OUR PRACTITIONERS


DANICA KALEMDAROGLU
Owner | Master Somaphyx® Practitioner
Danica has been a Pilates practitioner and movement educator for over 20 years. Guided by the methodology of Joseph Pilates, she teaches to educate each body of their individual movement potential.
Danica is a licensed NCPT and an advanced graduate of The Pilates Center, Boulder where she studied intensively under the Alpers sisters and numerous other master teachers.
She holds an MFA from the University of Colorado and a BA from Goucher College, both in performance/choreography and somatics. Her passion for movement education has made Pilates 804 Richmond’s premier training center specializing in restorative Pilates for all bodies.
Danica is also the creator of Somaphyx, Pilates training for practitioners and movement educators. She offers comprehensive apprentice-based training at Pilates 804 as well as virtual bridge and mentorship programs.
ELIZA DIENER-BRAZELLE
Somaphyx® Pilates Practitioner

Eliza Diener-Brazelle is a Somaphyx Pilates Practitioner at Pilates 804. She began studying the Somaphyx Pilates method with Danica Kalemdaroglu in 2014, and earned her comprehensive certification in 2016. As a teacher, Eliza loves using traditional Pilates to help her clients move with more ease and power, and with less pain and restriction. She has equal enthusiasm for working with clients who want to have an easier time putting on their own socks, and those who are serious athletes striving to improve their performance. Whatever your physical movement goals are, Eliza is excited to help you achieve them.
For Eliza, Somaphyx Pilates has been a wonderfully unifying practice to support her other favorite movement forms: dance and circus arts. After a childhood spent in dance studios and on recital stages, Eliza received her BFA in dance and choreography from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2007, and she has since performed professionally throughout Virginia, as well as North Carolina, Illinois, and Ohio. Her introduction to aerial silks in 2011 led her to a whole new world of dancing in the air, and she now practices partner acrobatics, straps, and rope, in addition to silks. The strength and embodied understanding Eliza has gained as a Somaphyx Pilates Practitioner have been invaluable to her life as a mover.


DAMIEN LOWERY
Sompahyx® Pilates Practitioner
Damien is a comprehensively certified Pilates instructor through the Somaphyx Method at Pilates 804. He is also a certified FRSC, which requires an FRA and FRC certification under the Functional Range Systems umbrella. Damien has a profound passion for empowering individuals through movement. As an athlete involved in various modalities—from conditioning to yoga to strength training—he has experienced the transformative effects of movement in his own life and is dedicated to sharing its benefits with others. His philosophy revolves around developing personalized approaches that cater to the unique needs and goals of each client.

Through assessing movement, he gains insight into a client’s abilities and limitations, allowing for a tailored session to maximize their goals while ensuring safety and well-being. Education forms a fundamental part of his teaching, as he strives to empower clients with knowledge about their bodies and the purpose behind each exercise. This not only motivates them to actively participate in their fitness journey but also fosters a deeper understanding of their physical capabilities.
Damien has been a lifelong fan of the fitness industry. Growing up playing all the major sports, practicing martial arts, working as a personal trainer at Gold’s Gym, and teaching Les Mills classes, he has gained a holistic view of what movement looks like across various modalities. His exposure to Pilates came during his time at Gold’s Gym, but it wasn’t until years later that he was able to pursue his NCPT certification.
As a movement coach, Damien views his role as not only guiding clients through exercises but also acting as a positive role model. Encouraging self-acceptance and self-care, he creates a supportive environment where everyone feels valued and empowered, regardless of their background or abilities. Damien is committed to staying adaptable and progressive by incorporating contemporary practices that continue to support the fundamentals of scientific literature on human movement.
Outside of the Pilates/Fitness world, you’ll find Damien spending time with his wife, Anna, daughter, Sydney, and extended family. There is always some DIY project around the corner or a beach somewhere.
AISLING CHAPIN MS
Somaphyx® Pilates Practitioner

Somaphyx Pilates Practitioner Aisling is comprehensively certified through Somaphyx, the teacher training Program at Pilates 804. Having pursued an education and a career in Geography, Aisling’s interest in movement was purely about ways to stay healthy. A back injury decades ago led her to Pilates, and she found a therapeutic method of conditioning that would eventually change her career path. Teaching Pilates allows Aisling to merge the analytical thinking developed in the early part of her career with the passion for movement potential she discovered in her first studio session. She is profoundly grateful for all that Pilates has done and continues to do for her and now works to help others discover what movement can do for them.
