Premiere Pilates Studio
in NoMad, NYC

“Take control of your health and well being”
— Join the Banyan & Nomad Balance Series

Integrative Functional Pilates

Restore Movement • Redefine Physical Fitness • Realign Body & Mind

  • Our exercise program draws on a lineage that includes the wisdom of Classical Pilates & Occupational Therapy.

  • No matter your age or current physical state from avid marathoners to fitness novices and everyone in between, our teachers are trained to focus on the specific needs of each student at each session and we will create a tailor-made plan for you.

  • If you’re dealing with injury or pain, we can support your body along the way to wellness.

  • Or if your goal is to become more fit we can help you realize your body’s full potential.

  • For all of us, life is a constant balancing act of accepting where our body is now and growing into where we want it to be. 

We can help realign body & mind.

Your Instructors

Elena-Rozmina Marian

owner, Banyan & Nomad

Hometown: Bucharest,Romania
​BS in Anthropology, MS in Occupational Therapy, OTR/L

  • • Romana Certified Pilates Instructor level V

    • Kathy-Ross Nash Pilates Professional Advanced Teacher Program

    • LSVT BIG Parkinson Disease Intervention Program

    • Lifestyle Redesign

    • Pelvic Floor Rehabilitation: Lindsey Vestal, OT Pioneers, Kegels that Work, In their Hands

    • Herman & Wallace: Pelvic Floor Level 1

    • Yin & Restorative Yoga Certified with Masako Miyakawa

  • • Presented Thesis on Pilates as a Functional Tool for Home Program with a youth with Cerebral Palsy at the AOTA (American Occupational Therapy Association) conference 2018

    • The Red Thread Certification with Kathy-Ross Nash

    • Anatomy Trains Seminar for Movement and Strength Trainers, F.A.M.I. (functional anatomy for movement and injuries) Mount Sinai Hospital

    • Sari Mejia Santos, Cynthia Shipley, Kathy Ross-Nash, Cynthia Lochard, Mejo Wiggin, Jerome Weinberg, Lori-Coleman Brown, Marjorie Oron, Anthony Rabara

  • • Favorite Pilates Apparatus: Cadillac

    • Favorite Pilates Move: Balance Control on Reformer

    • How Pilates Changed My Life: Using my body more efficiently and safely, whether navigating airports or doing tricks on a trapeze bar. Meeting and collaborating with like-minded people in the worldwide Pilates Community.

    • What I have learned from my students: Collaboration is key to successful advancement of their journey into the art and science of Pilates.

    • Favorite Song: Calypso Rose - Leave Me Alone

    • Favorite Quote: "Find a way" - Diana Nyad

Norma-Jean Kelly 

Senior Instructor, Banyan & Nomad

Zoom Only

Hometown: Lake Tahoe, California

  • • Romana Certified Pilates Instructor level V

    • Kathy-Ross Nash Pilates Professional Advanced Teacher Program

    • Fluent in Portuguese & Spanish

    • Instructor at the international Pilates Training Center formerly known as True Pilates

  • Workshop taught by Norma-Jean

    • Pilates transitions for maximum flow

    • Right to bare beautiful Pilates arms

    • Pilates for the runners feet

    • Pilates traditional endings

    • Pilates to help with neck and shoulder issues

    • The Pilates mermaids

    Sample of Workshops attended by Norma-Jean

    • The Red Thread Certification with Kathy-Ross Nash

    • Continuing Education with: Sari Mejia Santos, Cynthia Shipley, Kathy Ross-Nash, Cynthia Lochard, Mejo Wiggin, Jerome Weinberg, Lori-Coleman Brown, Marjorie Oron, Anthony Rabara

  • Norma jean has been teaching Pilates for 23 years. She grew up in California and was a competitive swimmer and alpine skier, and aspired to a career as a professional dancer. After an injury, she found Pilates to be so effective in strengthening her body that she was, despite her injury, able to achieve her dream of becoming a professional dancer.

    Currently, Norma jean resides in Oakdale Minnesota, where she teaches out of her Private boutique studio. She continues to travel and teach internationally.

    Norma jean‘s experience has included working with disabled vets, from which she learned just how effective the Pilates method could be at helping them return to a better life. She has also helped professional athletes, stuntmen and dancers recover from injuries, and improve their craft. Norma jean has spent thousands of hours on continuing education with some of the world’s best Pilates instructors. She is very skilled when it comes to effectively using the science of Pilates to reach her students goals.

Nuno Gaspar 

Senior Instructor, Banyan & Nomad

Hometown: Portugal

  • Nuno, a native of Portugal, has a background in Mechanical Engineering.

    After a slow recovery from spine surgery, Nuno’s PT suggested trying a Pilates session. One session is all it took for Nuno to realize that Pilates focused on the same postural muscles that protect the spine from the injury he had suffered, and thus the practice of Pilates would help overcome the body’s imbalances and compression that lead to spinal or other joint problems.

    Realizing the dramatic changes in his body in so little time, he left his engineering career in early 2006 to become a Pilates Instructor, moved to The Netherlands and began the Romana’s Pilates Certification Program at The Pilates Studio The Hague, under the tutelage of Master Teacher Marjorie Oron and Jane Poerwoatmodjo.

    After working in New York for a time he decided to travel around the world teaching Pilates at Certification Centers and various Pilates studios in Sydney, Oxford, London, Champaign and Miami.

    This experience allowed him to work alongside multiple teacher trainers and enabled him to work with clients of all levels, from professional athletes to people who are recovering from injuries, and those who just wish to improve their health and fitness levels so they can live their best lives.

    In 2014 he moved back to New York, a place he definitely calls home.

  • In t2006 he moved to New York to finish his Certification at True Pilates under Joseph Pilates protégé Romana Kryzanowska, her daughter Sari Santo, and granddaughter Daria Pace, and was invited to teach alongside them.

  • Trilingual in English, Portuguese and Spanish

Jaehee Kim       

Instructor, Banyan & Nomad

Hometown: New York

  • As international worker, adapting to work in both fitness and administrate career,

    I have been able to adapt quickly and efficient to many work environments as well as cultures. My exceptional interpersonal skills, which I owe to my several years of customer service experience and five years of dental assistant and years of teaching in a fitness field in two languages, have allowed me to comfortably integrate myself with customers and patients. Outgoing and goal oriented, I lean towards completing tasks through teamwork with the options of others, rather than my own.

    -Pilates Instructor

    -Yoga Instructor

    -Antigravity Instructor

    -Dental Assisting

    -Billing Specialist

    -Exceptional Customer Service -Bi-Lingual (English/Korean) -Inventory and Pricing Controls -Employee Management -Merchandising and Display -Caregiver

  • PIL NY INC: Flushing, NY —- May 2023- Present

    -Reformer, Cadillac, Tower, Chair and Ladder Barrel instructor-Managing clients -Managing studio and inventory

    EQUINOX: Great Neck, NY — May 2022- April 2023

    -Messo Pilates Instructor

    -Reformer, Cadillac, Tower, Chair and Ladder Barrel instructor

    Power Pilates: New York, NY —June 2023- Present

    -Reformer, Cadillac, Tower, Chair and Ladder Barrel instructor

    Power Pilates: New York, NY — October 2021- April 2022

    -Certified mat pilates instructor

    Studio Square S : Flushing, NY— December 2019- April 2023

    -Yoga instructor

    -Antigravity instructor

    -Certified mat pilates instructor

    -Reformer, Cadillac, tower, chair and ladder barrel instructor -Bungee fitness instructor

    -Posture adjustments

    -Client health consultation

    -Schedule management

    Korea Village Fitness: Flushing, NY— October 2018- December 2019

    -Yoga instructor

    -Posture adjustments

    • The Red Thread Certification with Kathy-Ross Nash

    • Continuing Education with: Sari Mejia Santos, Cynthia Shipley, Kathy Ross-Nash, Cynthia Lochard, Mejo Wiggin, Jerome Weinberg, Lori-Coleman Brown, Marjorie Oron, Anthony Rabara

  • Bilingual in Korean and English

Janice Kang       

Instructor, Banyan & Nomad

Hometown: Queens, New York

  • AAS in Liberal Arts Math & Science

    BA in Psychology

    From weight lifting to swimming, Janice has been an active person for the most part of her life. After facing a period of unexpected ailments and immense physical struggles during college she was determined to get herself back into a new physical fitness routine and picked up on yoga, weight training and Pilates to help speed up her recovery. She was shocked at how quickly she could build up to doing a hundred sit ups, but could not do a single perfect roll up. Eureka! The difference between having strong abs and having a strong core. Eight years later and after several career changes, she decided to proceed with her passion in fitness and wellness by getting Core Mat I & II certified at Power Pilates. Using her extensive background in education and psychology, she hopes to bring her realization of the strong connection between mind and body to each and every one of her sessions.

  • Continuing Education -

    •Pilates and TRX/Suspension Systems

    •Power is Possible Conference

    •Powerhouse Virtual Conference

    Workshops - Wunda Chair Progressions, All Barrel Review, Super Advanced Mat Review, Special Cases: Lower Back Issues, and How to teach an 'Open' level Tower

    •The Power Within Winter Conference

    Workshops - Active Aging, Art of Teaching, Props & Prenatal Pilates

    •Free Pilates Community Education Project NYC

     

    - Cadiallac Workshop at Banyan & Nomad

    - Reformer Workshop at Studio Square S

  • Bilingual in Korean ad English

  • “I have seen Elena for over two years. I am a new person. I am stronger than I ever thought I could be. I feel younger and more agile. Her multi-faceted realm of expertise coupled with her passion makes her unique. Your core will never be in better hands and you will feel and see results within weeks.”

    – ALEXANDRA, World Traveler

  • “Since I started working with Elena I feel much better. I am much stronger, now that I can find and work the deeper muscles. I value the thoroughness of her teaching and attention to detail. My chiropractor has remarked on my results and my improved performance in my daily activities.“

    ORIT, Israel

  • "What I love most about Elena is her attention to my body and know exactly what I need to work on. I always feel amazing at the end of my sessions and look forward to my next appointment. ​ Also, the atmosphere of the studio is so inviting and calming." ​

    PAM, New York

  • "There is one thing that you should really invest in—and that’s your health. I’m specifically talking about Elena as your pilates instructor. From the minute you walk into her studio she tunes into how you are feeling physically on that day and plans accordingly for the day’s session, not too many have that gift. Since I’ve started taking sessions with Elena, I feel much more energized and more positive. I do a lot of traveling overseas and it used to take a big toll on me. Now I take pilates sessions with Elena before every trip, and see the results and improvement. I feel more flexible and energized."

    – AARON, Isreal

  • "My core is much stronger and I feel the difference how my spine is less compressed and more lengthened. I have worked with Elena for years and I continue to experience improvement, consistency and high level of knowledge in every session."

    IVAN, Poland

  • "I have tried many Pilates teachers and none have come close to Elena's expertise and skill. ​ I feel less compressed, my joints feel more aligned and I have less back and knee pains. I am stronger, with leaner muscles. She is encouraging, and has the ability to see precisely from where I have to work."

    BRURYAH, Israel

  • "I feel so much more aligned and connected to my body. I’m stronger and my posture is much better! After being at other studios I realize and appreciate the difference in Elena’s instruction and her studio’s Pilates equipment. After working with her I feel like a different person."

    – LISA, New York

Banyan & Nomad

Banyan tree branches extend outward then go underground to become roots, only to shoot up as branches once again.

Ancient Hindu texts describe it as a tree growing upside down.​

Its constant flow of strength & stretch is akin to a body continually coming back into balance with Classical Pilates.

Nomad is a state of exploration & discovery.

It’s where you test your limits, or learn how to be content within boundaries.

 Let our occupational therapy expertise be your guide on your

day to day journeys

Visit us

 

Our studio is conveniently located in the NoMad neighborhood of Manhattan.

Monday - Thursday  7:00 am - 6:00pm

Friday - Sunday Closed

phone: 646-678-9335
email: info@banyanandnomad.com