Pilates that inspire.
Working out can seem like another box to “tick off” your to-do list. Our supportive community is results-oriented, focusing on your outer and inner strength.
We empower you to be the best version of yourself through achievable workouts, uplifting support, and expert teachers guiding you every step of the way. Our classes are set up to give you variety and a custom experience. Whether you prefer our Group Classes, Personal Training, or want to learn more through our Pilates Teacher Training, there is something for anyone looking for transformation.
Our studio is located in Vandalia Tower. You can find us on the third floor. Enter via the courtyard double doors (near Lake Monster Brewry) and take the elevator or stairs to the top floor. We can’t wait to see you.
Meet Our Founder
Suzy Levi, NCPT
For over 30 years, Suzy has been motivating and inspiring individuals to achieve their fitness and wellness goals. She believes exercise is more than burning calories and getting leaner. Working with all types of clients, Suzy takes a whole body, myofascial approach to help improve functionality and quality of life.
Suzy is a Pilates and fitness trainer, Pilates Teacher Trainer, workshop presenter and a Business Consultant for Pilates, fitness and wellness Businesses. She is known for her contagious energy and enthusiasm for health and wellness.
Education and Certifications include: BA University of Notre Dame, NCPT (National Certified Pilates Teacher), ACE Fitness Instructor, NASM Personal Trainer, and Peak Pilates Comprehensive Instructor. Suzy is a former Board Member of the Pilates Method Alliance (PMA) and also lends her expertise to others through Suzy Levi Consulting.
Outside of the studio, Suzy is a history buff, amateur movie critic, and lover of great food. She loves spending time with her four children and husband, riding her bike and doing Pilates!
Meet Our Team
Katy Dieperink
Katy lives in St. Paul with her husband and two daughters and is an outdoor fitness enthusiast. A competitive rower in warmer temps and a cross country skier during the winter, she brings similar energy inside to her group fitness classes. She is an ACE certified Group Fitness Instructor and Personal Trainer. She teaches HIIT, Row HIIT, indoor cycling and TRX.
Also a registered dietitian with a masters in Public Health Nutrition, she encourages an overall healthy lifestyle for both her clients and her family at home.
Lori Dufresne, NCPT
Lori is a National Certified Pilates Instructor (NCPT) as well as a shiatsu massage therapist. Her holistic view of health influences her teaching.
Her focus is on improved posture, building strength, and the mobility and stability of joints.
Lori teaches stretch, Pilates reformer and tower classes and she enjoys thinking of everyday ways to promote health for herself and her clients.
Michelle Finley, NCPT
Michele enjoys meeting clients where they are, whether it’s the first step in our doors or challenging long time clients with something new. What she loves most about Pilates is the concentration and dedication it requires. Reconnecting the body and mind is what builds body awareness. Witnessing it click for you is her passion. Learning how to harness that power along with your breath is what motivates her as your instructor. Let’s find the joy of movement together!
Michele is rooted in her Classical training and is creatively curious about the myriad ways of building on that knowledge. She is TRX Level 1 certified.
In her free time she enjoys spending time along the North Shore, paddling the BWCA, skiing, cheering on her kids in a variety of sports and spending time with friends doing silly, wild or chill adventures. She fancies herself an accomplished home chef after decades of practice. All the while finding time to laugh and play along the way.
You’ll find her teaching equipment classes, mat classes and TRX Pilates on the Mat. What’s that you say? Come find out! She is also available for private and semi private instruction.
Lisa Frenette
Lisa discovered her passion for Pilates accidentally when she signed up for Power Barre classes to keep fit during the winter. She soon discovered Pilates and knew she’d like to teach others about its benefits.
Lisa was an avid runner until four years ago when she had a knee replacement due to arthritis. One of her goals is to work with clients who have arthritis and joint replacements to assist them in feeling better. She enjoys teaching mat fundamentals, reformer, chair and arc (her favorite apparatus!).
In her spare time Lisa has her own consulting business, but her other passions include walking her dog, gardening and yoga. However, what she really enjoys napping!
Ann Hobbie
Ann is, in all parts of her world, a teacher. She has taught elementary aged students through adults. From adolescents to nonagenarians, Ann really enjoys people and finds working with clients to achieve their fitness goals very rewarding. She firmly believes that movement is medicine, and works hard to help clients work within any limitations and challenges they might have.
As an ACE certified Personal Trainer, Ann is available for private and semi-private sessions. She has additional specialist credentials in both senior and youth fitness. Ann also teaches group fitness including Spin, Strength, Barre and youth fitness classes.
With the balance of her time, Ann is a writer, avid cyclist, Nordic skier, runner, gardener, cook and baker. Ann has a special interest in informing teachers and children about monarch butterflies and is passionate about pollinator conservation. She loves spending time in the north woods and traveling.
Paige Jahnke, NCPT
Paige is a coach, teacher and athlete. She started practicing Pilates once her hockey career ended and immediately fell in love with it. What she finds most rewarding is being able to inspire, encourage and help others improve their livelihood through fitness.
Paige is a NETAFIT certified group fitness instructor and a NCPT( National Certified Pilates Teacher) She teaches Pilates Reformer, Tower and Mat classes.
In her spare time she enjoys playing hockey, practicing Pilates, finding her zen at yoga, running, coaching and traveling with friends.
Matthew Leaf
Matt has been a Pilates instructor for five years as well as a certified personal trainer for nine years. Through his experiences as a health professional, he’s come to realize and appreciate the importance of continued proper movement for optimal health. He loves to see his clients progress and accomplish things they didn't think they were capable of, regardless of how small the progression is.
When he’s not in the studio or gym, you'll likely find him trying a new restaurant or frequenting an old favorite with his wife and their friends. He also enjoys walking and playing with his two dogs. In more recent years, he’s been trying to improve his golf game. Interesting facts about him: he loves the smell of coffee but doesn’t drink it. Also, he would keep every dog he met if his wife would let him.
Vicki Luedtke
Vicki has always had a passion for movement and exercise. She began running early in life and was active in many sports. This led her to study Exercise Physiology and Movement studies at University of Wisconsin, LaCrosse. Vicki began teaching group fitness classes in college to share her passion with others.
Post graduation, Vicki moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota and worked in Cardiac Rehab. She began studying different movement modalities and teaching at various fitness facilities. This eventually led her to work as a studio manager at a Pilates studio in Minneapolis, where she worked for over 8 years.
Vicki has a 450 hour Pilates certification and 200 hour Yoga certification. She has studied various forms of body work and Reiki as well. She enjoys guiding clients in classes and one on one instruction. There is always an emphasis on trusting one's own body and moving with focus and intention. She brings a gentle, welcoming spirit to everyone.
Molly McAvoy, NCPT
Molly has experienced firsthand the benefits of Pilates and functional training in preventing injury and improving performance. She challenges clients at all levels to help them feel stronger, more balanced, and more connected to their bodies.
Molly teaches Pilates mat, reformer, Pilates for athletes, senior strength, and cardio sculpt. She also provides private and semi-private Pilates and Functional training, as well as individual coaching for specific athletic events. She loves to run, ride, ski and get outside with her family.
Molly is a NCPT (National Certified Pilates Teacher) and a NASM certified Personal Trainer.
Vanessa Ranallo
Vanessa became hooked on Pilates after experiencing improved strength, stretch, stability, and stamina. As an instructor, she likes understanding the science behind the exercises and what motivates each individual to keep workouts challenging and fun.
Vanessa is a NCPT (National Certified Pilates Teacher) and certified in Anatomy Trains in Motion Slings Myofascial training. She teaches Pilates in both group classes and private/semi-private training sessions.
Outside the studio, she loves being active outdoors, reading, and going on travel adventures with her family and friends.
Lauren Renner, Studio Manager
New to this role, Lauren joins Defining You as the Studio Manager. She came to Defining You a year ago while recovering from an injury. She was drawn to the positive energy and client-centered approach from pilates reformer to barre to spin. Truly there is something for everyone! She looks forward to continuing to build a welcoming community at Defining You.
While not at the studio, she lives nearby with her partner and two kids. A speech therapist by training, Lauren still enjoys volunteering her time in schools. Not originally from St. Paul, Lauren has learned to keep active in all seasons-even the winter! She is always looking for an excuse to travel up the North Shore, try a new restaurant, or drink a good cup of coffee. She enjoys interior design, cooking new recipes, reading cookbooks, and a good organizational project. These days you can often find her cheering on the sidelines at her kids' activities.
Mikayla Rudolf
Mikayla Rudolf, originally from Mankato, MN, graduated from Texas Christian University (TCU) with a BFA in Ballet, a Child Development minor, Arts Leadership and Entrepreneurship Certificate, and a Pilates Teaching Certificate. She began her Pilates journey in 2019 and quickly discovered a passion for how Pilates offered numerous benefits as supplemental exercise to her dance training. After benefiting from the increased body awareness and restorative aspects of Pilates, she wanted to be able to share that with others. She then applied and was offered a place in the TCU Pilates Teacher Training program, a certification path that involves 700 hours of intensive Pilates education.
Her comprehensive Pilates training includes functional anatomy, history, philosophy, ethics, information on health and wellbeing, and an overview of physical conditions and contraindications that may require modification or deletion from practice. She has received extensive training on Mat, Reformer, Cadillac/Tower, Chair, and Ladder Barrel and offers an immense repertoire of exercises with classical and contemporary traditions. Through her training, Mikayla received ample opportunities to learn how to view the body in motion. Through dance, Pilates, and her educational background, she understands the significance of movement, and knows how much valuable information is communicated through the body.
As an instructor, Mikayla believes it is her job to foster an inclusive community of learners. She wants each client to feel a sense of belonging and be comfortable enough to always communicate with her to bring value to each session and keep practitioners safe. Mikayla is determined to create opportunities for all people to experience movement, and she admires how Pilates is a universally accessible movement practice.
Linda Shannon
Linda started practicing Pilates in 2010 after a motorcycle accident left her with injuries that hindered her ability to practice her profession as a hairstylist. Suzy, a long-time client, helped Linda rehabilitate and regain her strength and mobility through Pilates.
Linda is NCPT certified, and has been teaching Pilates Reformer, Jump Board and Mat since 2018. She has experienced the positive impact Pilates can have on one’s physical wellbeing and she enjoys guiding clients through their journey, whether it may be building strength and stamina, improving mobility and flexibility, or pain management.
Linda lives in Stillwater, and in her spare time you will find her either riding her motorcycle or paddle boarding on the St. Croix River.
Linda Wareham
Linda found Defining You when she was looking for help with her core strength. She fell in love with Suzy and Pilates and acknowledges both have changed her body and her life.
Linda has certifications in Stages Indoor Cycling and TRX. “I love working with the amazing DYF clients, building relationships, and supporting them on their fitness journey,” explained Linda. “After 37 years in education I am, at heart, a teacher.”
Linda lives in St. Paul’s Mac Groveland neighborhood and enjoys traveling, gardening, hiking, cooking, and reading.