Nicole Comella is a lifelong dancer who began her training at age four in jazz, tap, and ballet. After earning a BFA in dance from United States International University in 1990, she became a professional ballerina with San Diego Civic Light Opera and then went on to be a founding member of State Street Ballet in Santa Barbara. Nicole spent 7 years performing principal roles with SSB, before taking on the positions of Assistant School Director of Gustafson Dance and Co-Director of the pre-professional student company, State Street Ballet Young Dancers.

While still performing professionally, Nicole discovered Pilates, which transformed her life as both a dancer and teacher to such an extent that she began a Pilates teacher training program under the tutelage of Astrid De Wild. Over the past 29 years, Nicole has continued to train and grow as a Pilates instructor. Recent certifications of note include Reformer Instructor Training from The Studio A Place for Balance; A Los Angeles based studio that teaches the patented SIMS method and a certification in Strength & Flow: Dynamic Tower Sequencing through NPCP Course through Carrie Pages.

Throughout her combined 39 years of teaching dance and Pilates, Nicole has worked with clients of all ages and skill levels to assist them in achieving their goals, overcoming injuries, and recovering from illnesses and surgery. Her gift is helping people exercise their full body in a safe, supportive environment, helping them stay strong, balanced, flexible, and coordinated through every stage of life. Since opening Grass Roots Pilates in 2021, Nicole’s own life has continued to be greatly enriched by the work she does and the relationships she builds along the
way.