Getting to Know Nani Andres

Waveforms Pilates Apprentice & Teacher in Training

Aloha!  I’m Nalani (Nani) Andres, an island girl living my best life in Wisconsin with my husband Zach, and our Miniature American Shepherd pup, Rooney.  I grew up in Hawaii on the island of Oahu with my three siblings. There we enjoyed the sunshine and spending our Christmases on the beach. After graduating high school I attended Michigan Technological University to study Mechanical Engineering, and in the program I met my husband Zach. Degrees in hand, we began our search for careers in the field. We both ended up landing jobs in the greater Fox Valley region where Zach grew up.

Three years into my job as an engineer, I realized I needed a stress reliever.  I played sports throughout my entire childhood, and missed experiencing movement on a daily basis.  I googled, “Pilates near me,” and got connected with Courtney.  I started taking One-on-one Sessions and group classes with Courtney when Waveforms was still based in her home, and had an instant connection to the Pilates Method.  Pilates provided me the perfect combination of a mental stress relief and a physical challenge.  

I realized my career and degree wasn’t giving me the fulfillment I wanted, so I decided to take a step back and figure out what was next for me. After many conversations with my husband, family, and support system, I realized that all my life I wanted a job that helped people live better lives. I realized that Pilates was that thing for me.  So, I decided to turn my hobby into my career!  With Courtney’s encouragement and support to help me along with my teacher training, I realized this was the perfect opportunity.  I started the Balanced Body Teacher Training Program in the summer of 2019 with the Movement Principles Course, Anatomy in 3D, and the Pilates Mat Courses, and I’m working toward completing my certification to become a Comprehensively Trained Pilates Teacher (Mat, Reformer, and all other Apparatuses). 

Here are 10 things you may not know about me:

1. I’m half Japanese, half Caucasian, and I’m very interested in different cultures and languages.
2. I fancy ice cream, but I’m lactose intolerant. 
3. I love Marvel and Transformers.
4. I enjoy challenging myself both physically and mentally.
5. I did jazz and ballet in high school, and danced hula since first grade. 
6. I’ve dabbled in gymnastics, and tried a ton of sports. 
7. Softball was my main sport, and I played pitcher.
8. I memorized 30+ digits of Pi to get extra credit in sixth grade, and I still can’t forget it. 
9. I like strategy games, puzzles, and legos. 
10. I enjoy reading books in series.

Having a background in sports growing up and knowledge of mechanical engineering has allowed me to understand and teach Pilates in a unique way.  I view movement from both a biomechanical standpoint and a movement standpoint.  I’m excited to be a part of the Waveforms Pilates team, and I look forward to serving you and helping you become the healthiest version of yourself!  Mahalo!

-Nani Andres