Dana Karen Ciccone

I first discovered Pilates in my twenties, after being diagnosed with a lumbar disc herniation that left me uncharacteristically immobile and depressed for several months. A friend suggested I try a Pilates mat class, and in truth, I was hooked from then on. It was like a piece of my freedom and sense of self was given back to me through the experience of coordinated breath, strengthening and lengthening that is the hallmark of the Pilates method. It was unlike anything I had tried before.

I know how it feels to be given a list of “don’ts” when it comes to joint pain, and it took me years to get to the point where I can really push myself again and I know my true physical capabilities. Almost everything I was told I should avoid along the way is now something I do with relative ease. That experience and what I learned from it are the reason I became a Pilates teacher. And the inspiring stories of my clients keeps me going. I continue to focus my energy on becoming as informed as I can in pain science in order to help my clients find a pathway to strength and a renewed sense of agency in their bodies.

I am particularly passionate about fostering a welcoming environment for all bodies and abilities. Safe and empowering movement should be available to everyone, and I operate with a “weight neutral” mindset that prioritises function above aesthetics.

Expertise

DK has particular expertise in helping people with chronic pain find a pathway back to movement and an active life. She has helped dozens of clients prepare for and rehabilitate from knee and hip replacement surgery, spinal fusion and other acute joint injury repair. She also has expertise in designing sustainable movement programmes for chronic conditions like Multiple Sclerosis, Scoliosis, Scleroderma, Sjogren’s Syndrome, Long COVID, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, and POTS.

Experience

DK started her career in health in the provider relations department of UnitedHealthcare of Upstate New York after completing a B.A. in journalism and English literature at Syracuse University in 2003. She went on to fulfil roles in data analysis, project management and marketing communications, before relocating to New Haven, Connecticut. There, she transitioned into the not-for-profit world at Yale University, in fundraising research.

From 2008 to 2010, DK completed a master’s degree in international affairs at the Geneva Graduate Institute in Switzerland, with a specialisation in global health. This led to program management and research roles with the World Health Organisation and the Yale Global Health Leadership Institute, which brought her back to the U.S. Following Yale, DK joined management consulting firm Accenture as a manager in their health and public service practice.

While she continues to provide independent business transformation and consulting services on a part-time basis, DK left a full-time corporate career in 2017 to pursue her passion of helping people with chronic pain find joy in movement again through Pilates.

Having suffered from persistent low back and hip pain since she was an aspiring professional dancer at 13 years old, DK’s journey with pain and movement has been long and informative. She is committed to using the latest in pain and movement science to inform her work as a Pilates teacher. In Boston, DK owned and operated a pain-focused Pilates studio called Movement Remedies. She frequently speaks on topics related to chronic pain and movement, as well as stress resilience, perimenopause and body positivity. She is a Health at Every Size (HAES) practitioner and a member of the Body Positive

Life outside work

While it has been decades since I performed on stage, my love of music and dance will always stay with me. My partner and I enjoy ballroom dancing lessons, in particular, the Cha-Cha. During COVID I discovered I have a love of watercolour painting, which I expect will also be enhanced by my newest hobby: walking the Waters of Leith.