Instructors

Patty McNichols

Studio Owner, Pilates Instructor

Originally from Dallas, Texas, Patty is the owner of the Lift Pilates, and a third generation certified Authentic Pilates teacher through the New York Pilates Studio. ® With over 40 years of experience in the health and fitness industry, Patty has dedicated her life to helping people of all ages live a healthier lifestyle. Her journey has included personal training, teaching group exercise, and currently, a deep-rooted commitment to Pilates. After years of dealing with injuries and burnout from intense fitness classes and triathlons, she found just the form of movement that she had been searching for. By fully committing her body and mind to Classical Pilates, Patty was able to see transformational benefits in her strength, flexibility, and overall well being. Right away Patty knew that she wanted to share these benefits to others, and has since committed to spreading the true philosophies and teachings of Classical Pilates in order to help clients of all ages and abilities look, feel, and live better. 

 Patty completed her Advanced Teacher Training Certificate as well as her Master’s through The Pilates Center in Boulder, Colorado. She has studied Pilates extensively through lessons by notable instructors including Elaine Ewing, Sean Gallagher, Rachel Taylor Segel, and Amy Taylor Alpers. Patty teaches daily in her Fox Point studio, both in person and virtually. 2025 marked the 20th anniversary of the Lift Pilates Studio, which originated in a small handball court inside the Milwaukee Athletic Club. Over the years The Lift has quadrupled in size, growing into an impressive fully equipped Pilates studio that features premium Gratz apparatus. Aside from teaching classes, Patty is passionate about collecting and restoring archival Pilates equipment. She travels often to Rhinebeck and New York City, New York for continuing education and lessons. 

Teaching Pilates leaves Patty feeling inspired every single day, fulfilling her goal of helping clients leave the studio healthier, happier, and stronger.

Certifications:

  • The Pilates Center, Boulder, CO, Teacher Training 2001, 985 Hours
  • The Pilates Center, Boulder, CO, Masters Program 2010, 96 Hours
  • The Pilates Method Alliance, Gold Certificate, 2005
  • BOSU, Balance Master Trainer Certification, 2003
  • IDEA, Group Exercise Instructor, Gold Certificate 1986
  • American College of Sports Medicine, Fitness Instructor 1985

Jenny Dale

Pilates Instructor

Jenny received a masters degree in Bioinformatics from Georgia Tech. She was a researcher in gene expression and disease at the Georgia Tech/Emory Department of Biomedical Engineering. Hours behind a computer took a toll on her well-being, and she decided to get out from behind the desk and become a certified Romana’s Pilates instructor. She discovered the method in 1998 where she was fortunate enough to meet Joseph Pilates protege Romana Kryzanowska and observe her teaching. Jenny has studied with many of Romana’s Pilates top teacher-trainers and tested in NY with Sari Mejia Santo, Jerome Weinberg, and Jamie Trout. In 2011, she started teaching at Body Central Pilates, Atlanta’s premier Pilates studio, until moving to the Milwaukee area in 2018. 


Jenny is dedicated to the classical Pilates Method. She loves that anyone can practice Pilates no matter what age or condition because the classical method focuses on the individual. Jenny has been on staff at The Lift since January of 2020. She is experienced, clear, precise, and sweetly strict.