Rock City Body's Instructors

Ama Allara
Pilates Instructor, Owner
Ama has been moving her whole life. She started dance and gymnastics in pre-school, and rose to become Massachusetts State Champ and a nationally ranked Rhythmic Gymnast. Her gymnastics career took her to competitions across the country, to Canada and to the former Soviet Union.
Ama is a Stott certified Pilates instructor who has been teaching dance, fitness and gymnastics for over 15 years. She is certified by Stott through the Advanced level of Mat,Reformer, Cadillac, Chair and Barrel Pilates and is certified in Hatha Yoga. Additionally, Ama holds certificates in Personal Training, Aerobics Instruction, Kickboxing and Gymnastics Instruction.
Ama holds a B.A. in Sociology from Antioch College and a M.S.W. from the University of Wisconsin with Graduate Certificates in Women's Studies and Child & Youth Care.
Ama founded Rock City Body in 2001 in order to create a supportive, personalized environment in which people can learn to move and use their bodies for better physical, mental and emotional health.

Kathleen Riley
Balletone, Pilates, Yoga Instructor
Kathleen began teaching Balletone after completing instructor training in November, 2001. In 2003, she began the process of becoming a Balletone Master Trainer which she completed in Spring 2004. In addition to teaching Balletone and training Balletone instructors, she has presented the Balletone Formats at Fitness Conferences such as SCW Boston Mania and Town Sports International Summit. She is also a certified instructor of Mat and Standing Pilates through the Physical Mind Institute and studied the essential and intermediate curriculum of Stotts Pilates Reformer. She has completed the first level of the YogaFit intstructor Training program and teaches Power Vinyasa at Rock City and a Children's Yoga and Fitness program called MOVE IT! at the Pierce School in Brookline. Additionally, Kathleen is certified by AFAA as a Group Fitness instructor and by ACE as a Personal Trainer. Her clientele ranges from 5 year-olds to 75 year-olds at all levels of fitness.
She lives in Brookline Village with her husband, and twin daughters.

Nikki Traylor-Knowles
Belly Dance
Nikki is an award-winning professional belly dancer currently living in the Boston Metro area. She has performed all across the United States as well as in Cairo, Egypt. She began dancing as a child, training extensively in tap and jazz before beginning belly dance in 1997 in Albuquerque, New Mexico at Dancers Supporting Dancers. At Dancers Supporting Dancers she studied with Michelle of Farfesha Dance learning Egyptian, Turkish and American Tribal belly dance styles.
She continues dance on a daily basis despite school and work obligations, and it is her goal to never stop learning!

Allison Lewis
Pilates Instructor
Allison Lewis has been teaching Pilates matwork and Group Cycling at the MIT Zesiger Center since 2003. She received Group Exercise Certification from AFAA in 2003, and in 2005, she received Power Pilates Mat Certification from Kathy Van Patten of Boston Bodyworks. She loves working out on the Reformer, and has taken many lessons at several studios in Boston and New York over the years. In addition to Pilates, she enjoys running, scrapbooking, and playing with her cats.