Achkire, whose 20-year career as a professional dancer includes work with the San Francisco Ballet and the Houston Ballet, knows what it's like for those serious about a career in dancing to make this sort of sacrifice. But perhaps traveling to dance classes won't be so much of a sacrifice for up-and-coming local dancers.

Since November, Achkire has been running a premier dance and Pilates studio in downtown Los Gatos—the first in the Bay Area to offer both kinds of programs in one location. Body in Motion, located at 16 Lyndon Ave., has two 1,500-square-foot studios.

Since its opening, the number of people signing up for dance or Pilates instruction has grown to about 60, and the company has hired about 10 instructors. The dance studio features state-of-the-art sprung floors. The Pilates studio, which carries more than 20 equipment pieces, is one of the largest in the Bay Area. The studio offers private instruction as well as small and larger group classes with flexible hours.

Pilates is a low-impact body conditioning method that uses aspects of yoga and targets core muscles to improve posture and flexibility.

Body in Motion takes on clients with a range of lifestyles—from professionals who have neck, shoulder and back problems from being confined to a desk all day and athletes seeking general fitness to senior citizens, people with weight problems and individuals recovering from injury.

"This is not something that needs to intimidate anybody," said Bill Sato, executive director for Body in Motion. About one-third of the studio's clientele come from a completely sedentary lifestyle, he said.

Gail Jardine, who tried out various physical therapists after her back surgery, eventually settled with exercises at Body in Motion because Achkire—though she would push Jardine to the next level—also gave her room to improve at her own pace.

"If it was somebody who couldn't honor that boundary, I couldn't have done it," she said. Jardine also said that because she had three discs replaced, she was looking for someone who truly understood anatomy to work on her body and trusted Achkire to do so.

At 81, Ellen-Ruth Powers is one of Body in Motion's oldest clients. When Powers first came to Body in Motion, she still relied on a cane to help her walk, but she says Pilates has improved her balance to the point that she no longer needs the cane. "The people there are very caring and gentle as can be," she said.

That care and personal attention shown to Pilates students extends to those receiving dance instruction as well.

Lauren Talley, 13, gave up a full scholarship with a studio in San Jose to train at Body in Motion two months ago.

"What interested me the most was that all the instructors had been professionals at good dance companies," she said. "I definitely feel like I'm enjoying it more just because it's challenging."

Like Talley, Kendal Bovenizer is dancing again with renewed spark in her steps. The 11-year-old had been training with another dance theater but lost her joy because she felt the instructors were giving some of the dancers preferential treatment, said her mother, Sandi.

The staff at Body in Motion "really want to work with the children and invest a lot of time in them," Sandi said, noting that current classes average about 10 students, about half the size of classes at other studios. "It's not a fight to get Kendal over there."

"Her entire self-esteem and personality have changed," Sandi said, adding that the move has also changed the rest of the family.

Because classes are earlier in the afternoon at Body in Motion—classes ran until 8:30 p.m. at her old school—the Bovenizers can now sit down to dinner together, and Kendal has started finding time in the evening for leisure reading again. The staff at Body in Motion works with the family to fit the classes into their schedule because they realize the importance of balancing extracurricular activities with schoolwork, Sandi said.

"Body in Motion looks at the entire child—the personality, ability and age," Sandi said.

For more information about Body in Motion, call 408.399.7577 or visit www.bodyinmotion.net.