Always knowing her love for teaching, Ms. Waller pursued several teaching certifications in the field of Classical Ballet. She has passed her Advanced Professional Teaching Examination in the Cecchetti Method with honors and is also an ABT® Certified Teacher, having successfully completed the entire ABT® Teacher Training Curriculum from Pre-Primary through Level 7. Ms Waller is currently on the faculty of the Charlotte Ballet Academy and Pre-Professional Division where she teaches Ballet/Pointe technique and Dance Conditioning.  Ms Waller has taught Ballet/Pointe technique and Dance Conditioning for Florida State University, Northwestern University, and at Hope College as well as for numerous summer intensives and regional dance workshops. The many students she has trained over the years have gone on to professional careers as performers and teachers with some of the best ballet companies in the world including the American Ballet Theatre, Paris Opera Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, Pittsburg Ballet Theatre, Joffrey Ballet, and the Miami City Ballet.

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Pilates

Ms. Waller began her formal Pilates education in the Ron Fletcher Method in 1995 and completed her first comprehensive Pilates certification with STOTT PILATES® in 1998. An additional comprehensive Pilates certification was attained through McEntire Pilates where she served as a Pilates Master Trainer in the Chicago area for several years. Besides this formal education, Ms. Waller has been fortunate enough to study the classical Pilates repertoire, and to attend many Pilates conferences, workshops and seminars to become exposed to a variety of teachers and styles. Ms. Waller has fine-tuned her teaching practice for dancers by completing the Pilates for Dancers specialization through BASI Pilates, a certificate in Performing Arts Medicine from PAMA, and Dance Conditioning with the Inner Life of Ballet, Perfect Form Physiotherapy, and the Dance Medicine Education Initiative. Alissa has close to 30 years of practical experience teaching Pilates in the professional studio setting.  She is a Nationally Certified Pilates Teacher (NCPT) and has completed multiple advanced trainings in the applications of Pilates to specific populations. Her teaching practice encompasses general fitness, advanced practice, teacher mentoring, post rehab, pre/post-partum, dancer and sports specific applications, equestrians, and elite athletics. She is a member of the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science, the Pilates Method Alliance and the Performing Arts Medical Association.

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GYROTONIC® & GYROKINESIS® Methods

Ms Waller is a Certified Gyrotonic and Gyrokinesis Level 2 Specialized Master Trainer and conducts teacher training in all aspects and levels of the system. She was introduced to the Gyrotonic method of exercise in 1997 and has studied extensively with the system's founder and creator, Juliu Horvath over the past 27 years. Ms. Waller has trained with Juliu in New York, Denver, San Francisco, Miami, Austria, Italy, and multiple times in Germany.  In 2008, she was chosen by Mr. Horvath to demonstrate the Level 2 Gyrotonic (advanced) material for the International Gyrotonic Educational Convention in Rome, Italy.  Ms. Waller was certified by Mr. Horvath as a Master Trainer in both the Gyrotonic method and the Gyrokinesis method - which enables her to conduct teacher trainings for future teachers.  She has furthered her Gyrotonic education with Advanced training in Gyrotonic Level 2, Gyrokinesis Level 2, Gyrotonic and Gyrokinesis Applications for Dancers, the Therapeutic Applications of Gyrotonic for the Pelvis, Spine, Upper Body, Shoulders, Scoliosis Programs (with both Paul Horvath and Uwe Herbstreit), the Psoas Program, Equestrian Program, and the Gyrokinesis Breathing Programs. She is certified in all aspects of the system, on all of the equipment, and is also a Master Trainer on the: ARCHWAY™, Jumping-Stretching Board, and GYROTONER®. 

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Studio Founder

In 2003, Ms. Waller founded her first studio: Chicago Northshore GYROTONIC®, a licensed studio and educational facility, which served the greater Chicago area with comprehensive teacher training in the Gyrotonic & Gyrokinesis Methods and Pilates Teacher Training and Certification.  She owned, operated and directed the studio from 2003 - 2012 when she relocated to Charlotte, North Carolina. In 2014, she founded Charlotte Movement Arts Studio where she currently instructs in a private practice setting. Ms. Waller has guest taught for movement facilities nationwide and has professionally consulted for numerous studios including designing the Movement Studio at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in downtown Chicago (formerly the Elysian Hotel).  

A lifelong student, she re-educates herself regularly and stays up to date with the most current advances in movement science.  She has deepened her teaching practice with extensive study of dance technique, dance science, anatomy, physiology, bio-mechanics, physical therapy, kinesiology, Thai bodywork, energy healing, yoga, meditation, breathing practices, osteopathy, and the brilliant work of Philip Beach, Robert Schlep, Gil Hedley and Tom Myers. She currently resides in Charlotte where she loves to go hiking in the mountains, chill out at the beach, or just relax at home with a good book.