The Teachers
Meet our Team
Sueann Fenchel
Owner
Master Teacher
Director of Harmony Pilates Teacher Training Program
I’m so excited you’re here! I’m Sueann Fenchel and I’d love to share my story with you and how The Movement Hub came to be. It all started with the music. Rhythm and beat sparked joy in me and I began to dance. I had discovered my first love and lifeline. I started to take dance lessons at the age of six and trained vigorously five to six days a week through high school, receiving a full scholarship to Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal. From there I moved to New York City for a year of discovery. Pittsburgh beckoned me home, the place of cherished family and deep friendships. During this time I realized I had another passion that ran parallel to my love of dance. As a ten-year-old, I would give dance-conditioning classes to family and friends. In addition to teaching them movement, I tapped into an innate awareness of how to bring healing, comfort and flow to their bodies by stretching limbs and massaging backs. While I didn’t know it then, I would later receive certifications in massage therapy and energy healing. And apparently teaching was in my DNA. I feel blessed that I’ve been able to blend these passions into a career. I certainly didn’t get there on my intuition alone, however. I’ve had extraordinary mentors and teachers, and I continue to learn from them and others as scientific discoveries in the healing arts evolve. I received my Pilates training through Michele Larsson of Core Dynamics, and my GYROTONIC® and GYROKINESIS® training with Juliu Horvath. I’ve worked with Tom Myers in cadaver dissection, and at Mount Sinai Hospital in the Functional Anatomy for Movement and Injuries (FAMI) Workshop. I’ve also studied extensively with Eric Franklin, Magali Messac and Marie Jose Blom. I cofounded Harmony Pilates Studio in 2008 and simultaneously developed Harmony’s Pilates Teacher Training Program, which is steeped in the Core Dynamics approach. When Harmony closed in May 2025, I wanted to continue to offer a vital home for movement, health and the connections that nourish us most. The Movement Hub was born. I realize my journey has always been about the inherent simplicity of movement and love-based learning and teaching. Five decades since that first spark spurred me on this remarkable ride, I understand so much more about motion and energy and the relationship to our hormones, emotions, fascia, mood and overall health. Movement goes far beyond aesthetics and appearance. Movement is life! My hope is that The Movement Hub offers you a welcoming space where you can be just as you are. Through our array of movement options, tap into the joy that is deeply present in each of us. And in allowing us to assist you in nourishing your special movement practice, we welcome you into a vibrant community of lifelong learners and fabulous friends. You may even be inspired to break into your own beautiful dance!
Laura Breen-Escott
Pilates, Teacher Training Educator
Laura is a passionate movement educator and wellness advocate with over 20 years of experience guiding individuals toward transformation and self‑discovery. By blending science, energy work, and a deep understanding of anatomy, she empowers others to cultivate more vitality, balance, and a deeper connection to themselves—a truly embodied experience. A Comprehensive Certified Pilates Teacher since 2008, Laura is a master trainer and mentor for Pilates certification programs and co-leads the studio’s Pilates Teacher Training program. Her teaching style is rooted in the classical method, honoring her lineage and Pilates concepts while adapting to any form needed for the bodies in front of her. Creator of movement methods including the LBE Method, Rebounding, and Sculpt, Laura is dedicated to continuing education and evolving as both a teacher and practitioner. She is committed to creating transformative, community-oriented movement experiences and leading retreats that support holistic, lasting change, helping clients unlock their potential and live more vibrant, fulfilling lives.
Shawna McDonnell
Pilates
Shawna is a Pittsburgh native with a passion for lifelong learning, functional movement, and holistic wellness. Her journey began in 2017 with a barre class that led to a BarreAmped certification in 2018 and eventually sparked a deeper interest in Pilates. Her personal exploration––including successfully rehabbing a hip injury through Pilates––fuels her belief in movement as medicine. Shawna is comprehensively certified through Harmony Pilates, and is TRX certified. Her classes emphasize precision, creativity, and accessibility, encouraging clients of all experience levels to move with purpose, build functional strength, and develop greater body awareness. She believes that thoughtful, form-focused movement supports not only physical health but also mental resilience and overall well-being. Outside the studio, Shawna enjoys hiking, cooking and baking, dancing, gardening, reading, music, growing her faith and staying active in her church community. She has always felt a strong connection to nature and animals. She shares life with her beloved Cairn Terrier, Zipper, and together they volunteer as a therapy dog team through a local animal shelter. Shawna works full-time as a Medical Stop Loss Insurance Underwriting Consultant and holds a Bachelor of Science in Actuarial Science from Ohio University. She believes movement is one of the most powerful tools for healing and hopes to help every client discover greater strength, balance, and confidence through their own Pilates practice.
Kristina Boyle
Pilates
Kristy Boyle Erdely has been teaching movement for over a decade to all ages and abilities. Upon graduation from Slippery Rock University with a Bachelor's Degree in Exercise Science along with a minor in Dance, she has worked in both the fitness and dance industry in the Pittsburgh area. Kristy is a Certified Exercise Physiologist (EP) through the American College of Sports Medicine and a comprehensively trained Pilates teacher through Harmony studio with Sueann Fenchel and Dilla Mastrangelo. She combines her knowledge of the Pilates principles along with exercise science to create unique classes to meet the goals of her clients.
Independent Teachers
Tamar Tolentino
GYROTONIC®, Pilates
Erin Halloran
GYROTONIC®, GYROKINESIS®, Pilates
Erin Halloran is a deeply committed movement educator wit over 20 years of teaching experience. While a principal dancer with Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, Erin wished to deepen her movement practice and extend her longevity as a dancer. She became a PMA certified Pilates instructor, training with Sueann Fenchel and Dilla Mastrangelo in Michelle Larson's Core Dynamic Pilates. She danced with the PBT for an extraordinary 22 years before retiring in 2011. Erin now serves as a member of the faculty at the PBT School, teaching ballet and pilates to students and company artists. Inspired by her desire to explore movement, Erin continued her journey and completed her Gyrokinesis® teacher training in 2017, and her Gyrotonic® teacher certification in 2026. During these years of exploration and refinement, she became passionate about Julio Horvath's movement systems, and committed to lifelong study. Through these modalities, Erin has found great benefits from breath work and discovered greater flexibility, strength, and stability through the decompression of the spine and joints. Erin is grateful to work with a wide range of clientele, offering her clients the benefits of many different movement experiences, and making her experience as a teacher deeply rewarding. She is thrilled to be collaborating with her mentor Sueann Fenchel and to be sharing space with her esteemed colleagues at The Movement Hub, a place where Pittsburgh can come to move!
Alejandro Diaz
GYROTONIC®, GYROKINESIS®
Alejandro Diaz brings a dancer's precision and understanding of movement to Gyrotonic® instruction. With a background in performance and a passion for intelligent, integrated movement, he guides clients through the Gyrotonic® Expansion System––a practice that combines the fluidity of dance with the functional strength and mobility. At The Movement Hub, Alejandro creates personalized sessions that meet clients where they are, blending technical rigor with accessible instruction.
Teachers in Training
Deonna Dreher
Scholarship Recipient