Sinatra: His Voice, His World, His Way, Can-Can at City Center, ​along with many of other performances nationally televised.


Off Broadway, Melissa danced and sang with Deborah Gibson's  cabaret Pop Goes Broadway, with Royal Caribbean International, and at The St. Louis Muny Opera.  Upon completion of her performing career, and given her background in structured dance, Pilates was a natural career transition.  Since moving to Pittsburgh, Melissa has been teaching Pilates and earned a Comprehensive Peak Pilates Certification, including over 1000 hours of education.


Peak Pilates is a classical Pilates education program distinguished by an emphasis on Pilates as an integrated movement system as Joseph Pilates intended. Melissa was recently accepted into the Peak Pilates Master Instructor Program and completed her training for the first level of the Master Instructor Program. She is able to certify others to become  Level 1 Peak Pilates Instructors. 


Adjoined to Fox Chapel Family Dental, At the Wall Pilates opened  in June of 2013.  Melissa has created a culture of experience that is fun, encouraging, and welcoming.  Married in 2012,  she and her husband Marc, a Pittsburgh native, have a 3.5 year old daughter, their f fur baby Bubbles and two kitties Tinkerbelle and Squeeks! Outside work, they enjoy spending time with family, being in the great outdoors, and traveling.  


"Pilates is hard work but we have a lot of fun and laughs at At The Wall Pilates".

​Darlene Berkovitz

​Comprehensive Peak Pilates Instructor

CHERYL ANNE KENST 

Comprehensive Peak Pilates Instructor, UGI Fitness Trainer


Cheryl’s introduction to Pilates came in 2013 at a time when she was ready for a career and lifestyle change. The benefits of the Pilates system were obvious  to her right from the beginning.  Cheryl decided this was the perfect fit for her and sharing this  phenomena with everyone became her passion.   

Cheryl has four children ,which she and her husband, Bob raised while residing in Glenshaw. Prior to marrying Bob and having a family, Cheryl worked for Forbes Travel and later Guilliver’s Travels. After the birth of their second child, she was able to primarily stay at home and work part-time in a retail environment. Over the years the part-time work grew into a larger role and Cheryl is now a part-time account executive for Clarins. 
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​It is with a tremendous amount of gratitude that Cheryl shares her knowledge of the classical method of Pilates with others.  

ANA HUGHES

Comprehensive Peak Pilates Instructor, UGI Fitness Trainer


After suffering a back injury in 2015, Darlene turned to Pilates for rehabilitation. The practice of Pilates had such a profound impact on her that she became certified as an instructor to be able to share its benefits with others.


Although Darlene has been a practitioner of yoga for decades and is an experienced yoga teacher, her primary career was in musicology. Darlene received her B,Mus. from the University of Michigan and her M.Phil. and PhD. in musicology from Yale University. She taught at Yale, at Yeshiva University: Stern College for Women, in New York City, and at Chatham University in Pittsburgh. She also wrote program notes for a number of concert series, including Chamber Music Pittsburgh (formerly the Pittsburgh Chamber Music Society), for whom she served as program annotator for 25 years. She presented community and student lectures for CMP and taught for Osher at Carnegie Mellon University with Renaissance and Baroque of Pittsburgh. Early in her career, Darlene worked for CBS records and Sony Records in New York City, for their classical labels, and was an award-winning producer for WQED-FM, the local public classical music radio station in Pittsburgh.


Darlene has been an active board member of numerous arts, and education boards, serving terms as president for several of them. She also enjoys playing tennis and paddle, sings with Belle Voci of Pittsburgh, and visits facilities with her therapy dog, Archie. Darlene and her husband Bob Zinn, a lawyer with K&L Gates, have two children, both of whom reside in New York City.

Marcie Buchwalter 

Level 2 Peak Pilates Instructor


Melissa Johnson

Owner and Master Peak Pilates Instructor, UGI, HIIT, BOSU and TRX Fitness Trainer


Marcie has over 35 years of experience working as a Physical Therapist. Experience included acute care but main focus was on rehabilitative care. 20 of the 35 years included supervisory experience both of Physical Therapy students and Occupational and Physical Therapy staff.


Marcie re,,,,,,,,ceived a B.S. in Physical Therapy from Marquette University 1966. After working as a Hospital PT in various institutions, including Pittsburgh Children’s Hospital where she served as head of the Department, she settled into long career at Western PA School for Blind Children with extensive experience developing and providing treatment for children of all ages to maintain and improve their mobility and their quality of life. Marcie’s continuing education over the years has included courses in Neuro-developmental training, Myo-fascial release, Gait analysis,Pulmonary function, Orthotic fabrication, Prosthetic fit and function, and adapting treatment for the visually impaired.


As a PT, Marcie is acutely aware of the value and importance of movement and exercise to maintain health. She says, “I have taken Pilates classes for the past 5 years following retirement from my career in Physical Therapy. In addition to enjoying the classes, I became convinced that Pilates was an excellent form of exercise for people of all levels of physical ability. Pilates helps to develop basic core strength which is the stabilizing force that allows a person to gain strength throughout their body. This form of exercise is not traumatic to joints and enhances mobility throughout the body. The strength that I have gained from this practice has allowed me to continue to enjoy my retirement years!” With this conviction she started training to become a Pilates instructor and recently completed her Level 2 Peak Pilates Instructor certification.

Ana began practicing Pilates in 2008 shortly after suffering a hip injury.  It was not long before she discovered the whole-body and mind benefits of the Pilates system, and decided to integrate the practice into her lifestyle.  

​ Ana is originally from Puerto Rico. She came to Pennsylvania to complete a Master’s Degree in Industrial and Labor Relations, and worked for the National Labor Relations Board as a Field Examiner in New Jersey.  She also holds a M.A. in Latin American Literature from the University of Pittsburgh, and a M.Ed. from St. Joseph’s University.  She taught Spanish at both of these institutions, as well as West Chester University and Merion Mercy Academy, a preparatory high school for girls in the Philadelphia Main Line.

​Now, after spending several years at home with her 3 children, Ana’s passion for Pilates has become the perfect platform for the application of her skills as an educator.

Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Melissa relocated to Pittsburgh in 2008. Movement, dance and performance have been a part of her life since early childhood. She continued  her studies in dance at Marymount of Manhattan College and  earned her BA in Dance from Hofstra University in 2000.  During her time in NYC, Melissa performed in a number of Broadway shows including Guys and Dolls, Chicago the Musical, 42nd Street, and Dracula the Musical. In addition, she performed as a Radio City Rockette in The Radio City Christmas Spectacular and Frank