Today we’d like to introduce you to Daniella Fratangelo.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Daniella. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Dance. Dance is the reason I am a Pilates, yoga, and barre Instructor today…
I love dancing and have been dancing since I first stepped into my tap shoes when I turned 5 years old. I continued to dance throughout life and danced on the Carlsbad High dance team. I decided to pursue dance as a major in college since I had no clue what I wanted to do at the time; I picked a major I knew I would love.
I moved to Las Vegas and attended UNLV. It was quite an experience and the dance program was excellent. I learned so much about dance and music but had no inclination this would point me to my future. Within the program, Pilates, also known as Body Balancing, was a requisite and you had to take two semesters. I heard of Pilates but wasn’t familiar with it whatsoever. I happened to look into a class where Pilates was being taught. I thought, “What is this? This looks so easy, what’s the point?” I was in for a big surprise.
The next week I attended my first Pilates class. I got my butt kicked. If done correctly, the Pilates instructor makes the exercises look super easy and effortless. IT’S NOT. My eyes were now opened. After the two semesters of Pilates were complete I continued taking Pilates classes. The studio I was taking classes from knew me quite well. After about a year, the owner came up to me and asked if I would like to start teaching Pilates at her studio. My eyes grew large and the biggest smile appeared on my face. Now I got to inflict pain on to others…. just kidding!
I then got Pilates Certified by DK Body Balancing, which is through UNLV. After living in Las Vegas for six years and teaching Pilates for over two, it was time for me to move back to San Diego. I worked as an instructor at many Pilates studios around town. It was fun meeting new people, building new relationships, but in the back of my mind, I knew something was missing and I felt incomplete.
In 2011, I wanted to create my own Pilates business. While trying to figure out a business name, I wanted something which uniquely reflected my personal beliefs (and my heritage). Avanti, the Italian word for forward, personifies the mentality I strive to instill in each of my clients: avoid plateauing, keep moving forward, and embrace one’s full potential. In 2015, I started teaching Mat and Chair Pilates at White Sands of La Jolla. In 2016, I decided to get certified in yoga. In 2017, I got certified in barre.
Finally, in November of 2017, I found the perfect studio space for Avanti Pilates. It’s taken over 11 years and a lot of hard work, but Avanti Pilates is open for business!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Before moving into my studio space I wanted the Pilates equipment completely paid off. In order to pay for the equipment, I had to sign up for credit cards that had zero % APR. Eventually, I paid them off, but I had to wait 2 years to pay that debt off before moving into a studio space.
Please tell us about Avanti Pilates.
Avanti Pilates specializes in Private and Semi-Private sessions. This is the most effective way of maintaining great alignment, preventing injuries, and catering the session to your individual needs, be it rehab or achieving a physical goal. I also integrate bits of yoga and barre into each session if the client desires.
I am always seeking ways to learn, grow, and expand my practice. I take my continuous, cross-discipline training and experience and integrate it into my instruction, I provide a fulfilling and rejuvenating way to transform body and mind, helping clients gain confidence and feel amazing about their bodies.
I am most proud of taking a chance on becoming an entrepreneur. I haven’t taken many risks in my lifetime, but this definitely is at the top. It’s a lot of work and not an easy way to make a living, yet very fulfilling and rewarding, I absolutely love it.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Dancing and performing Newsies – twice! I loved that movie as a kid and had two opportunities to perform it.
The first time I had to have been about 10 years old. It was a very small stage production and I didn’t have many lines, but I danced a lot.
The second time I was in high school and performed a dance number for our semi-annual dance showcase. I enjoyed organizing and choreographing that performance.
Contact Info:
- Address: 904-1 Turquoise St. San Diego, CA 92109
- Website: www.AvantiPilates.com
- Phone: (619) 500-4405
- Email: Daniella@AvantiPilates.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/avantipilates
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/AvantiPilates
- Twitter: twitter.com/AvantiPilates
- Yelp: www.yelp.com/biz/avanti-pilates-san-diego-5
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