Penn Campus Recreation

Hi! My name is Mackenzie, and I am excited to be teaching Pilates at Penn! Movement has always been an important part of my life, and I fell in love with Pilates the first time I tried it because of the focus on breath and body connection, while stretching and strengthening deeper muscles I had never been able to access before. Pilates has helped me heal chronic pain and has been so helpful for my mental wellbeing. After practicing Pilates for a year, I wanted to get certified to teach so I could learn more about it and have the ability to share the positive benefits of it with others.
I began teaching Pilates in the summer of 2023 after I completed a certification at Salud in Portland, ME. I have been trained in classical and contemporary Pilates and I like to bring aspects of both into my classes. I strive to make my classes fun, engaging, and accessible, and I try to inspire confidence and empowerment for everyone.
Outside of Pilates, I am a musician and visual artist of many forms, and I studied visual arts and audio recording and production at Greenfield Community College. Pilates is a powerful tool for strengthening, refreshing, and feeling more grounded in our bodies and minds and I am excited to share that with you! Hope to see you in class :)

Questions? Reach out to me! Reilly6@upenn.edu

Hi there! My name is Zoie Weinsweig, and I am beyond excited to work with the Penn community in pursuit of sharing my perspective on physical activity and mind-body connection!

Zoie has always had a passion for movement and self-care! She began practicing Pilates at a young age as a method of cross-training with her dance practice–in which she continued for fifteen years. In 2022, she completed her comprehensive certification under Master Trainer Jessica Lynn Fox at 4th Avenue Arts in Huntington, WV.  She now teaches Mat and Apparatus Pilates where her main goal is to help her clients find confidence, strength, and mobility in their bodies and minds through movement; she feels this comes from an approach that balances strength work and “body maintenance” while simultaneously prioritizing mental consciousness. Outside of Pilates, Zoie is a University of Pennsylvania undergraduate student studying neuroscience on a pre-medical track, an avid outdoors enthusiast, and a lover of cinema. 

Hi, My name is Shanté Crews, and I am so excited to be apart of the Penn Community! I’m a Philly native whose path has taken me from the grit of long-distance running and the demands of a law enforcement career to the healing power of Pilates. After years of pushing through both mental and physical exhaustion, Pilates has become the place where I find my way back to myself.

After years of deepening my own practice, I knew I wanted to help others discover their own connection to their bodies. In 2024, I began my journey towards becoming a Comprehensively Certified Pilates Instructor through Balanced Body. Now, as a Pilates Apprentice, I’m clocking my way through 500+ hours of training, chasing that coveted certification and soaking up every moment of the process.

I’m very passionate about creating inclusive, soulful spaces where people of all backgrounds can move, feel, and reconnect — on their own terms. My teaching blends rhythm, authenticity, and intention, reflecting my deep love for music, dancing, and travel.

My mission is to help you feel at home in your body again — to move with strength, flow, and confidence. Pilates just doesn’t sculpt muscles; it builds strength without bulk, improves flexibility, restores balance, boosts energy, and helps you navigate life with more ease. Whether you’re an athlete, a weekend warrior, or just ready to feel better in your own skin, Pilates meets you exactly where you are.

Law enforcement gave me grit. Pilates gave me grace. Every class is an open invite from me to you- to breathe deeper, move freer, one beat, one breath, one move at a time.

Hope to see you in class :-)

Julia a native of Philadelphia, started taking Pilates at the age of 12 because her father took Pilates to help with his scoliosis and her parents thought it would help her scoliosis as well for her dance training. Julia's Pilates instructors were Suellen Haag, and Karen H. Carlson who later became her mentor. Julia first took her Pilates certification when she was 16 at Pineland Pilates where she learned Traditional Pilates as well as Evolved Pilates on all the equipment including the CoreAlign. She has been teaching Pilates since 2017. Julia believes that Pilates has helped her keep injuries at bay. Julia loves to help people build strength, body alignment, flexibility, and body function. Her motto is "I hope you feel better than when you walked in." Julia also teaches ballet at the Gwendolyn Bye Dance Center where she is a company member of the dance company Dancefusion. In her free time she does figure skating.