Our Instructors

Donna Parise Byrne

PT, PRC, NCPT

co-founder, Re-balance pilates

Donna opened Pilates Central Wellness with a vision for a studio that could fully integrate her Physical Therapy and Pilates practice, offering a continuum of post-rehab and fitness Pilates classes. Donna has created a nurturing community at Pilates Central Wellness, encouraging continuous learning and creative treatment plans.

Donna’s first passion was ballet, as a professional dancer with the Washington Ballet she developed an interest in anatomy and kinesiology, which led to a second career in physical therapy.

Early in her physical therapy career Donna was introduced to the work of Joseph Pilates and began incorporating the Pilates method into her treatment plans at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, where she led the Performing Arts program in addition to working in the Chronic Pain and Arthritis programs. Donna was board certified as an Orthopaedic Clinic Specialist (OCS) in 2000 and received her Rehabilitation Certification from Polestar Pilates in 2001.

She was introduced to Postural Restoration® in 2009 and began incorporating the concepts into her practice of Pilates-based physical therapy. Donna completed her PRC certification in 2012, and Pilates Central Wellness is proud to be the only Postural Restoration Center in Illinois. Donna’s treatment style is unique, integrating Physical Therapy, Postural Restoration and Pilates principles.

Charmaine Goldman

Charmaine was introduced to Pilates as a way to rehabilitate an injury and better manage her scoliosis. Her experience made her want to help people understand their bodies the way she was learning to understand hers.  She completed her Pilates training through Balanced Body University and has been teaching Pilates since 2007. Charmaine’s continuing education has included the Pink Ribbon Program, which is a post-reconstruction training for breast cancer, as well as the Postural Restoration Institute. Since 2012, she has taken several PRI courses, which have helped her to identify the common asymmetric neuromuscular patterns that can lead to faulty movement and how to successfully retrain balanced movement. Charmaine finds it rewarding to help people gain a better understanding of their bodies and help her clients move in safer, more balanced movement patterns.

Deb Giordano

Deb Giordano, born and raised in Canada, began her physical fitness journey as a professional dancer with the Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago in 1980, where she danced, taught and choreographed for many years. Deb went on to teach as adjunct faculty member in the Theatre and Dance Department at Northwestern University from 1991 to 2001. She has been teaching Pilates since 2003 and her love of movement inspires her energetic teaching style. Since joining Pilates Central Wellness, she has attended many Postural Restoration Institute conferences and has received certificates in: Impingement and Instability, Myokinematic Restoration, PRI Integration for Fitness and Movement, and most recently, PRI Integration for Pilates.

Elizabeth Hodges

ace, ncpt

Elizabeth completed her comprehensive Pilates training through Balanced Body University and has been teaching since 2007, joining Pilates Central Wellness in 2009. Elizabeth’s clients include all ages and fitness levels along with post-rehab clients in collaboration with their physical therapist. She continues to learn, study and practice the concepts of Postural Restoration with multiple continuing education courses, including Myokinematic Restoration, Impingement and Instability, Pelvis Restoration, PRI for Pilates and PRI Integration for Geriatrics/Home. Elizabeth is also trained in the Pink Ribbon Program which focuses on post-reconstruction training for women who are recovering from breast cancer. Her goal as an instructor is to inspire her clients to understand and experience the movement and mind-body techniques of Joseph Pilates as well as educate her clients to recognize postural issues, allowing them to self-correct and live comfortably in their own bodies.

Elizabeth earned her personal training certificate with the American Council on Exercise (ACE) in 2024. She is excited to share and incorporate her fitness training knowledge to help clients achieve their wellness goals.

Laura Donaghy

Like many instructors, Laura discovered Pilates as a result of back problems in pregnancy almost 20 years ago.  She received her first Pilates Mat certification in 2006, completed the comprehensive teacher training program through BASI in 2008 and has been teaching and studying ever since. Laura loves her work in this field because she has the opportunity to help people feel better through breath, movement and awareness of how their minds and bodies interact. Laura enjoys getting to know her clients, what their body issues are, and how they learn best so that she can tailor each session to meet their needs while incorporating the principles of Postural Restoration that Pilates Central Wellness is known for. For Laura, nothing is more satisfying than helping people walk out of our doors feeling better than when they walked in.

SAmantha Dauer

Samantha Dauer is a graduate of Modern Dance from Point Park University. She is a former professional dancer with South Chicago Dance Theatre and had the privilege of touring with SCDT to Seoul, Korea for a two week choreographic residency pre-covid. Her dance career brought her to many cities such as Amsterdam, Paris, Barcelona, Berlin, New York and more.

Samantha is a fully certified Pilates instructor through “The Lab”, co-created by Holly Swanson and Jacqueline Brennan. She has been teaching in Chicago since 2018. She has certifications from Sarah Duvall’s Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist program, John Geary Pilates, Postural Restoration Institutes’ Pilates Affiliate course and Re-Balance Pilates Education. The information Samantha has learned from Donna and Postural Restoration has inspired her to pursue her doctorate in physical therapy. She is currently earning her pre-physical therapy certificate at Northwestern University