Our team

Aleece took her 200hr yoga teacher training and has completed over 300 additional hours of body movement certifications including: Yin, Hatha, Hot Yoga, all Buti Yoga formats, and Thai Vedic Therapy. She has strived to give more to the community by continuing education in the healing arts including sound healing, the Sound Wave Table and Auricular Therapy. If you are looking for someone to empower you with the education you need to advance your body or take pause, Aleece has the tools and so much more!

 Christi has always been active, playing sports, running and just enjoying life. Being an athlete introduced her to Zumba long before it became a worldwide trend.  In 2007 she spent a winter in southern Alabama taking Zumba classes and found her passion. She took master classes with Erick Santana before becoming the first Zumba instructor in northern Michigan in 2008. In 2009 she attended master classes in California, Florida and Ohio with Beto Perez (the creator of Zumba) getting her license to teach basic 2 under Beto, her Aqua license through Maria Browning (the co-creater of Aqua program) and her ZumbAtomic license with Gina Grant (the co-creator of the Zumba for kids program). In 2010 she traveled to Wisconsin to train under Kelly Bullard to receive her Zumba Toning license.  Throughout her career she has expanded her skills to Pole Fitness, chair and burlesque dancing, strength training and Real Ryder cycling. With the love of dance and fitness she created her own program called Alley Cats Fitness, which was introduced in 2014. In 2015 she traveled to Chicago to become one of the first Pound Fitness pros in northern Michigan. In 2017 she received her license to teach Strong by Zumba and understands the importance of, and continues to keep her training current and up to date.  Her goal is to motivate, inspire, and educate others about the benefits of exercising and living a healthy lifestyle. “Health and fitness is more than just your appearance; exercising makes us feel better and live healthier. With patience and persistence, anyone can achieve realistic goals, including high self-esteem, confidence, and the body you desire.

Born and raised in Northern Michigan, Ellie began her career as an estheticain in 2017. Since then she has offered a wide range of services through out the Northern Michigan area, including Medical Grade Facials, Microneedling, Brow Shaping, and Lash lifts. She was fortunate to have the opportunity to attend a training by celebrity brow artist Joey Healy in 2018, and apprentice under some of the areas top estheticains. In 2020 Ellie graduated from Be the Love, Yoga Teacher Training school. She Currently offers Yoga, Dance, and Fitness classes throughout the surrounding areas. She is excited to be offering services at Willoway Spa that allow her to combine her passion for health and beauty as she strongly believes beauty starts from within.

After spending 13 years in hospitality services, Emily grew to understand that her love for making people feel good went beyond what she was currently doing. She aspired to help people feel their best on a deeper and more personal level and sought out esthetician school to achieve her goals. This led her to Fashion Focus Academy in Sarasota, Florida, where she trained under world renowned German spa owner and master esthetician Tina Veraddi. Veraddi specializes in a holistic and European approach to skin care. Under Veraddi’s direction, Emily is now a licensed esthetician in both Florida and Michigan.  Emily has struggled with acne both as a teen and as an adult and understands the importance in finding a skin care routine that works. Her background and love for people is why she wants to be there for you in finding what works best for your skin so you can feel good in it.  Emily incorporates aromatherapy, reiki, sound healing & chakra balancing during her treatments. She believes in a holistic organic approach to skin care from healing the body from the inside out.  Emily is Usui reiki master, sound healer, and chakra healing practitioner. She is certified in Microdermabrasion, Face and body sculpting, Micro needling/ bb glow microneedling, Indian head massage, facial Gua Sha, facial cupping, manual lymphatic drainage massage, and facial reflexology. Emily is excited to add these modalities to the Northern Michigan area. When Emily isn’t at Willoway, you can find her on a golf course, practicing yoga, camping or kayaking.

Julie has been active all of her life.  She only truly fell in love with fitness as she entered her adult years.  Her love for music and dance led her to Zumba.  She walked through the doors of Studio Health and Fitness in 2013 and never looked back.  Since then, she has been actively involved with several studio offerings.   In 2017, she took her fitness to the next level by becoming a licensed Zumba and Pound instructor.  It brings her great pleasure to share her love of fitness with others.  Since then, she has extended her training by becoming licensed in Generation Pound for kids.  She’s also had the pleasure to attend Amplify training in Los Angeles with the CEO of Pound Fitness as well as Level Up with fellow Michigan instructors.   In addition, Julie became a Certified Group Fitness Instructor through AFAA in July of 2021. Outside of the studio, Julie runs on a casual level, competing occasionally and setting personal goals.  She also coaches Girls on the Run each spring.  Julie resides in Petoskey, where she was born and raised, with her husband and three children.

Katherine has always had a deep intuitive sense that she was a healer, although it wasn't until she discovered Shiatsu and massage therapy that she really knew what this meant for her. She enjoys the depth and connection of the one-on-one interaction in bodywork therapy, and feels deeply honored to be able to share in her client's healing journey.  Katherine completed her LMT and Shiatsu certification at Zen Shiatsu in Chicago, IL in 2015. Prior to living in Chicago, her path led her to live and study in South America, the UK and India, as well as teach in Spain and travel throughout. She holds a BA in History and Sociology from the University of Michigan, as well an MSc in Contemporary Urbanism from the London School of Economics. Katherine grew up in the Detroit area, and now feels complete having returned home to Michigan in 2022. Always ready for more adventure, she now calls Northern Michigan her home. Her interests include Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda, yoga, aromatherapy, reading, getting outside, exploring on her bike, drinking tea and delving deeper into holistic health. 

Born and raised in Petoskey, Michigan, Kristine discovered yoga as a way of healing and finding confidence, quickly falling in love with the accepting environment. Looking to deepen her practice, she completed her 200 hr YTT and Reiki level one certification in 2017. She enjoys discovering the many ways yoga can strengthen the mind, body and spirit. Believing that yoga truly is for any body, her classes offer a way to connect breath and movement, leaving you feeling strong and empowered. In 2022, she enrolled at the Studio Pro school in Traverse City to become a massage therapist. Believing that yoga and self care go hand in hand, pursuing a new level of healing through massage therapy was the perfect next step. She expects to complete her training and graduate in 2023.

Benjamin Cheney is a performer and designer from Northern Michigan. He is the founder and Artistic Director of The Croft Residency, a dance residency in Horton Bay, MI. His personal movement practice centers on moving meditation, with a focus on somatic, intentional, and

metaphoric improvisational movement. He uses the tools of Body Mind Centering (BMC) and the Tamalpa Life Art Process (TLAP) as lenses and languages to engage in his explorations and facilitations. He is a level 2 Graduate from Tamalpa and has completed the BMC SME (Somatic Movement Educator) courses. BMC is a large influence in his hands-on practice. Ben

is currently in  Willoway and TC Studio Pro’s massage training program.