Emily Yamashita
Pilates Instructor & Physical Therapy Aide
Emily grew up in Orange County, California where she danced for over 20 years under the instruction of Salwa Rizkalla of Festival Ballet. During her time with FBT, she had the opportunity to perform in many classical ballets at Irvine Barclay Theatre and Sergerstrom Performing Arts Center, but most importantly, showed her the value of persistence, hard work, and a positive attitude. Emily has recently graduated from University of California, Irvine with a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Dance Performance and a minor in Biological Sciences. Her interest in Physical Therapy stemmed from her love of dance and her overall passion for the human anatomy and its many capabilities. After an accident two years ago, resulting in many stitches and tendon repairs in her leg, Emily had a full recovery in under six months thanks to regular Physical Therapy and Pilates training. Emily has recently completed her Pilates Instructor certification through Diane Diefenderfer, founder of Studio Du Corps, located in Costa Mesa. Pilates was a huge factor during her rehabilitation. She believes that the six Pilates principle; centering of the mind and body, control, breathing, precision and flow can be beneficial for anyone. Emily is currently finishing up her last prerequisite classes and plans to apply to Physical Therapy School this year.
In her free time Emily enjoys dancing with Re:BorN Dance Interactive, hiking, and watching Netflix with her dogs.