Staff Bios

Laura Bonanni, BS, RYT is the owner/founder of Fitness Yoga Studios. Laura is a veteran of the fitness industry with over a decade of experience teaching a variety of group exercise classes. Through her teaching, Laura enjoys educating and leading others to live a healthy lifestyle, recognizing that physical fitness and mental well-being are the keys to health and vitality.

Several years ago, Laura discovered the fascinating world of yoga, and it quickly became her passion. After embarking on her personal yoga practice, Laura realized she had to share its transformative effects with everyone. Laura began teaching yoga classes in 2001 and continues to teach yoga to everyone from toddlers to seniors. To date, she has completed 200 hours of yoga training through YogaFit®, and is a Registered Yoga Teacher with YogaAlliance®. Laura has also studied with and has been influenced by other yogis/yoginis, including Baron Baptiste, Seane Corn, and Shiva Rea. Her vinyasa-style yoga classes are designed to help participants feel challenged yet successful, and are appropriate for all fitness levels.

In addition to her yoga certification, Laura is an ACE-certified Group Fitness Instructor and Personal Trainer, and holds many other certifications in various fitness disciplines. When she is not practicing yoga or teaching yoga, Laura enjoys running, cycling, reading, gardening, and spending time with her family and friends.

Jacqueline Dadario discovered yoga in 2003. She turned her passion for practicing yoga into teaching, and in 2006 started teaching yoga to children and adults in both studio and beach settings. She has received her yoga certification from Yogafit®, has studied Thai Yoga Massage with Michael Buck and has received her Reiki Level 1 Certification. Jacqueline has been sharing her love of yoga at Fitness Yoga Studios since the spring of 2008, and is also the owner and designer of Earthly Elements Healing Crystal Jewelry.

In addition, she recently graduated from Temple University with a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary and Special Education. Jacqueline is married and she and her husband recently welcomed the birth of their first child, Sophie.

Nancy Finkle brings with her to Fitness Yoga Studios over 20 years of fitness experience. She has taught a variety of disciplines in group settings as well as provided instruction in private and studio classes. Nancy has been teaching yoga for several years, and has completed many workshops and teaching certifications in Yoga, Prenatal Yoga, Yin Yoga, Pilates Mat, Pilates Reformer, Pilates Barrel and Wunda Chair, Meditation-Relaxation-Stress Management, and Reiki. Certified through the American Council on Exercise (ACE), Nancy also continues to attend Pilates, yoga, and fitness seminars to educate and share the enjoyment of exercising and staying healthy. Nancy also was the host of Sta-Fit the Aerobic Way, a local cable TV fitness program from 1987-1991. She is the owner of Mind, Body & Fitness to Go.

Nan Ivins is a YogaFit-trained Yoga Instructor and is currently in the process of becoming registered with Yoga Alliance as a Registered Yoga Teacher, which requires 200 hours of yoga-specific training. Nan is also a certified Group Fitness Instructor with AFAA (Aerobics and Fitness Association of America). She is certified in Yoga, Pilates and Aqua Fitness with AAAI-ISMA (American Aerobic Association International/International Sports Medicine Association), holds a PHI Pilates Mat Pilates Certification, and specialty certifications in HydroPilates and Zumba Fitness. She received training in Pilates Reformer with Bally’s Total Fitness. Nan is a former dancer, acrobat, majorette and gymnast who, after raising three children and struggling for nearly two decades with her weight, has finally achieved a healthy weight again. Nan has lost over 50 pounds and has gone from a size 14 to a size 6. She attributes her weight loss success to regular exercise and a healthy diet. Nan regularly practices Fitness Yoga and Mat Pilates, which have formed long, lean muscles, leaving her body looking fit and fabulous, but Nan thinks the best part is the stress relief that follows practicing these forms of exercise. Nan enjoys sharing with clients the exercises and techniques that she utilized to get fit and continues to use to stay in shape.

Anne McManamy began practicing yoga in 2004 and became a certified yoga teacher in 2008. She is continuing her yoga training and working towards her Yoga Alliance 200 hour RYT through YogaFit®. She is also a AAAI/ISMA Certified Pilates Instructor and Certified Weight Management Consultant. Anne teaches a variety of classes including Yogalates and YogaFusion, incorporating strength training exercises in class and has been with Fitness Yoga Studios since 2008. She truly enjoys the balance of teaching and learning from her classes. She is a strong believer in the mind body connection –a healthy body leads to a healthy mind.

Karen Kapus has been practicing yoga for the last 10 years, at home, in the gym, and in studio settings. Her passion for yoga fueled her desire to share it with everyone, which it has led her to become a certified yoga instructor. She is currently in the process of completing the Yoga Alliance 200-hour Registered Yoga Teacher Training Program through YogaFit®. Karen has been a regular student at FitnessYoga Studios for the last few years, and also recently completed the Fitness Yoga Studios instructor training program which included class observation and assistant teaching. She enjoys teaching yoga to all, and recently taught a 5-week kid's yoga series at Wenonah Elementary School.

Karen loves that yoga is truly a system that can be adapted to everybody, and that it can help many people with health issues, such as back pain or stress. Karen says, “Yoga is special to me because, not only does it make me feel great physically, but also mentally. I see yoga as a wonderful journey in my life that has allowed me to grow and improve in so many ways and will continue to do so for a very long time.”

Heather Brown began her yoga journey in Stowe, Vermont over 13 years ago. For years her personal practice was primarily Ashtanga. Upon returning to her native South Jersey and continuing to study and practice other forms of yoga, Heather decided to pursue her teaching certification with YogaFit, finding it to be a system that is both user-friendly and all-inclusive. Three and a half years and three babies later, she is finally sharing her passion for yoga with others. Heather has also been a dedicated student at FitnessYoga Studios for the last few years, and recently completed the Fitness Yoga Studios instructor training program. In addition to sharing her passion for yoga, Heather and her husband Dan, owners of Wagonhouse Winery located in Mickelton, love to share their passion for wine!

Jennifer Schwartz is a graduate of the Power Pilates 600-hour Comprehensive Equipment Training Program. A lifelong student of dance and gymnastics, Jennifer expanded her interest to Pilates after a post-partum back issue. In 2006, she became a Certified Pilates Mat Instructor through Power Pilates at University of Pennsylvania, which follows the classical teachings of Joseph Pilates. In 2009, Jennifer completed the 600-hour training program which has expanded her teachings to apparatus including the Reformer. Jennifer’s teaching reflects her belief that Pilates is a powerful whole body workout. The results one receives are endless – improved posture, balance, increased energy, and a longer, leaner, and healthier individual. Jennifer is also a Business Management graduate of The College of New Jersey.

After graduating from Immaculata University with a BA in Psychology, Susan Desiderio married and became a mother of 3 while juggling a career as a Mental Health Counselor and owner/operator of a family day care business. Eventually, stress and disease took its toll on her quality of life. Recognizing this downward spiral, Susan's spirit rose to the occasion and led her into the ever intriguing world of CAM (Complementary Alternative Medicine). Ten years later, Susan is a Holistic Health Consultant specializing in massage, energy work & Pilates. Her certifications are through the National Massage Therapy Institute and the State of New Jersey, and the American Aerobics Association International (AAAI) & phi Pilates for mat Pilates and Reformer Instruction. Susan is a proud member of the Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals. She opened her own private practice in 2004, Blue Haven Massage & Bodywork.

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