This is Clarissa Pena, founder of Studio Rio Integrated Pilates.

Clarissa has been working with movement and rehabilitation since 1996. She has a background in dance and as a Physiotherapist graduated in Brazil.

In 1999 Clarissa was introduced to Pilates after serious back surgery, while healing she learned that Pilates and movement education was crucial for her rehabilitation.

Clarissa believes that everybody has the right to learn about their bodies. She chose Pilates as the main way to deliver well-being to people. Clarissa believes movement is an essential part of life and helping people connect or reconnect with their bodies is what motivates her the most.

Clarissa’s approach mixes her vast experience in biomechanics and movement education. Her extensive knowledge of anatomy and physiology empowers her to work with different bodies and many different physical conditions with great success. Clarissa is also a teacher trainer and mentor. She has trained and mentored many Pilates teachers in Canada and Brazil in the last 8 years. 

Clarissa knows that to become a credible professional you need technical knowledge, good ethics and good communication skills.

Fernanda is passionate about empowering and inspiring people to self-care through movement.  During her 13 years of experience as a physical therapist, she earned her degree in Brazil as well as other complementary courses that contributed to a large knowledge in this environment.

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With a strong commitment to ongoing learning, since 2011, the Global Postural Reeducation and Pilates course was the guidance of her capacity to identify unbalance and to improve functionality in different people and situations. Moreover, the certification in Emotional balance and the relation with the human body allowed her to additional look for the deep connection between the body and our feelings.

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In her journey, over 10 years, she played a pivotal role in the lives of amateurs athletes inside the running and triathlon field, focus in both rehabilitation and prevention injuries. Beyond her professional expertise, Fernanda has personally walked the path of half-marathon, marathon and triathlon, gaining invaluable insights into the physical and mental demands of these disciplines.

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As a talk-active person and extremely friendly, she believes that building good relationships and connections with people are the biggest human values.  Making a positive impact in people’s lives and being capable of giving them a quality of life are her main professional goals. 

Oriana (she/her) is a dedicated and empathetic Pilates and movement educator. As a Mat & Reformer Certified Pilates Instructor, she is passionate about supporting each person’s journey and believes in the power of life-long movement to experience our bodies in motion.

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Oriana has been practicing Pilates since 2004 and teaching since 2021. Her practice grew from her parallel career as a dance artist, where she has explored the functional and creative possibilities of human expression for over 20 years. Oriana holds a B.A. with Distinction in Dance (University of Calgary, Dance & Kinesiology), and is a DanceAbility®International certified teacher.

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She loves sharing the mind-body connection of Pilates for everybody and creates inclusive space with a one-size-fits-one approach. Oriana cares deeply about each person’s experience and emphasizes empowered autonomy to embrace movement choices.

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Her multifaceted experience spans across exercise, dance, disability, somatics, rehabilitation, and active aging. As an avid learner, Oriana continuously expands her education to share a mindful, nuanced style to the transformative power of movement.

Veruska, an extroverted, friendly, and highly communicative individual, has been passionate about sports and movement since childhood. She firmly believes that human relationships are the most important and valuable aspects of our existence.

Graduating in Kinesiology in Brazil in 2008, Veruska has specialized in Functional Training and has been dedicated to Pilates since 2010. Her professional journey is marked by a deep commitment to enhancing people's ability to move with quality and efficiency.

With 14 years of experience, Veruska brings her expertise to the Studio Rio family. She remains highly motivated to continue learning and updating her skills to help more people take care of their bodies.

Veruska believes moving with quality, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and fostering positive human relationships with affection and respect are key to making the world a better place.