Sharmila Mitra

Sharmila Mitra is one of Southern California’s most distinguished Pilates instructors. As an instructor, teacher-trainer, and entrepreneur, she has over 20+ years of progressive Pilates experience. In 1999, she apprenticed with the late master teacher Romana Kryzanowska, a protégé of Joseph Pilates, consequently earning her a certification under Kryzanowska’s tutelage. Sharmila’s 25+ years of dance experience as a performer, choreographer, and adjudicator, in essence, was the precursor for her passion in examining the convergence of technical and artistic human movement.

She earned a secondary Pilates certification through Power Pilates, then expanded her study of human anatomy through New York’s Westside Dance Physical Therapy (WDPT), receiving a certificate in dance medicine. At WDPT, Sharmila studied alongside physical therapists that oversee the health of the New York City Ballet and other professional dance companies. In 2005, she established her own studio, Core Arts Pilates in Anaheim, California. In 2015, she was certified in the Gyrotonic® Expansion System, under master trainer Suzie Lewis, with subsequent concentrations in the application of Gyrotonic® for dancers, to educate dancers to dramatically increase their strength, stability, and range of motion. Sharmila is the developer of BodyStrategiesTM for Dancers, a methodology that applies dance conditioning techniques, along with the latest innovations in the dance medicine aimed at optimizing the athleticism of a dancer.

In the summer of 2019, Sharmila taught at Desmond Richardson and Dwight Rhoden’s Complexions Contemporary Ballet intensive at the USC Kaufman School of Dance. Later that year, she was invited by mindbodyonline.com to host a special master Pilates class to media and social media influencers from Health Magazine, Fast Company, PopSugar, Dwell and the Huffington Post. Sharmila just completed a semester as a guest adjunct faculty member teaching pilates to Cal State Long Beach dance majors in the Fall of 2021.

Sharmila’s teaching philosophy not only delves into the physical, but also into mental and emotional aspects of dance wellness. Besides operating a Pilates and Gyrotonic® studio, she is a personal coach, guiding clients to a place of success, potential and growth.

Over the years, she has worked with many of Hollywood’s leading actors, including Jennifer Jason Leigh, Mary Louise Parker, and Academy Award® nominee Toni Collette, as well as former Victoria’s Secret Model Yasmeen Ghauri and former Miss America Maryann Mobley. Sharmila has also been privileged to coach and train several So You Think You Can Dance artists, various choreographers and including any directors and producers in the entertainment industry.