Our Team
Melissa Sands: Owner of ON CORE StudioA lifelong dancer, my professional career was cut short when I sustained a severe back injury. As part of my own rehabilitative process, I experienced the transformative effects of Pilates, Yoga, and GYROTONIC® exercises firsthand. This led to my own continued study and work as a teacher in the San Francisco Bay Area for many years. In 2005, I was thrilled to open my own studio, ON CORE – Maui’s first comprehensive Pilates, GYROTONIC® and yoga studio. While I’m a strong proponent of movement as part of the rehabilitative process, I also believe that a body in motion and balance is essential to the prevention of illness and injury and ultimately, to achieving a unified body, mind, and spirit. Over the past fifteen years, I’ve been lucky to work with and be trained by some of the world’s most renowned practitioners, including physical therapist, Jane Chic, Pilates master Madeline Black, Iyengar Yoga instructors Alan and Jaki Nett, and GYROTONIC® master trainer, Keli Fine and founder Juliu Horvath. Additionally, I have a BA in Modern Dance and Psychology from Mills College in California and have completed extensive coursework in kinesiology, spinal and sacral biomechanics, anatomy and physiology. Throughout my many years of teaching, I’ve had the opportunity to work with hundreds of people at all levels – from longtime practitioners to absolute beginners. Sessions at ON CORE are fun but focused, accessible but rigorous. I believe that each person is his or her own best teacher and I work to facilitate your own highest experience. The body is transformed when aligned with the mind and spirit, and ON CORE is a safe, nonjudgmental, and open place to explore this transformation. I look forward to working with you! Melissa Angelika Dickeson’s passion for the movement arts has been strong her entire life
Angelika’s passion for the movement arts has been strong her entire life. She began with classical ballet training at an early age in her home country of Germany, and soon was exploring Jazz and Modern Dance before she was 13 years old. After taking time to raise her only son, she fervently began pursuing dance once again when she moved to Maui, Hawaii in 1998. She quickly was accepted as a lead dancer in the modern, hip hop dance group, “Function,” and was a part of several public performances, including one large dance review at The Iao Valley Theater in 2000 It was after this that she experienced a minor knee injury which influenced her to give up Classic Ballet and Modern Dance. Instead, she developed an interest in Pilates and Yoga. She began studies with Anita Jackson, a renowned Pilates instructor, in 2003, and eventually continued studying with Caleb Rhodes, a respected instructor with years of experience. In 2007, Angelika participated in Ellie Herman’s Teacher Training program and subsequently, began teaching Pilates on her own. In 2005, she began a more in-depth study of yoga with the incomparable Mirka Kraftsow, taking several intensive workshops and retreats under Mirka’s personal tutelage. She has also studied with another Maui yoga luminary, Ted Surman. In 2009 she started the intensive Yoga Sadhana training program with Ted and completed the Teacher Internship in September 2010. Pilates ultimately helped heal her knee totally, and she has been injury-free since 2006. She attributes her healing success to intensive Pilates core and alignment work, as well as the overall conscious body awareness Pilates provides. Angelika’s passion for dance has blossomed into a strong interest in healing others, which can be seen in the way she teaches her classes, interacts with students, and helps others when in need. Virginia Holte is thrilled to share her passion for movement with On Core Studio’s clients! All Classes are taught with care and consideration to suit each individual’s needs.
A Graduate of The Academy of the Washington Ballet in Washington, D.C. under the Direction of Mary Day, Ms Holte enjoyed a long career as a Professional Dancer with the Washington Ballet, Chicago Ballet, Indianapolis Ballet Theatre, and Guest Dancer for companies such as Ballet Internationale, Infinity Ballet, New Jersey Ballet, and Indiana Ballet Theatre N.W. before moving to the The Big Island of Hawaii in 1986. A Third Series Practioner of Ashtanga Yoga, Ms. Holte is also certified in the Pilates Method, Mat & Equipment. Virginia currently holds the following GYROTONIC® Expansion System Course Certifications:
Virginia conducts GYROTONIC® & GYROKINESIS® Teacher Training and Update Courses exclusively on Maui at On Core Studio. http://www.balletmaui-konahawaii.com Allegra Love brings more than 10 years of experience
In addition to Pilates, Allegra has studied Juvamutki yoga and taught aerobic dance classes. Sessions with Allegra are the perfect balance of challenge and fun Lauren Mekeel recently moved to Maui to follow her heart in appreciation of our ocean and love for nature and all it entails
Lauren then continued to travel studying the Spanish language and Psychology in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, Guadalajara, Mexico finally graduating with a BA of Liberal Arts: Spanish and BA of Science: Psychology at Hofstra University, NY. With an immense love for family, Lauren has always travelled home to Long Island, New York where she was a Spanish transliterator/interpreter in a high school program for deaf and hearing impaired students. Lauren is so grateful to have been part of a studio ‘family’ at Circa Health and Fitness in Syosset, NY as a Certified IM=X Pilates Instructor and Yoga Teacher. Being part of teams and privileged to be a part of many families, Yoga and Pilates have strengthened all aspects of her life. Although Lauren loves to share her practice in teaching clients, she thoroughly enjoys being a student and constantly learning more. As a woman and individual she has chosen to stay physically and mentally strong to undertake anything that comes her way. Here in Maui Lauren is entirely psyched to share her practice with you! Alejandra Monsalves - I am a Physical Therapist from Chile. In Chile, I work as a Pilates instructor and a Physical Therapist and have worked with patients with traumatic, cardiovascular, orthopedic, respiratory, and neurological injuries and diseases. In 2003, I moved to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, where I took training courses on Neurology Rehabilitation and worked as a Physical Therapist treating patients with Cerebral Palsy, traumatic brain injuries, neuromuscular disorders, spinal cord injuries and sciatic conditions. In 2004, I moved to Cuba and studied Multifactorial Neurology Rehabilitation at the CIREN, International Neurology Rehabilitation Center at Havana, Cuba. I moved to California, USA, in 2005. I took an English Health Training Program at San Francisco State and a professional development English program for international women at Mills College and I renewed my Pilates Certificate through the Physical Mind Institute in 2006. I became a certified member of the American Fitness Association in 2007, after completing an aqua fitness program and Yoga program. I worked as a Pilates and Aqua Instructor at Bay-0 –Vista Tennis Club, Oakland Hills Tennis Club and the Oakland YMCA. I also worked at Finding Center as a Therapeutic Pilates instructor. Using Pilates, I am a facilitator for others with chronic pain, injures and physical disorders; my goal isto clarify the fitness objective and develop a plan to reach the goals. Pilates is a great instructional tool to control pain and build core stability, balance, endurance, flexibility and strength. I moved to Maui in 2008, worked as a Pilates instructor and started teaching a course called Introduction of the Nervous System to Pilates. In 2010, I traveled to California to continue my education and I was certified by Recovering Function as a Bobath Instructor, a world recognized neurologic rehabilitation technique. I returned to Chile in 2010. I am the director of the first Pilates rehabilitation program in Chile at Pilates QI and train other Physical therapists in Neuro kinesthetic Pilates and have taught other courses such as a Introduction of the Nervous System to Pilates at NeyunPilates. I customize each Pilates session based on the client’s needs and his or her specific injury. I strongly believe that using Neuro-plasticity and breathing control you can have a healthy Nervous system and an understanding of the mind body and spirit. I bring a lot of specialized knowledge and experience to my classes as well as passion and enthusiasm. Since relocating to Maui I am working at ON CORE STUDIO. Monica Psomas
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An Internationally Certified 
And a beautiful understanding of the Classical Pilates Method to ON CORE Studio. Allegra received her Pilates training at the Midwest Pilates Studio in Evanston Illinois, where she studied with Romana Kryzanowska and Juanita Lopez.
Maintaining strength and balance of mind and body has been a constant theme. At a young age, Lauren was Captain of the New York sector National and Empire Women’s Lacrosse teams which lead to her attendance at Loyola College in Baltimore, Maryland as part of their Division I Women’s Lacrosse Team. 
In 2002, I graduated from the Catholic University of Maule in Chile and received a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology and my Physical Therapist license. While studying at the University in 1996, I took a spinal cord injury specialty course, and in 2001 I developed a spinal cord injury program. I found working with and helping people afflicted with chronic back pain and spinal conditions was something I felt strongly called to do.
