changed the way she dances, the way she stands and the way she moves through life.  Building strength, flexibility and balance in the Pilates studio has allowed her to maintain and enjoy all her other physical pursuits with ease.

Her lifelong movement experience has fostered her passion for learning about the body and how it moves.  She strives to share and pass on this passion with each and every student. She sees Pilates not just as exercise, but as a means of self-expression and as a conduit for healing.  She is inspired by how Fletcher Pilates® simultaneously emphasizes precision of form and the joy of whole body movement. Her down to earth approach adapts to each students’ needs while her keen eye for detail maintains a high level of precise and diligent instruction. Johanna is excited about supporting her clients’ progress, from the fundamentals of balanced posture to the challenge of complex and dynamic choreography.

She has taught across Canada to athletes, dancers, pre-post surgery patients, pre-post natal parents and clients from all walks of life.  She travels to Tucson Arizona regularly to continue her study of the Fletcher Pilates® lineage. Johanna is honoured to be British Columbia’s only Fletcher Pilates® Program of Study Faculty.  This makes Union Pilates the home of Fletcher Pilates® Teacher Training in Vancouver.  Johanna also leads a variety of licensing and continuing education courses for fitness professionals and Pilates teachers alike.

Bevin Poole

Licensed Fletcher Pilates® Provider
Certified by the PhysicalMind Institute of Canada (Equipment, Matwork, Prenatal)
She/Her

Bevin is a lifelong student of movement. Having danced from a young age, she has nearly thirty years of movement training in many different capacities. As an instructor, Bevin believes in creating a safe environment where clients are encouraged to understand the nuances of their own bodies. She aims to empower each client to take ownership of their individual needs and provides the chance to grow through personal study, in class and into life.

Bevin first came to pilates in 2007 out of a need for more specificity. She found it easy to mimic and copy movement while dancing. When she began to get repetitive stress injuries, she realized that she was missing something. Her first pilates class revealed how complex and nuanced the body really is. As her body became stronger, more connected and more versatile, her injuries disappeared and her dancing improved. In 2016, Pilates supported Bevin through pregnancy, and it continues to keep her healthy while chasing around and caring for her tiny human.


“For me, Union represents the complexity of all systems in one energized, moving body. Each system is designed to work together, like a beautiful machine. Bones, muscles, organs, brain, breath, articulation, stability, strength… one function supports another. Union Pilates is a place to understand and enjoy movement, while honouring the intricacy of the body.”

Natalie Spence*

Fletcher Pilates® Professional Teacher
She/Her

Natalie found Pilates in 2014 as a client and fell in love with the combination of breathwork, flow and precision unique to Fletcher Pilates.  She went on to complete the Fletcher Pilates Foundational Teacher Training Program in 2017.

She is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist (R.H.N) who has been studying movement arts since 2001 with a focus on yoga, dance and fire arts. She completed the Yoga Alliance 200 hour yoga teacher training in 2007 from Prana Yoga.

Her Pilates practice has helped to relieve joint pain, and lengthen and strengthen her body without repetitive stress. Natalie has seen significant changes in her body by applying the principles she has learned as a holistic nutritionist and Pilates instructor. After many years working at a computer, Natalie recognizes the importance of movement and proper posture for well-being and healthy aging. She warmly welcomes all ages and body types no matter where people are in their movement journey.

“Union for me is the connection between breath and movement, and the moments when all of our body systems align to inspire peak performance. It represents the connection we share as a community of people who gather to breathe, and move together, resulting in a collective dance that is bigger than the sum of our individual parts.”

*Natalie is currently on sabbatical pursuing Yoga Teacher Training in Thailand.

Molly McDermott*

Fletcher Pilates® Professional Teacher
She/Her

Molly is fascinated with the body and movement as an everyday practice.  Comprehensively trained as a Fletcher Pilates® Teacher, she is thrilled to be sharing her passion through teaching.  Her decade long career in professional dance performance and a lifetime of movement contributes to her body of knowledge as an instructor.  Along with teaching Pilates to a variety of ages and levels since 2016, Molly has experience teaching dance to children of all ages, and continues to work professionally in dance. Molly was first introduced to Pilates through her experience as a dancer, and immediately recognized the value and depth of the work.  With Pilates as a part of her regular practice she feels supported and capable of her full potential.  When it is integrated into her life, she feels strong, healthy and fulfilled.  It is Molly’s desire to share this powerful experience with as many people as possible. She believes that others too can find their optimal level of vitality through movement, and Pilates is a perfect practice to reach that potential.

“For me, Union is community.  It is a meeting place of diverse bodies with a common purpose.  Union is a space to cultivate well-being, awareness and the joy of movement.”

*We are excited to have Molly joining us virtually from her new home studio in Edmonton, Alberta.

Stephanie Varasteh

Fletcher Pilates® Professional Teacher
Certified MELT Method® Level 2 Instructor / ELDOA (Osteopathic Exercises)
Qualified Hypopressives L1 trainer / Trauma Informed Practice Level 1/2
She/Her

Growing up as a dancer, Stephanie has always felt a strong connection to the body and movement. Stephanie has been teaching movement extensively since 2012 and has over twenty years of experience in various movement modalities. She is grateful to be a part of the Union Pilates Team and to teach on the unceded territories of the ʷməθkʷəy̓ əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel ̓ íl ̓witulh (TsleilWaututh) First Nations.

Stephanie was initially drawn to Pilates for healing and personal growth. Recovering from several stress related injuries along her spine and living with chronic pain, she was instantly amazed by how quickly her body responded and 'opened up’ after only a few lessons at Union. Pilates has made a significant impact on Stephanie’s rehabilitation and she truly believes in the power and longevity of this work. Our bodies are intelligent, resilient and designed to move! 

Stephanie loves how Pilates brings people together from all ages and walks of life and how it provides a 360 degree perspective to movement and wellbeing. Whatever the day brings, she encourages her clients to have fun and move with playful curiosity. She is excited to share her knowledge and passion with the community and empower clients to learn how to trust in their bodies so that they can experience their full movement potential.

“For me, Union is a safe and inclusive space that brings us together—it’s where we can learn how to trust in our bodies and experience the joy of movement. It’s about connection, creating balance, building strength, and coming back into alignment, especially as we experience the synchronicity of breath and movement working together, together.”

Jessica Wilkie

Qualified Fletcher Pilates® Teacher
She/Her/They/Them

Exploring movement has always been a deeply important part of Jess' life. Jess has over 25 years of experience in dance including eight years as a professional dance artist. This dedication to physical expression fostered her curiosity for anatomy and how we can exist freely within our bodies.

Jess was introduced to Pilates while dealing with a hip injury she developed from repetitive stress on her joints. She was struggling with day-to-day chronic pain which eventually led to hip surgery. Pilates was a transformative practice for her rehabilitation. She was able to reacquaint herself with healthy movement pathways and regain strength and space within her body that she hadn't felt before. This led Jess to delve deeper into the Fletcher Pilates® work by enrolling in the teacher training program here at Union.

As an instructor, Jess understands that exploring movement can be a vulnerable experience. She believes that meeting your body where it's at and tuning into the work with care, patience, and a sense of play is key for personal growth. Jess feels fortunate and excited to share her knowledge with her community and hopes that she can help others move through life with ease and joy. Jess is grateful for the opportunity to live, teach and create on the unceded territories of the ʷməθkʷəy̓ əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel ̓ íl ̓witulh (TsleilWaututh) First Nations.

“Union for me is togetherness. It's uniting as a group of vastly different individuals and deciding to breathe together, to be present together.”

Caitlin Brown

Certified Pilates Instructor (Certified by Boditree Pilates and Healing, 2013)
Licensed Fletcher Pilates® Provider
She/Her

Movement has been a significant part of Caitlin’s life from a very young age. She grew up dancing, and spent many years performing professionally. The body in motion has been a lifelong passion, so when she came to Pilates after suffering a knee injury, the leap to becoming an instructor was an easy decision. She is constantly amazed by the breadth of knowledge within the Pilates community, and having experienced first-hand how the practice can transform the body and aid in injury recovery, she understands how it can benefit each individual in a unique way.

Caitlin believes Pilates can uplift both the body and mind and strives to create a welcoming environment that is fun and dynamic, while safely addressing each individual’s needs. She understands that Pilates is for every body, and aims to provide the tools necessary for clients to carry what they learn in class out into their daily lives.

“For me, Union represents the coming together of community, and the support we can provide each other as we learn and grow in our bodies and our spirits, together. Union is the integration of our muscles and bones, providing us with the power to move with greater ease and agility. Union also represents strength of mind, gaining confidence in our ability to grow as individuals, while breathing together.”

Jacqueline Seppelt

Qualified Fletcher Pilates® Teacher

Bio Coming Soon

Natalie Kardum

Qualified Fletcher Pilates® Teacher

Bio Coming Soon

Tara Espey

Qualified Fletcher Pilates® Teacher

Bio Coming Soon

Alora (Amy) Kubanek

Professional Fletcher Pilates® Teacher
Trauma Informed Movement Level 1/2 / Certified Pain Reprocessing Therapy Practitioner
She/They

Alora has over 20 years experience teaching pilates and movement. She recently took a sabbatical from teaching Fletcher Pilates to focus on trauma informed practices as well as her personal healing journey. Amy runs an online trauma informed somatic coaching business called Befriend Your Body. Her signature Body Dialogue sessions are meant to improve the communication between body and mind. Amy is excited to return to the pilates studio with a fresh perspective and to bring her expertise in nervous system healing to all.