instructors
Randi Whitman/Owner
Founder and director of Frog Temple, Inc., Randi Whitman studied and was certified in the pure, classic Pilates form by The Pilates Center in Boulder, Colorado. Randi has a lifetime of experience in fitness, dance and massage therapy. She earned her BFA in Dance and Art from University of Wisconsin and danced professionally for 17 years as both a member of Joseph Holmes Dance Theater and as an original member of Chicago's River North Dance Company. She has also taught aerobics, was certified by IDEA and AFFA, and worked as a certified personal trainer for six years prior to teaching Pilates. In 1983, Randi was certified by Chicago School of Massage Therapy as a massage therapist and has practiced massage for ever since. Randi has also studied Iyengar and Astanga Yoga extensively. As owner of Frog Temple, Randi spends most days, when not with her young son, in the studio working privately with clients, teaching a variety of classes including all levels of Pilates, Yoga, and Piloga - a blend of Pilates mat and Yoga work, as well as running the Frog Temple Teacher Training Certification Program.
Shelley Acierno
Shelley’s love for Pilates began with her first mat class, and continued to grow as she was able to experience the physical, mental & spiritual transformation that occurs as a result of regular Pilates practice. She immediately knew she would be a lifetime student of Pilates, and was also eager to share this experience and knowledge with others. She studied the Classical Pilates Method at Frog Temple Pilates under Randi Whitman and received her Pilates teacher certification in 2006. Shelley has also studied various forms of movement since she was a young girl and is currently a member of the Jasmin Jahal Dance Company. In her own classes, she strives to guide her students to develop strong, healthy minds and bodies, as she believes this is the first requisite of happiness.
Tabitha Faes
Tabitha studied the Pilates Method under Randi Whitman at the Frog Temple Pilates Studio, Inc. She currently teaches at Frog Temple and thrives on the challenge of sharing her knowledge of Pilates with students. Tabitha completed her dance studies in January of 2004 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Columbia College Chicago. Fulfilling a life-long dream, Tabitha has been a member of Breakbone Dance Co. since 2001. She shares her love of Pilates and dance with children by teaching creative movement for the Chicago Moving Company. Tabitha has also taught for the Gallery 37 Connections Program and at Woodstock Ballet Studio. In July 2004, Tabitha traveled to Paraguay to co-teach dance workshops with fellow Breakbone member, Elisa Foshay, courtesy of the Peace Corps. Most importantly, Tabitha is thrilled to be creating a life in Chicago as a Pilates instructor and performing artist.
Eileen Foust
Eileen Foust is an avid athlete who was drawn to pilates 11 years ago with a desire to lengthen muscle mass and increase flexibility. She practiced pilates at the East Bank Club with Randi Whitman and Adero Ashanti Stamer and eventually began private lessons with Randi Whitman at Frog Temple. She found the pilates method extremely engaging and quickly realized that the form and benefits of pilates could be applied to other sports in her exercise regimen to make these workouts more beneficial and efficient. Eileen enjoys the wealth of knowledge and experiences that pilates gives to it's practitioners. The movements have taught her a deeper understanding of how the body works and the power of the mind to direct those movements with grace and balance. She finds that each class is a renewing and challenging experience.In 2005 Eileen joined the Frog Temple Teacher Certification Program and she continues to practice and teach at Frog Temple. Eileen seeks knowledge from her pilates colleagues and she attends workshops offered by The Pilates Center of Boulder Colorado.She will be seeking Master Certification from The Pilates Center and is thrilled to share her enthusiasm about plates with her clients and colleagues alike!
Christina Gonzalez-Gillett
Christina graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a BFA in Dance. During her time as an undergraduate, she also spent time studying dance and Pilates in New York City and at the Laban Centre in London, England. She returned to London and received an M.A. in Dance Studies from Laban. After living and working in London for four years, Christina returned to Chicago where she is currently a faculty member of The Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago. Christina received her Pilates teacher certification in 2006 through Frog Temple Pilates under the instruction of Randi Whitman.
Susie Griffith
Susie fell in love with Pilates during her first mat class and immediately discovered a hunger to get inside the details of the practice. She participated in the teacher certification program at Frog Temple and is excited to be sharing the rewards of Pilates with others. Her background is in performing and theater management. She has been an active member of the Chicago theater community since her graduation from Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Science in Theater, working as a performer, grant writer, and in box office management. Her devotion to Pilates has helped her actor voice, given her greater flexibility for performing, and provided relief from knee and neck pain. Susie shares her home with a wonderful husband named Scott, and is the proud step-mom of three beautiful kids, Olivia, Emma, and Dan.
Debbie Harris
Debbie came to Frog Temple in 1998 and has consistently trained with Randi Whitman. She studied Pilates through the Frog Temple Certification program in 2005-06 and is also certified by the PMA, the Pilates Method Alliance, a national organization committed to unify and standardize the Pilates movement. A mother of four young children, Debbie finds Pilates helps her create the energy, focus and balance to meet the demands of a busy life. She is also a PSIA level II Certified Ski Instructor and is very grateful to her husband, children and friends for this new opportunity to help others. Debbie enjoys teaching and knows what it is like to begin something new, loves to see people keep coming back, and strongly believes in the rehabilitative effect that Pilates has on a person’s strength, awareness and energy. Debbie is committed to keeping both her teaching and her practice of Pilates precise and in accordance with the original Classical Pilates Method. Debbie is an active member of the Pilates Method Alliance and attends the national PMA Conference to stay current and further her commitment as an expert instructor.
Kelly McCarthy Clark
Kelly first came to Frog Temple in 2001 after moving to Chicago with her Masters in Physical Therapy from Central Michigan University. Unfamiliar with the Pilates method, she took her first mat class and has been a faithful student of Pilates ever since. Wanting to take her practice to a new level and be able to share the benefits of Pilates with others, Kelly completed her Pilates certification under the expertise of Randi Whitman in 2004. She has been teaching as a certified instructor and incorporating her Pilates knowledge into her physical therapy practice. Kelly believes in the holistic benefits of Pilates for ALL bodies to achieve balance and happiness in life. She enjoys working with Pilates students of all ages, shapes and skill level; and takes her experience as a new mother in April 2007 to guide her teaching of pre- and post-natal clients.
Gabrielle Savarese
Gabrielle is very committed to maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle. Her physical fitness and mental well-being ensure that she is able to keep up with and thoroughly enjoy two active toddlers. Throughout her life, she eagerly pursued a wide range of exercise regimens, however, it was not until her 30's that she first tried Pilates.
She began to practice Pilates as a measure to alleviate recurring pain. After only three weeks of Pilates, she reports her pain had completely disappeared. Practicing Pilates, she experienced far reaching benefits that extended into her daily life. She was re-balanced and re-aligned. She corrected her posture; the way she stood, sat, walked and breathed. Through a focused mind, she learned to control her body in motion and underwent a complete body reshaping, becoming leaner, more supple and yet stronger. Pilates changed her life, she was hooked and decided to dedicate herself to this wonderful form.
She has been practicing Pilates for 7 years. In 2004, on relocating from Australia, she completed the 'Articulate Eye Teacher Training Program' in Chicago. She gained invaluable knowledge of the classic Pilates Method and keep herself up-to-date through continuing education. She has been teaching with the wonderful team at the Frog Temple since 2005.
She finds teaching Pilates a very rewarding experience. Guiding clients to an awareness of moving with purpose, so as to discover a truer strength and freedom of movement in their own bodies, with far reaching benefits extending into their daily lives.
Kerry Sheehan
Kerry was inspired to try Pilates in hopes of curing her chronic back pain. After her first lesson at Frog Temple in 2001, Kerry was hooked! After several years of participating in mat classes and taking private lessons, Kerry decided to pursue her Pilates certification with Randi Whitman at Frog Temple in 2005.
It is Kerry’s belief that regular participation in Pilates enables you to feel healthy and strong while going about life’s everyday activities. Kerry also firmly believes that Pilates is for everyone, regardless of age, gender, fitness level or ability.
When Kerry is not practicing Pilates, she can be found playing with several local bands as a keyboard player and accordionist.
Lindsay Stryffeler
Lindsay came to Chicago after graduating from Miami University in Ohio in 1998. She has been practicing Pilates in Chicago for the past five years. Immediately convinced by the power of Pilates, Lindsay decided to leave her job as a marketing professional to pursue a career as a Pilates instructor. Like Randi, Lindsay is proud to be certified through The Pilates Center in Boulder, Colorado. The Pilates Center, offering a world-renowned and highly respected training program, is dedicated to preserving the authenticity of the Pilates method, based on the original work of Joseph Pilates.
Lindsay truly believes that Pilates is for every body, regardless of current physical condition. She believes that Pilates, when performed with integrity, restores vitality and uniformly develops the body, mind and spirit!
Lanette Weninger
Lanette's affection for Pilates began in college. Her first instruction was at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Co. where she began her dance degree. She moved to Chicago in 2001 where she continued her Pilates training and earned her BA in Dance Performance at Columbia College Chicago in 2004. She began her teaching career and studied the Classical Pilates Method under Randi Whitman in the Frog Temple Teacher Training Certification Program. Her other teaching credits include, among others, modern and creative dance of all levels and Water Safety Instruction under the Red Cross. Lanette believes the body is an amazing piece of machinery and that the Pilates method can not only restore that machine but keep it in prime working order.
