About Katie
Katie Sovenyhazy
Contemporary Pilates educator, PAI teacher trainer and owner of Pilates of Charleston. Katie teaches instructors how to program, cue and progress reformer work, and trains anyone who wants to move with intention.
Her story
From the ballet stage to the reformer
Katie danced professionally with American Repertory Ballet, and that is where she found Pilates: first as a way to dance better and stay uninjured, then as the work she wanted to teach. She earned her foundational certification at Sal Anthony’s School for Developmental Dexterity in New York City and trained and taught there before moving to Charleston in 2005, where she completed the 450-hour PHI Pilates comprehensive program and a BA at the College of Charleston.
For the past fifteen years she has owned and run Pilates of Charleston, a boutique reformer studio voted the best Pilates studio in Charleston in 2023 and 2024. In 2025 she won the DPTV Instructor Search, an international competition, and became a featured instructor for Dynamic Pilates TV.
Pilates by Katie is where that experience becomes education: live workshops for instructors on Zoom, masterclasses open to everyone, and every session recorded so it can be watched again.
How she teaches
Contemporary Pilates, built on its roots
Katie teaches the contemporary Pilates method. The principles Joseph Pilates set down are the foundation, and the work is informed by what is now understood about anatomy, biomechanics and the bodies actually in the room. In her own words, she blends precision and intention with a dynamic, athletic energy, allowing for creativity, fluidity, and a modern understanding of movement.
Much of her teaching happens on the Balanced Body Allegro 2 reformer and its accessories, including the Infinity Footbar, the jumpboard and the platform extender, and her workshops show instructors how to sequence and progress that equipment for real clients.
Who she teaches
- InstructorsContinuing education workshops on programming, sequencing, cueing and equipment.
- Teachers in trainingPAI teacher training through her studio, an official satellite center for the New York City-based academy.
- Studio ownersOne-to-one consultations drawn from fifteen years of running a studio.
- ClientsMasterclasses open to everyone, and prenatal and postnatal work as a certified specialist.
Credentials
Certifications and training
PHI Pilates Comprehensive Certification
PHI Pilates
A rigorous 450-hour comprehensive education program covering the full spectrum of Pilates instruction, across the mat and every major piece of apparatus.
National Certified Pilates Teacher (NCPT)
National Pilates Certification Program
The independent, profession-wide credential for Pilates teachers, held by instructors who have passed the national exam and keep their education current.
Pilates Academy International Certifying Instructor
Pilates Academy International
Certified as a PAI teacher trainer, which lets her South Carolina studio operate as an official satellite teacher training center for the New York City-based academy.
Prenatal and Postnatal Pilates Specialist
Carolyn Anthony’s Center for Women
Specialist training in working with clients through pregnancy and recovery, making her one of the few dedicated prenatal and postnatal Pilates specialists in the Charleston area.
Pilates Certification
Sal Anthony’s School for Developmental Dexterity, New York City
Her foundational Pilates certification, earned in New York City.
Core Reform Systems Certification
Smart Movement
Additional specialized training in movement mechanics and alignment.
2025
Winner, DPTV Instructor Search
An international competition that made her the newest featured instructor on Dynamic Pilates TV.
2023 and 2024
Best Pilates Studio in Charleston
Pilates of Charleston, the boutique reformer studio Katie owns and leads.
Two decades
Teaching movement
From professional ballet to fifteen years running her own studio and training other teachers.
Questions
About Katie’s teaching
What Pilates method does Katie teach?
Contemporary Pilates. It keeps Joseph Pilates’ principles and repertoire as the foundation and applies current understanding of anatomy and movement to how exercises are progressed, modified and sequenced.
What certifications does Katie hold?
PHI Pilates Comprehensive Certification (450 hours), National Certified Pilates Teacher (NCPT), Pilates Academy International Certifying Instructor, Prenatal and Postnatal Pilates Specialist through Carolyn Anthony’s Center for Women, a foundational certification from Sal Anthony’s School for Developmental Dexterity in New York City, and Core Reform Systems certification with Smart Movement.
Are the workshops only for instructors?
The workshops are continuing education for instructors. Masterclasses are full-length classes open to anyone with the equipment and enough experience to follow along safely.
Can I train with Katie in person?
Yes, at Pilates of Charleston, her studio in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, for group reformer classes, private sessions and PAI teacher training.
Train with Katie
Join a live session, or start with a recording
Every workshop and masterclass is recorded. Buy one and it is yours to keep.