Our talented instructors teach everything from gymnastics to etiquette! If you have a great idea for a program, call us at (314) 738-2599.
Joann Kresko (Hatha Yoga)
JoAnn is a certified Yoga instructor graduating from the Yoga Institute in 1998 and has been teaching yoga ever since. Her nursing background complements her approach to yoga's healing postures and provides much-needed physical cleansing and expansion. Equally important to JoAnn is a sense of peace and inner strength.
Nancy Cline (Kripalu Yoga)
Nancy took her first yoga class in 1987 in Vermont. In 1998, she became a certified yoga teacher at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health and has been teaching ever since. Her classes are very supportive to newcomers to yoga, yet offer interesting challenge to those more experienced. She also enjoys Kundalini yoga, AcroYoga and Thai yoga massage.
Tom 
Pasley LMT, NCTMB (Qigong)
Tom has been involved with the Eastern Healing Energy Arts for more than 20 years, studying with Chinese and Japanese masters from around the world, as well as nationally recognized masters in the United States. He is a Nationally Certified Qigong Master, Nationally Certified Tai Chi Master, and is also Nationally Certified in Massage and Bodywork. He currently offers massage and bodywork, as well qigong and Tai Chi classes in his studio located at "A Gathering Place" massage school.
Patty Burkhalter (Tai Chi for Seniors)
Patty began training in Tai Chi and related martial and healing arts in 1984. In 1990, she began teaching part-time while working full-time in the IT field. During this time, she traveled extensively to learn as much as she could about Tai Chi and the related Chinese Internal Kung Fu Systems: Hsing-I, Ba Gua and Liu Ho Pa Fa. She trained in California, New York, Chicago and Atlanta in addition to her St. Louis studies. In 2000, she left the IT field to teach full-time, teaching the arts from all perspectives – as a martial art, a healing art and a form of meditation. She currently teaches at a variety of places in St. Louis and Illinois, including civic and retirement centers and martial arts schools.
Dorothy Soskin (Etiquette Classes)
Dorothy is a licensed teacher in the state of Missouri and has been teaching etiquette classes in the St. Louis area for more than 15years. She also taught students while living in Hawaii and Germany. Her classes for children, teens and adults are interactive and sometimes include a dining tutorial. Covered topics include the proper handshake, introductions, table manners, phone courtesy and thank-you notes.
Kayla Brotherton (Dance)
Kayla is a senior early childhood education student at Webster University. She has been dancing since 1994 and is trained in ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, poms and pointe. Kayla has taken several college-level dance classes. She has been an assistant dance teacher since age 12 at 5678 Dance Express and Tammy's Tumbling and Dance Center, where she currently teaches. Kayla has been teaching since 2002.
Ali Phillips (Dance)
Ali Phillips graduated from Lindenwood University in 2006 with a degree in Arts Management with a dance emphasis. She has been dancing since the age of three and is trained in tap, ballet, jazz, poms and pointe. She is a lead instructor at Dance Factory, where she has taught for the last seven years.
Luana Ely (Dance)
Luana graduated from Lindenwood University in December 2006 with a Master of Fine Arts in Theater with an Emphasis in Dance. In 2002, she received a BS in Theater with an Emphasis in Dance from Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville. She has many years of collegiate dance training, focusing on modern dance and ballet (including pointe). She also has training in jazz and basic tap. She has taught at DD's Dance and Miss Kim's Dance School and currently teaches at Overland Community Center and Pattonville Continuing Education.
Sharon Basinger (Karate)
Sharon has trained in Okinawan Shido-kan Shorin-ryu Karate-do since 1989 and holds the internationally certified title and rank of Sensei 5th Dan (degree of black belt). Sensei Basinger began teaching in 1990 and has taught at Maryland Heights Centre since 2001. She founded Karate STL, the only Missouri dojo (school) certified by the Okinawa Shorin-ryu Karate-do Association. After studying judo and other styles of karate, Sharon ultimately concluded that Shido-kan Shorin-ryu provided the authentic training and philosophy she had been seeking all along. In order to do what she truly loves – teach karate and self-defense - she abandoned previous careers which included real estate broker, commercial and multifamily residential property manager and commercial interior designer.
Stephanie Faulkingham (Karate)
Stephanie has been training in Okinawan Shido-kan Shorin-ryu Karate-do since 2003. Her two sons had been studying karate with Sensei Basinger when she became interested as well. Soon after, she began assisting Sensei Basinger in self-defense and children’s karate classes. At every opportunity, she traveled with Sensei Basinger to Lansing, Michigan, for further instruction. Later, as part of her training for black belt, she accepted more teaching responsibilities, including conducting numerous adult classes. After earning the internationally certified rank of 1st Dan (degree of black belt), her duties expanded even further, and now her older son is assisting her – another of her goals realized.
Emily Mitchell (Gymnastics)
Emily has been dancing and tumbling for 18 years. She has been teaching for 8 years at local Saint Louis dance studios, and assisted for 3 years prior to that. She has attended countless conventions and training sessions with professional instructors, as well as being trained in sports safety and injury prevention. She attended Webster University and studied Elementary Education, but is currently at home during the day with her 3 children.