Teachers
Our team works together with our clients to offer them the best service and the benefit of our knowledge.
Karen Washburn
Owner/ Director
Karen Washburn founded Axis in 2003, the first fully equipped Gratz ® Classical Pilates and GYROTONIC ® studio in Long Beach, California.
Karen began her Classical Pilates journey with Shari Berkowitz of the Vertical Workshop in Beverly Hills in 2001. There, she went through the Power Pilates Teacher Training Program. She continued to work closely with Shari and was invited to become a Teacher Trainer for Power Pilates under the direction of Bob Liekens in 2009 in New York City. In 2017, Karen was selected to participate in The Work ® where she studied with Jay Grimes, a student of Joseph and Clara Pilates.
Karen began her GYROTONIC ® journey in 1999, and has continued to practice and study the system extensively over the years. She is certified in Level 1 and Level 2 Gyrotonic, Gyrokinesis, Archway, Jumping Stretching Board, Gyrotoner, and will be completing the Leg Extension Unit training this December. Karen is a Pretrainer (teacher trainer) for both Gyrotonic and Gyrokinesis. Karen was certified in Gyrotonic and Gyrokinesis by Juliu Horvath, the creator of the method. She has had the opportunity to work with many Gyrotonic master trainer over the years, but she considers Lisa Marie Goodwin and Alicia Head her greatest and most influential mentors.
Karen is passionate about preserving the integrity of the teachings of Joseph Pilates and the Gyrotonic method. She enjoys helping her clients to move better, supporting her fellow teachers, and fostering a thriving studio community. Karen holds a bachelors and a masters degree in Dance from UCLA.
Chris
Pilates teacher
Chris is a comprehensively trained Classical Pilates instructor dedicated to preserving and teaching the original Pilates method. In 2017, he graduated from the highly selective The Work program under the late Jay Grimes of Vintage Pilates in Los Angeles. Jay was both a student and teacher of Joseph Pilates in New York, making this lineage a cornerstone of Chris's teaching philosophy.
Before transitioning to Pilates, Chris spent more than 20 years as a professional strength and conditioning coach, helping athletes improve performance and reduce the risk of injury. His career included serving as Strength and Conditioning Coach during the era of the St. Louis Rams' legendary "Greatest Show on Turf."
Today, Chris combines decades of movement expertise with Classical Pilates to help clients build strength, move efficiently, and achieve lasting results.
Francesca Jandasek
Gyrotonic teacher
Francesca’s training in the method is extensive. She is an Authorized Pretrainer for both Gyrotonic and Gyrokinesis. She has been teaching Gyrotonic and Gyrokinesis since 2006, and has worked with Juliu Horvath, the creator.
Francesca has the fortune to share her love of movement by teaching Gyrotonic and Gyrokinesis exercises to people of all ages, backgrounds, needs, and abilities.
She holds a Master of Fine Arts in Dance Choreography from CSULB and teaches at various universities in Southern California.
Fabiola Centeno
Gyrotonic teacher
Fabiola is a certified Gyrotonic Teacher at Axis, and has been with us since 2020. Originally from southern Brazil, Fabi studied to become a physical therapist and ran her own clinic there for many years. Inspired to make a life change, she moved to Italy. While there, she discovered the beauty of Gyrotonic as a method that incorporates the entire being: physical, mental, emotional, and energetic. She decided to focus her work exclusively on using Gyrotonic to help people. She trained to become a teacher at Gyrotonic Roma. After 10 years in Italy, Fabi moved to Southern California to continue her journey. We are very lucky to have her! She is trained in Gyrotonic Level 1, Level 11, Gyrotoner, and the Jump Stretch Board.
Kaitlin Cotarelo
Pilates teacher
Kaitlin is a true believer in the Pilates method. In her over ten years of teaching, she has never seen Pilates fail anyone. With enthusiasm and joy, Kaitlin strives to give each individual what they need by selecting the appropriate exercises. She enjoys helping people to dig deeper into their practice while having fun in the process! Kaitlin was certified through Equinox's comprehensive teacher training program and was also a teacher trainer at Equinox. She holds a bachelor's degree in dance and communications from California State University, Long Beach.
Danielle Pearre
Pilates teacher
Danielle is a Classical Pilates teacher coming to us from Strong Body Pilates where she has trained extensively with Nicole Briggs. Nicole is a colleague of Chris and Karen, and a fellow alum of the Vintage Pilates program “The Work” based on the teachings of Jay Grimes. She shares this lineage with us, and she is aligned with our philosophy regarding the value of honoring the integrity of Classical Pilates. She also has extensive experience working in therapeutic settings with Pilates.
Nichole Beeks
Gyrotonic teacher
Nichole Beeks is a certified GYROTONIC® instructor with over 16 years of teaching experience. Her extensive training includes specialized equipment, therapeutic applications, Level 2, and Applications for Dancers. She has worked with clients of all ages and enjoys helping people better understand their bodies and experience healing through movement.
A Summa Cum Laude graduate of the Dominican University Lines Ballet BFA program, Nichole is also a professional dancer, singer, actress, and musical theatre performer. Her performance credits include Tales of Hoffman and Eurydice with the Los Angeles Opera; The Music Man and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels with Musical Theatre West; Jersey Boys and Gypsy with Woodminster Amphitheater; The Producers with Moonlight Amphitheatre; and Cabaret in Anchorage, Alaska, starring Joey McIntyre of New Kids on the Block.
Cindy Yang
Gyrotonic teacher
Movement has always been a path for Cindy to heal, grow, and reconnect with herself. As a mom of two, she has learned that caring for ourselves creates ripples of strength and balance that extend into our families and communities.
Cindy brings over a decade of teaching experience, guiding students through yoga and mindful movement since 2011. Her training includes a 200-hour Yoga Teacher Certification, Pre- and Postnatal Yoga, and Mommy & Me Yoga. She has also had the privilege of working with cancer patients, creating supportive practices focused on comfort, mobility, and ease.
Today, Cindy’s work is rooted in the GYROTONIC® Method, building on her yoga foundation and deepening the way she helps others connect with their bodies. Each session is an invitation to move with greater ease, breathe deeply, and rediscover strength, freedom, and connection from the inside out.
