Pilates Connection 20th ANniversary & CPE Weekend!

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Pilates Connection celebrates our 20th anniversary October 23-26, 2025! The full schedule of continuing education programs for Romana's Pilates certified instructors is listed below. Weekend programs will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn Evanston. 

Email Pilates Connection to request details and registration.

Three Workshops: Friday, October 24, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

• Daria Pace (Level I Grandmaster Instructor Trainer)
• Rhonda Celenza (Level X Senior Master Instructor Trainer)
• Larry Gibas (Level III Senior Instructor Trainer) & Juan Williams (Level IV Instructor Trainer)

Cost: $375

Cocktail Reception: Friday, October 24, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM 

Five and Dime, 1026 Davis Street, upstairs, Evanston, Illinois

CPE: Saturday, October 25, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM 

Juanita Lopez (Level I Grandmaster Instructor Trainer)

Cost: $500 

Includes celebration dinner and party, 7:00 PM - 11:00 PM. Dress up and wear your dancing shoes!

Magic Circle Mat Class: Sunday, October 26, 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM 

Daria Pace (Level I Grandmaster Instructor Trainer)

Cost: $100

Private Lessons: October 23 & October 26

Thursday, October 23, 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM at Pilates Connection:

• Level I Instructor Juanita Lopez
• Level X Instructor Rhonda Celenza
• Level III Instructors Laney Abernathy, Larry Gibas, Holly Pruell, and Jamie Trout
• Level IV Instructor Juan Williams

Sunday, October 26, 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM at Hilton Garden Inn:

• Level I Instructor Juanita Lopez
• Level I Instructor Daria Pace
• Level X Instructor Rhonda Celenza
• Level III Instructors Laney Abernathy, Larry Gibas, Amanda Owens, and Holly Pruell
• Level IV Instructor Juan Williams

If you would like to schedule a lesson, email your preferences to Dawn Friedman.

Hotel Information: Hilton Garden Inn

Weekend programs will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn Chicago North Shore Evanston, 

1818 Maple Ave., Evanston, Illinois. A discounted block of rooms is being held; nightly rates are:

• $188 King Room
• $207 Double Room

Breakfast for 2 people per room included in room rate. Taxes are not included in room rates. 

Join us for Pilates Connection's 20th anniversary weekend in Evanston, IL, October 23-26, 2025!

kW

Three Workshops: Friday, October 24, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

• Daria Pace (Level I Grandmaster Instructor Trainer)
• Rhonda Celenza (Level X Senior Master Instructor Trainer)
• Larry Gibas (Level III Senior Instructor Trainer) & Juan Williams (Level IV Instructor Trainer)

Cost: $375

Register here for workshops.

Cocktail Reception: Friday, October 24, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM 

Free of charge ... Everyone is invited!

Five and Dime, 1026 Davis Street, upstairs, Evanston, Illinois

RSVP here for the Cocktail Reception

CPE: Saturday, October 25, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM 

Juanita Lopez (Level I Grandmaster Instructor Trainer)

Cost: $500 

Includes celebration dinner and party, 7:00 PM - 11:00 PM. Dress up and wear your dancing shoes!

Register here for CPE and Dinner Party

Magic Circle Mat Class: Sunday, October 26, 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM 

Daria Pace (Level I Grandmaster Instructor Trainer)

Cost: $100

Register here for Magic Circle Mat Class

Private Lessons: October 23 & October 26

Thursday, October 23, 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM at Pilates Connection:

• Level I Instructor Juanita Lopez
• Level X Instructor Rhonda Celenza
• Level III Instructors Laney Abernathy, Larry Gibas, 
• Holly Pruell, and Jamie Trout
• Level IV Instructor Juan Williams

Sunday, October 26, 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM at Hilton Garden Inn:

• Level I Instructor Juanita Lopez
• Level I Instructor Daria Pace
• Level X Instructor Rhonda Celenza
• Level III Instructors Laney Abernathy, Larry Gibas, 
• Amanda Owens, and Holly Pruell
• Level IV Instructor Juan Williams

If you would like to schedule a lesson, email your preferences to Dawn.

Looking to supplement your private lessons? Enjoy working out with a group? Our Small Group Classes offer the community of a class while allowing for personal instruction at half the cost of a private lesson. We now offer Small Group Classes at the following times:

• Mondays, 6 PM: Intermediate Tower Mat Class with Dawn
• NEW! Wednesdays, 6 PM: Intermediate Mat Class with Lu
• Thursdays, 6 PM: Beginner Pilates Class with Dawn
• Fridays, 7 AM: Intermediate/Advanced Tower Mat class with Dawn
• Saturday, 8 AM: Intermediate Mixed Apparatus Class with Dawn

Classes must have a minimum of two people to run and will have a maximum of five people to ensure personalized instruction. Just like our  private lessons, clients must register for classes by calling the studio and signing up for desired class. Clients may book a standing spot in a class, but  must cancel 24 hours in advance to avoid being charged. See our Rates page for Group Class rates.

We will begin the  next program for students who are interested in becoming certified  instructors through Romana's Pilates International in Summer 2025. If you are interested, please contact the studio as soon as possible to schedule a lesson to assess your skills. Students must pass an assessment with Rhonda Celenza to be admitted to the program. In addition to Rhonda, we have two Level IV instructor trainers at Pilates Connection who can prepare you for your assessment. 

New guidelines for entering the program now require that students:

• perform an Intermediate Reformer with transitional Advanced exercises and know purposes for each exercise;
• perform an Advanced Mat and know purposes for each exercise;
• demonstrate familiarity with Intermediate and commonly taught Advanced exercises on other apparatuses.

Pilates Connection Chicago will host the Intermediate Seminar of the Independent Instructor Training Program, taught by Level X Master Instructor Trainer Rhonda Celenza in November 2025. 

Interested in becoming a certified Pilates instructor? Contact us for more information!