Franklin Method Educators & Trainers

Sue holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music from UC Berkeley, a Master of Arts in Music History from California State University, Fullerton, and a law degree from Boalt Hall, University of California, Berkeley.

Sue is the lead exercise specialist at Ando & Aston. Drawing on her knowledge of Pilates, movement imagery, ballet and yoga, Sue combines her gifts for words and images to help her students find new movement and freedom in their bodies, whether the students’ goals are artistic performance, recovery from injury, or just a desire to feel and look their best.

Sue’s life-long passion for movement led her to study Pilates at Studio du Corps, the first Pilates studio in Orange County. Pilates is a system of exercise created to improve not only strength, but also body awareness, flexibility, dynamic alignment, and balance. It uses specialized equipment designed by Joe Pilates to develop smooth flowing movement, with concentration and focus on specific movement muscles. Sue is certified in Pilates through Studio du Corps, and she taught there for many years.

Sue believes that your body speaks your mind, so that what we think about ourselves shows up in how we move. She studies movement imagery with Eric Franklin, a world-renowned dance medicine specialist, author, and director of the Franklin Method® Institute in Ulster, Switzerland. The Franklin Method combines dynamic imagery, experiential anatomy and movement to safely optimize performance in disciplines such as dance, athletics, and acting. It is used by professional ballet companies and elite athletic teams to achieve top performance, reduce injury rates, and prolong careers. Sue is excited to be among the first Franklin Method® teachers certified in the U.S. by Mr. Franklin.

Sue is also a certified pre-trainer of GYROKINESIS®, a movement method which emphasizes organic movement from not only the spine but the body’s deep muscle tissue, building energy through the body and refreshing the mind. As a pre-trainer, Sue offers the first course required for those seeking certification as a GYROKINESIS® instructor.

At Ando Studio, a division of Ando & Aston Physical Therapy, Inc., Sue specializes in Pilates rehabilitation exercise and holds weekly classes in GYROKINESIS® and Tai Chi. She also teaches Pilates and yoga for dancers at Orange Coast College, as well as Pilates mat conditioning at the DeFore Dance Center in Costa Mesa, California.