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, including becoming a mom in 2022.

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.”

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.”

Jess 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

Jacqueline has worked as a Pilates teacher since 2021 and became a Qualified Fletcher Pilates® Teacher in 2022. Her interest in Pilates started as a child watching her mother try out various Pilates VHS tapes. Throughout her life, Jacqueline embraced movement in all forms through dance, cycling and running. Jacqueline has a passion for the human body and its diverse map of sensation and movement. Through her Pilates teaching practice, she strives to help people understand how the intricate parts of the body work together to build strength - mentally and physically.

Jackie encourages clients to tune into their own bodies and move in ways that feel good. She finds the connection between mind and body fascinating and uses imagery and physical feedback to help clients feel movement deeply. Jacqueline’s classes challenge endurance, balance, and core strength through supportive movement. She strives to create a classroom environment that is approachable, inclusive and fun.

“For me, Union is a safe and collaborative space where clients and teachers work together to bring joy, calmness and awareness to movement. Union helps people move and breathe together in a non-judgmental and encouraging environment.”

Natalie Kardum

Professional Fletcher Pilates® Teacher
She/Her

Since starting dance at a young age, Natalie has been fascinated by movement and physicality related to day to day life. As a dancer and theatre actor, the integration of movement and alignment has been an essential part of her practice.

Natalie began her Pilates journey in 2019 and was amazed not only with how quickly her body responded to the work but how the unique breath practice of this work: the Fletcher Percussive Breath, translated throughout all her physical activity. She was eager to gain further depth and knowledge through the Fletcher Pilates Comprehensive Teacher Training Program. After a 12 year career in non-profit, Natalie made the leap and became a teacher at Union Pilates. As well, she instructs at InclusionWorks in North Vancouver, delivering movement and fundamental Pilates Matwork programming for young adults with developmental disabilities.

Natalie believes that the ability to move freely translates to a healthy and balanced life. She desires to share her love of movement to every client she works with at Union.

“For me, Union represents a safe community, where we can breathe, become stronger, and grow together.”

Tara Espey

Qualified Fletcher Pilates® Teacher
She/Her

Tara first joined Union Pilates as a client in 2018. Her initial goal was to rehab a chronic shoulder injury sustained through rock climbing. As a climber she was concerned that the intensity of the sport was taking a heavy toll on her body. She wanted to gain a better balance of strength, mobility and flexibility for overall well being. With an emphasis on alignment and fine-tuned movement patterns in her Pilates practice, she started to feel the difference. The coordination of movement and breath has helped her connect to her body with awareness and control.  She credits Pilates for being able to move today with more strength and power and less pain - supporting her through climbing, her desk job and beyond.

She spent several years focused on Matwork and Small Apparatus before delving deeper into the full Pilates repertoire. This progression grew into a passion to pursue her teaching certification. For Tara, teaching goes beyond just the direction of movement. Her own experience with injury and physical limitations inspires her to help others who may be dealing with similar frustrations. She shares the awareness that sometimes the body needs to slow down and feel the movement to understand what needs to change. She encourages everyone to come to Union with an open mind and believe in the process. Above all, she's constantly inspired by the joy of moving with others.

“For me, Union is connection; people to people, mind to body, breath to movement. It's a nurturing space where every body can explore and experience the joy of movement, individually and in unison with others.”

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.