At Forte Pilates we are dedicated to maintaining the integrity of the Pilates Method. We honor our lineage by teaching the work as it has been passed down to us.
We want our clients to feel good and understand their bodies by truly learning Pilates. We believe in teaching our clients so well that they experience confidence, a sense of independence, and the pleasure of movement through the Pilates method.
EQUIPMENT
We are a fully equipped studio and dedicated solely to Pilates instruction within the classical system. We believe the work is simple, not easy. We use Gratz because the equipment is not more complicated than the work, and therefore helps the body to work deeply and to flow through a workout.
PEOPLE
Founder and Owner - Carrie Shanafelt
Carrie started her Pilates training in Seattle with Dorothee VandeWalle, Lori Coleman-Brown, and Lauren Stephan. She also had the great fortune to study with Romana Kryzanowska. In 1999, she earned her certification through The Pilates Guild, and in 2000 moved back to her hometown; Boise, Idaho, and opened Boise's first Pilates studio, Forte Pilates. Carrie was accepted into and completed The Work in 2015. The Work was a highly selective mentorship program at Vintage Pilates in Los Angeles studying with Jay Grimes. That experience had a tremendous impact on Carrie's teaching. Carrie takes great pride in honoring her very lucky Pilates lineage.
Tsarra Bequette, Teacher Training Apprentice
Tsarra began her Pilates training at age 16 with Carrie Shanafelt as a young dancer. She continued her Pilates training with Kathy Van Patten in Boston while earning her BFA at Boston Conservatory. While living in New York City and dancing with MOMIX, Tsarra continued Pilates with various teachers in the city. In 2017, Tsarra moved back to Boise and in 2019 began her teacher training apprenticeship at Forte Pilates.
Heidi Burpee, Instructor
Heidi was trained in 2009 by Dorothee VandeWalle at Metropolitan Pilates where she completed their teacher training program, Metropolitan Authentic Training. Heidi has stayed focused on teaching the original, authentic method developed by Joseph Pilates. Prior to Pilates, Heidi earned her Masters in education from the University of Washington and worked as a secondary science teacher in Seattle, Boston, Germany, and on the Navajo Reservation.
Desiree Matthews-Gustafson
Desiree has been a certified Romana's Pilates instructor for over 16 years. She started her Pilates teaching career at Pilates Seattle International, a Romana's Pilates teacher training center. She worked there for 8 years before moving to Boise. Desiree has worked with many well known instructors: Dorothee VandeWalle, Lori Coleman-Brown, Sari Mejia Santos, Cynthia Lochard, and Romana Kryzanowska. Desiree also teaches dance at Ballet Idaho and is a proud mother of two boys.
Younghyun (Young) Kim
Young earned her certification in 2015 with Power Pilates and completed Benjamin Degenhardt's program, 360 Pilates in 2017. Young is a native Korean. She initially came to the United States to attend Stanford University where she earned her Masters degree in education in 2009.
Kim Kutzner
Kim started Pilates in 2002 with Carrie Shanafelt in Boise and completed her Romana's Pilates certification in Seattle at Pilates Seattle International. She returned to Boise and started teaching at Forte Pilates. During her early years of teaching, Kim became interested in furthering her knowledge and entered graduate school for physical therapy in 2008. Kim received her Doctor of Physical Therapy in 2011 and works at Thrive Physical Therapy as well as teaching Pilates at Forte Pilates.
LOCATION
Studio: Forte Pilates
Address: 1304 West Eastman St, Boise, Idaho 83702
Facebook: @fortepilatesboise
Instagram: @fortepilatesboise
