About Alissa

Alissa Waller has taught the GYROTONIC® and GYROKINESIS® movement methods since the late 90's. She is certified as a Specialized Master Trainer in both of these methods, trained directly by their creator, Juliu Horvath over three decades. Ms. Waller's teaching practice specializes in the application of GYROTONIC® and GYROKINESIS® exercise to conditioning programs for the general public as well as specialized programs for dancers, athletes, and those needing a rehabilitative approach to movement. As a Master Trainer, Ms. Waller has mentored hundreds of movement teachers over the past 25 years from her studios in Chicago and Charlotte. She currently teaches a diverse client base from her private studio in northern Florida and offers teacher training and continuing education courses year round. Ms. Waller is also a Nationally Certified Pilates Teacher, having been comprehensively certified through two PMA accredited Pilates educational systems, Stott Pilates and McEntire Pilates, for whom she served as a teacher trainer for several years. Ms. Waller brings more than 30 years of experience in the professional studio setting to her teaching practice. To inquire further or book a session with Alissa contact her here.

Her Story

Ballet Background

Alissa Waller received her early dance training at the Rose Marie Floyd School of Dance in Royal Oak, MI between 1980 -1995. Besides her early training in the Cecchetti Method, Ms. Waller attended summer programs with Cleveland Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, Joffrey Ballet and the New School of the Arts in Amsterdam, all of which exposed here to a wide variety of dance styles. In 1997, she graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Ballet Performance while on scholarship at the University of Arizona. Ms. Waller has performed professionally with the Detroit Contemporary Civic Ballet, the Chicago Ballet, and Elements Contemporary Ballet. Always knowing her love for teaching, Ms. Waller pursued several teaching certifications in the field of Classical Ballet. She has passed her Advanced Professional Teaching Examination in the Cecchetti Method with honors and is also an ABT® Certified Teacher, having successfully completed the entire American Ballet Theatre® Teacher Training Curriculum from Pre-Primary through Level 7. Over the past 30 years, Ms. Waller has taught ballet and dance conditioning for numerous dance studios, summer intensives and regional dance workshops as well as for the Florida State University, Northwestern University, and Hope College. Most recently, Ms. Waller was on the faculty of the Charlotte Ballet Academy and Pre-Professional Division where she taught Ballet/Pointe technique and Dance Conditioning. She holds a certificate in Performing Arts Medicine from the Performing Arts Medical Association, and has completed specialized training in dance specific programs, with BASI Pilates, the Inner Life of Ballet, Perfect Form Physiotherapy, Progressing Ballet Technique and the Dance Medicine Education Initiative.

Pilates Education

Ms. Waller began her practice of Pilates at age 14 when she was treated for a knee injury with a blend of physical therapy and Pilates mat and reformer work. She continued regular Pilates practice throughout her teens and then began her formal Pilates education in the Ron Fletcher method in 1995. She completed her first comprehensive Pilates certification (all apparatus thru advanced) with STOTT PILATES® in 1998. She attained a second comprehensive Pilates certification (all apparatus thru advanced) with McEntire Pilates in 2004 and served as a teacher trainer for them in the Chicago area for several years. Besides her formal education, Ms. Waller has been fortunate enough to study the classical Pilates repertoire and to attend many Pilates conferences, workshops and seminars to become exposed to a variety of teachers and styles. Ms. Waller has fine-tuned her teaching practice by completing a Pilates for Dancers Specialization through BASI Pilates and the Stott Pilates Injury and Special Populations courses. She is a Nationally Certified Pilates Teacher (NCPT) and has completed multiple advanced trainings in the applications of Pilates to specific populations. Her teaching practice encompasses general fitness, pre and post rehab, dancer specific applications, equestrian and athletic applications, mobility and longevity, and teacher training. She is a member of the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science, the Pilates Method Alliance and the Performing Arts Medical Association. Alissa has 30 years of practical experience teaching Pilates to clients from all walks of life in the professional studio setting.

GYROTONIC® & GYROKINESIS® Methods

Ms Waller is a Certified Gyrotonic Specialized Master Trainer and a Certified Gyrokinesis Master Trainer. She was introduced to the Gyrotonic method in 1997 and has studied extensively with the system's founder and creator, Juliu Horvath over the past 28 years. Ms. Waller has trained with Juliu Horvath in New York, Denver, San Francisco, Miami, Austria, Italy, and multiple times in Germany. In 2008, she was chosen by Mr. Horvath to demonstrate the Level 2 Gyrotonic material for the International Gyrotonic Educational Convention in Rome, Italy. Ms. Waller was certified by Mr. Horvath in 2003 as a Master Trainer in the Gyrotonic method and in 2006 as a Master Trainer in the Gyrokinesis method - enabling her to conduct teacher trainings for those seeking certification in these methods. She has furthered her Gyrotonic education with advanced training in Gyrotonic Level 2, Gyrokinesis Level 2, Gyrokinesis Applications for Dancers, Therapeutic Applications of Gyrotonic for the Pelvis, Spine, and Shoulders, Gyrotonic Scoliosis Program, Gyrotonic Psoas Program, Gyrotonic Equestrian Program, and Gyrokinesis Breathing Programs. She is certified on all pieces of the Specialized Equipment line including the Leg Extension Unit, Jumping-Stretching Board, ARCHWAY® and GYROTONER®.

Studio Founder

In 2003, Ms. Waller founded her first studio: Chicago Northshore GYROTONIC®, a licensed studio and educational facility, which served the greater Chicago area and offered comprehensive teacher training in the Gyrotonic and Gyrokinesis Methods as well as Pilates Teacher Training. She owned, operated and directed the studio from 2003 - 2012 when she relocated to Charlotte, North Carolina. In 2014, she founded Charlotte Movement Arts Studio where for 13 years she taught client sessions full time while also conducting teacher trainings, workshops, and serving as a faculty member of the Charlotte Ballet Academy and Pre-professional Division. Ms. Waller has guest taught for movement studios nationwide and was commissioned to design the Pilates and Gyrotonic studio at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel (formerly the Elysian Hotel) in downtown Chicago. A lifelong student, she re-educates herself regularly and stays up to date with the most current advances in movement science. She has deepened her teaching practice with extensive study of dance technique, dance science, anatomy, physiology, bio-mechanics, physical therapy, kinesiology, Thai bodywork, energy healing, yoga, meditation, breathing practices, osteopathy, and the brilliant work of Philip Beach, Robert Schlep, Gil Hedley and Tom Myers. In 2025, she and her family relocated to the sunny sands of Anastasia Island / St. Augustine Beach where she continues to offer movement sessions and teacher training from her newest studio ~ Anastasia Movement Arts.