Welcome to Katona Pilates!
As the True Pilates Studio of Portland, we are dedicated to teaching and practicing the method in its purest form, as JOSEPH PILATES intended, on original apparatus that he dsigned himself. All of our instructors are certified through Romana’s Pilates, the teacher training program created by Joseph Pilates’ protege’, Romana Kryzanowska. Our philosophy is based on control, strength and stretching for all levels.
If you are a new client, please click here to download and sign your wavier to bring to your lesson. We look forward to your lesson and "scooping" with you!
Our Instructors
Tracey Katona
Tracey Katona is a certified Romana's Pilates Instructor. A former professional ballerina, she began Pilates to stay healthy throughout her ballet career. After retirement from ballet, she moved to the west coast and began teaching at Nike WHQ where her knowledge and eye for form has made her the most sought after Pilates Instructor there. She has trained many professional athletes and celebrities including LeBron James, Colleen Quigley, Antonio Brown, Melanie Griffith, Emily Infeld, Evan Jager, Emily Menges, Channing Frye, Chris Paul, Lindsey Vonn, Adam and Kara Goucher and many more. In 2013 Miss Katona choreographed Michelle Obama's launch of the Let's Move Active Schools initiative and performed with the First Lady. Tracey has taught at Oregon Ballet Theatre and continues to teach dance all over the country and for Miraval Resorts as a featured presenter. In addition to her studio, Katona Pilates, Tracey has served as technical advisor on photo shoots and video for movement for several athletic brands. Her passion and purpose is teaching and supporting people to move with quality, control and grace through the work of Joe Pilates.
Ivy Gabriel
Ivy Gabriel is a classically trained Pilates teacher certified through the Romana's Pilates training program. This program follows the methods of Joseph Pilates as practiced in his New York studio. Prior to joining the Katona Pilates team, Ivy taught at Pilates Seattle International, a Romana's Pilates training center.
Ivy is licensed in physical therapy and practices inpatient and outpatient geriatric rehabilitation. Ivy's long term goal is to practice Pilates-based physical therapy.
When not teaching, Ivy can be found gardening, biking, snowboarding, and cooking.
Marie-Helene Harb
Marie-Helene is a certified Romana Pilates Instructor since 2012. She relocated from Paris to Portland last summer.
After years of experience in Sales & Retail, developing, retaining and growing business relationships with national and international accounts in France, her family had the great opportunity to move to the Netherlands. It was time to make a career transition and she started to practice Pilates at the studio of Marjorie Oron in the Hague. Passionate by the method, she decided to undergo the Romana’s Pilates education. She taught in Czech Republic where she lived for 2 years, and in Paris. Marie has also followed training programs in physiology, posture and motion to perfect her knowledge of the human body and its extraordinary mechanical structure.
She gets daily enjoyment from her Pilates teaching as she supports people to deepen their understanding of their body in an accurate and fluid motion.
She loves traveling, skiing, hiking and taking care of her family.
Rachael Shuford
Rachael Shuford, in need of direction years back, stumbled into Pilates as a career in 2010 when a friend made the suggestion. Thinking it would be a place holder while she finished her degree in the fine and digital arts, Rachael entered a PMA approved school to acquire her first certification. During this educational journey, Rachael discovered Romana's Pilates and was absolutely blown away. This was the Pilates with a capital P! It ignited a wildfire of a passion for the art and discipline of true Pilates, and it became her goal to find herself among the most elite Pilates instructors in the world- those from Romana's Pilates. Rachael continued teaching and learning for years, and in February of 2020 earned her second, but most important, Romana's Pilates Certification under the tutelage of Master Pilates Instructor Roxane Huang, and approval of Sari Mejia Santo. It is Rachael's greatest honor, accomplishment, and joy to share this truly profound, rehabilitative, and artful work with clients. Rachael lives in Washington with her husband to be, and their kitty. She is an artist, loves to hike, loves her family, and enjoys wide open spaces. She looks forward to meeting you and sharing this brilliant, beautiful and challenging work!