Maria Gillespie is a choreographer, performer, dance educator, and Pilates instructor. She holds a BFA in dance (SUNY Purchase) and an MFA in choreography from UCLA’s Department of World Arts and Cultures and is the artistic director of Oni Dance. Maria was certified in Pilates and Dance Rehabilitation at Long Beach Dance Conditioning under the tutelage of master teacher and kinesiologist, Marie-Jose Blom.

Maria taught in fitness and Pilates studios from 1989- 2000 (Bus, Spectrum, Rapid Rehab) and started her private practice in 2000. She taught modern dance technique, Pilates, and body mechanics at UCLA, as well as at CalArts and Loyola Marymount. Currently she is a lecturer at Cal State Long Beach. Working with a constant fusion of dance education and body mechanics, Maria brings to her practice a keen eye for movement analysis, vivid imagery, and gentle cuing.

She specializes in postural analysis and injury rehabilitation. Maria guides and teaches her students to understand their bodies and facilitates change by offering nuanced focus on movement awareness, dynamic alignment, joint function, rehabilitation, and sports and dance conditioning. Maria’s teaching philosophy is based on helping her students understand that ease and well being are the consequence from a fluid dialogue between the thinking body and the moving mind. To find out more about her artistic practice, please visit www.onidance.org.