Meet Us

Sandy Shimoda

Sandy Shimoda is the owner of Vintage Pilates. She has been teaching movement for over 40 years and earned her Pilates certification from Romana Krzynowska in 2003. Sandy is lucky to have been a private client and collaborator with Jay Grimes for 20 years, giving her a unique opportunity to refine her craft. Sandy never tires of seeing clients move and feel better or helping teachers understand Joe’s work more completely. As an entrepreneur with both a Bachelors and Masters degree in Business, she also enjoys guiding studio owners toward success in their businesses.

Sandy has contributed to the development of the Contrology line of equipment at Balanced Body, and is featured on the popular streaming resource Pilatesology. She also appears in videos for Classical Pilates and Gaiam, and in publications such as Pilates Style and VoyageLA. Sandy has authored The Contrology Handbook and contributed to Voices II by Peter Fiasca. You can work with her Online, at her Pop-Up studio in Honolulu, or when she guest teaches at studios around the world.

Carrie Shanafelt

Carrie started her Pilates training in Seattle with Dorothee Vandewalle, Lori Coleman-Brown, and Lauren Stephen. She also had the good fortune to study with Romana Kryzanowska who ultimately certified Carrie in 1999. She moved home to Boise, Idaho a year later and opened Idaho’s first Pilates studio, Forte Pilates.

Through the years Carrie has taught dancers and football players and the young and the aged. She has appreciated and learned from using Pilates in her own body to pursue athletic endeavors and for longevity as she ages and enjoys passing on Pilates to clients in various stages of life.

In 2015, Carrie was accepted into The Work at Vintage Pilates in Los Angeles. This opportunity has proven to be the biggest influence in Carrie’s teaching. She continued learning from Jay Grimes and Sandy Shimoda and is honored to join the team of Experts at Vintage Pilates.

Joan Blum

Joan Blum owns a private Pilates studio in Los Angeles where she trains a myriad of students of different backgrounds, hobbies and professions. She was certified by Jill Cassidy and has been teaching for more than 25 years.

Coming from a professional dance background, Joan maintained a rigorous and regular practice as a student at the original Vintage Pilates studio on Sawtelle. In 2017 she was selected to participate in The Work, a international teacher training program that ran from 2012-2018.

After graduation, Joan continued to study with both Jay Grimes and Sandy Shimoda, and has taught as a guest at Vintage Pilates on numerous occasions. Joan is also a consultant for the popular Online Vintage Mat Course Subscription. In her free time she is the office manager for a highly respected chiropractor in Los Angeles.

Keion Moradi-Means

Keion is the owner of Pilates DNA LLC, a brand committed to sharing the authentic Pilates method. A proud graduate of The Work, a rigorous and highly selective continuing education program for elite Pilates instructors under the expert guidance of Jay Grimes and Sandy Shimoda.

Upon graduation Keion was handpicked to join the teaching staff at the original Vintage Pilates Studio, and in 2019, fulfilled her goal of studio ownership at Strong Body Pilates before opening Pilates DNA in 2025.

Keion completed her original certification under the tutelage of second generation teacher, Risa Sheppard. She’s a happily married mom of two amazing kids and holds an MA in English literature and composition. Keion is also the editor of Shimoda’s Contrology Handbook and serves as a lecturer in the English department at California State University, Northridge.

Jay Grimes

Vintage Pilates is the forever home of Jay Grimes who served as founding director from 2010-2024. Vintage Pilates was built upon the foundation of Jay’s teaching and will continue to represent his high standards and wish to deliver Joe’s method as it was taught to him.

During his time at Vintage Pilates Jay reached thousands of teachers around the globe, and prior to that, countless more. His influence on the Pilates community has been integral to understanding the original work of Joe Pilates. Jay will always be remembered for his no-nonsense clarity, and his unshakable determination to deliver Joe’s work with the highest degree of integrity.

Jay’s first profession was as a pianist, his second, a dancer. His ballet teacher sent him to Joe Pilates in the sixties where he trained whenever he wasn’t performing out of town. After Joe’s death Jay continued to train with Clara Pilates for another 10 years. He credits his time with Joe, Clara and John Winters as the basis for his understanding of Contrology and he credits his students for teaching him all the rest. His impact in the Pilates community is undeniable and will live on through the students he trained.

Katelyn Metry

Katelyn makes the demanding job of Studio Manager look easy. In addition to managing the daily schedule and all email correspondence, she oversees the smooth running of the Vintage Mat Course Subscription. Katelyn coordinates our Team of Experts and manages Sandy’s calendar and out-of-town schedule. She ships orders from the Vintage Shop and lends a hand with filming when needed, all with enthusiasm and a willingness to learn new things.

Katelyn developed her skills in organization and leadership while working as editor-in-chief on the yearbook staff in high school, and honed her customer service, operations and management abilities through part-time work at Fortress Wealth Management and various restaurants.