Meet Our Team
RYOKO KUDO (Co-founder)
Ryoko received her Pilates Mat and Equipment certification from the Kane School of Core Integration, NYC in 2008. She began her journey with Pilates after several injuries through her dance career. She began addressing habits and imbalances which resulted in injuries and began retraining her body. The shedding and re-patterning of what the mind and body held slowly began to make way for a more efficient body. Her personal journey has inspired her to share her work and empower as many people as possible.
She has worked with clients with various pathologies such as Neck/Back Issues/Surgery, Hip Issues/Replacement, Disc bulge/Herniation, Bursitis, Stenosis, Spondylolisthesis, Scoliosis, Sciatica, SI joint disfunction, Shoulder Issues, Rotator Cuff, Tennis Elbow, Carpal Tunnel, Knee Issues/Surgery, ACL/PCL, Meniscal Tears, ITBand Syndrome, Foot/Ankle Issues, Plantar Fascitis, Osteoperosis/Osteopenia, MS, Pre/Post Natal, Limited Mobility, Arthritis, Pelvic floor dysfunction, Incontinence. As a passionate teacher of movement, a healthy body-mind in motion is what she strives for herself and for those she works with.
As a dance artist, she toured internationally with the Limón Dance Company for over 10 years and continues to travel around the country and abroad teaching Limón technique and repertoires for schools and universities. Her love of movement has also taken her skyward as an aerialist having performed at the Beijing Olympics and Bregenz Opera Festival in Austria.
Ryoko has worked at the Kinected Center (NYC), Core Pilates (Rye), Dynamic Body Pilates (NYC), as well as Pilates workshops and open classes for dancers in NYC. Ryoko's continuing education certificates include: Osteoperosis in Depth by Rebekah Rostein, Pilates through Pregnancy by Marcia-Elizabeth Thompson, Psoas in Depth by Kuan Chew, FAMI workshop at Mt Sinai School of Medicine, Anatomy Trains for Movement Therapists by Laurice Nemetz, The Female Pelvis and the Cycles of Life by Tom Myers and Dr. Eden Fromberg, Neck and Shoulders by Madelaine Black, Pilates for Golf and Tennis by Matt McCulloch, among others.
Ryoko brings her expertise to cultivate your awareness for a healthier moving body in a fun and intelligent approach for your daily movement or the dancer in you. Ryokokudo.com
REFORMER CLASS WITH RYOKO: Class will start with gentle stretching and releasing focusing on happy alignment and supportive breath work. Fine tuning with love and care opens doors for your body to gain range of motion, fluidity, and grace. Cues are offered to cultivate your kinesthetic awareness to feel centered, grounded and empowered to get a deep and nourishing workout.
SHANNON CORRIDAN VORCE (Co-founder)
Shannon began her Pilates Training at Power Pilates in New York City studying under the best classical Pilates educators in the industry. Shannon completed her comprehensive Pilates Certification and began teaching in Manhattan. After mastering teaching in the classical style, she became interested in learning additional methods of Pilates. Shannon continued to learn dynamic and contemporary approaches to Pilates through mentorships and workshops. She has completed courses in anatomy, bio-mechanics, physiology, fascia release, the pelvic floor, Pilates for athletes, balance training, Pilates for aging, pre/post natal Pilates and many more. She continues to expand her knowledge of anatomy and movement, as well as broaden her teaching style to best support her clients.
Since relocating to the Berkshires in 2013, Shannon has found her place in the community through the love of Pilates. She Co-opened The Pilates Space in 2018, with intention to bring an equipment based boutique Pilates studio to the Bershires. Her clients have seen great improvements in their movement even when dealing with aliments such as, knee replacements, hip replacements, shoulder issues, spinal surgery, osteoporosis, arthritis, chronic low back pain, spinal stenosis, rectus abdominis diastasis, scoliosis, Parkinson’s, RA, and chronic myofascial pain. Shannon’s years of experience has cultivated her teaching towards a master level delivered with precision and warmth. Shannon is proud to continue to share her passion of healing and progression through the movement of Pilates.
REFORMER CLASS WITH SHANNON: Strong and intentional movement is the main priority in Shannon’s reformer classes. No matter your level you will feel cared for and connected to your practice. Together we work to explore new strengths, practice tension release techniques, lengthen and tone your body in an open and judgement free space. Shannon motivates and encourages each client to their personal best, through an open mind and sense of humor anything is possible. Shannon believes there is no such thing as “perfect Pilates,” it’s an ongoing practice and communication with your body. This reformer class is a sure way to get the conversation with your body started loud and clear.
ISADORA WOLFE
Isadora is from Lowell, Massachusetts, and began her Pilates studies as a teen while training at the Boston Ballet School. She continued with the great Kathy Grant, while at NYU, and then went on to get her training from the Kane School of Core Integration (now "Kinected"). Throughout Isadora's career as a dancer, rehearsal director and teacher of movement, dance and theater, Isadora has continually fallen back on her Pilates background and used it as a springboard to deepen her somatic practices. Through injuries, through two pregnancies and deliveries, it has provided and struck a balance between physical therapy, movement, alignment, strength and length. Isadora is in the Berkshires now with her family after a long stint as Resident Director and cast member of Punchdrunk's NYC production of Sleep No More. She has had the opportunity of dancing for choreographers such as Johannes Wieland, Martha Clarke, and Gerald Casel, and in productions ranging from the Berkshire Theater Group's Peter Pan to The Hairy Ape at the Park Avenue Armory. Isadora has been a guest teacher, movement director and rehearsal director at various festivals, universities and theatrical productions, and is adjunct faculty at The Juilliard School. Throughout her years in the dance theater world, Isadora has taught and integrated Pilates work with professionals and students, and is continually amazed at its ability to create real and deep change at the kinesthetic level. She became a certified instructor through The Pilates Space.
NATALIE SHARP
Natalie is from Centreville, MD and started her teaching career at Sherman's Martial Arts on Kent Island as a Martial Arts Instructor. There, she earned her certification in Combat Hapkido, and spent 6 years training in Jiu Jitsu and Sung Do Kwan. An avid lover of dance and creative movement, she has taken dance classes ranging from Ballet to Swing to Afro/Caribbean and can also be spotted dancing the night away to the great live music found in the Berkshires! Her goal as a Pilates instructor is to integrate the movement practices she has enjoyed and help make the joy of learning and movement accessible to all her students, no matter their background. Her hope is to bring creative and adaptive options to clients wishing to address imbalances and achieve their fitness goals.
Natalie received her Comprehensive Pilates Teacher Certification at The Pilates Space in 2023.
SHERRY LONDE
Sherry Londe believes in aging gracefully. Inspired by her ballroom dancing father,
she found her way into the dance world as a performer, teacher and mentor. Since graduating as a Dance Major at the University of Cincinnati and studying at The Space in New York City with Murray Lewis & Alwin Nikolais. Sherry has performed, choreographed and taught in her hometown of St. Louis at Washington University & Webster College.
Ms Londe spent two years studying Mime in Paris with the esteemed Etienne Decroux and then formed her own company of roving musicians, thespians and dancers. Before raising her two girls she lived, taught and performed in Osaka, Japan and Basel, Switzerland.
Most currently, Sherry received her 500 hour yoga training at Kripalu in Stockbridge, MA. and was teaching yoga at her home studio and TOPSL resort in Destin, Fl. Aside from her love of learning, she volunteers and in 2020 received the Volunteer of the Year Award from the DAR Northwest Florida Chapter for her work with several 501C3 organizations. Sherry’s desire to continue living with strength, spending time with loved ones and finding beauty and grace in the everyday, is what drew her to our studio.
Sherry has been certified to teach Pilates mat and on the equipment in the full comprehensive Teacher Training program here at The Pilates Space and has been working with clients from all walks of life.
ELIZABETH V. EVANS
Elizabeth received her Comprehensive Pilates Certification through The Pilates Space; and is our Front Desk Administrator. She recently completed an online Pilates Teacher Mentorship Course with Page Sieffert (Balanced Body Trainer) of Pilates Nosara, Costa Rica; and is currently enrolled in a PCES (Pregnancy & Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist) Course by Sarah Duvall of Core Exercise Solutions. She will be taking her NCPT (National Certified Pilates Teacher) exam this fall.
She studied, worked and lived at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, CA for several years- gaining knowledge in mind-body awareness and assisting in workshops like Feldenkrais, Somatics and Cortical Field Re-education. After a serious spinal surgery and rehab over a decade ago, Elizabeth seeks to hold space for others in their own strength and healing.
MADISON PALFFY
Madison Palffy is a dance maker, movement educator, and performing artist based in western Massachusetts. She holds an MFA in Dance and Choreography with an emphasis in Somatics and Improvisation from University of Colorado, Boulder. Her performance work is driven by a sense of experimentation and artistic cross-pollination and has been shown across the United States as well as in Montreal and Berlin.
Madison has studied various somatic modalities including Body Mind Centering under the tutelage of Erika Berland, Alexander Technique with Nada Diachenko, Fascial Flossing with Bonnie Crotzer, and trained and taught at Ape Co Movement School for three years. Most recently, she completed her Pilates Mat Certification training at The Pilates Space in Great Barrington and is in the process of her Comprehensive Certification. She delights in co-mingling her training in dance and somatics with Pilates.
As an educator, Madison has been on faculty at Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter School, Berkshire Pulse, SCDT, Northampton Center for the Arts, Block 1750, Ape Co Movement School, and The Spark Performing Arts Center. She was a graduate teaching instructor at University of Colorado Boulder and has been a guest teaching artist at Keene State College, Amherst College, Hampshire College, Moving Target Portland, Earthdance Workshop & Retreat Center, the Williston Northampton School and as an in-school teaching artist in Springfield, Holyoke, and Pittsfield public schools.
She is currently an adjunct faculty member in the dance program at Keene State College and teaches at Berkshire Pulse, Loculus Studios (which she co-directs), and Ascendance.
Visit: madisonpalffy.com
