Mary Jean Stack

Dr. Mary Jean Stack PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS

OWNER of Great Falls Physical Therapy
FOUNDER of Great Falls Movement Center

Focus Areas: Dance, Hypermobility, and Orthopedics

Prior to opening Great Falls Physical Therapy, Mary Jean worked as a physical therapist in New York City and Washington DC. She became a Board-Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist in 2018. She is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association and is an active member of the American Physical Therapy Association and the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science. Mary Jean was certified to teach Pilates by Power Pilates and has taught Pilates in individual and group settings. Mary Jean is also a Certified Expert by the Titleist Performance Institute to better allow evaluation and treatment of golf related injuries. Mary Jean has also taken various continuing education courses including Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation, Dynamics Neuromuscular Stabilization and Dry Needling.

Mary Jean earned her Doctorate of Physical Therapy in 2014 from New York University, where she received the Elizabeth C. Addoms Award for Academic and Clinical Excellence. As an undergraduate at Muhlenberg College, Mary Jean taught ballet and graduated cum laude with a double major in Dance and Russian Studies.

Mary Jean grew up in Great Falls, where her family still lives. She attended Great Falls Elementary, Cooper Middle School, and Langley High School. She began studying ballet at the Margaret Haddad Studio of Classical Ballet. In high school, she attended the prestigious Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington, DC where she received an Artistic Degree.

Mary Jean first became interested in the field of physical therapy following her own injuries as a ballet dancer. As a physical therapist, Mary Jean utilizes her prior dance background to assess biomechanics and movement in both dancers and non-dancers. In 2023, she co-authored the article: Return to Ballet Progression for Dancers After Hip Arthroscopy For Instability or Femoracetabular Impingement Syndrome which was published in the Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine. As a clinician, she understands first-hand the importance of individualized and patient-centered care to enable patients to achieve their personal goals. Mary Jean has particular interest in treating young dancers and hypermobile patient populations. She strives to help all her patients become pain-free and stronger than before their injuries. In her free time, Mary Jean enjoys spending time with her husband, Joey, and their dog, Abby.

Mary Jean and Great Falls Physical Therapy were named Top Physical Therapist and Best PT Practice in Washington Family Magazine in 2024. GFPT has also been a repeat winner of Nextdoor’s Neighborhood Favorites.

Ashley Rose

Ashley Rose, PA-C, MPH

OWNER of Great Falls Pilates
FOUNDER of Great Falls Movement Center

I’m a Great Falls, Virginia native with a lifelong passion for movement and wellness. My journey began as a dancer — I grew up locally immersed in the arts and was first introduced to Pilates as a ballerina. I went on to study Pilates formally as part of my undergraduate education at the University of Utah, where I initially majored in Ballet. During that time, I faced chronic hip pain and ultimately underwent major reconstructive hip surgeries that led me to transition out of dance.

I later earned my Physician Assistant and my Master of Public Health (focused in Women and Children’s Health) degrees through a dual program at George Washington University. I practiced at the renowned VSI (formerly Virginia Spine Institute), completing a spinal residency and working alongside the nation’s top spine surgeons, pain management physicians, physical therapists, and massage therapists. We provided holistic, advanced spine care — and I talked Pilates daily.

After having my firstborn, I paused my medical career and took a leap into Pilates instruction — a decision that beautifully blended my clinical background, movement training, and desire to help others. Joseph Pilates’ focus on posture, flexibility, core strength, and stability matched everything my spine patients needed. Great Falls Pilates was born from that synergy.

I am active in our local community and have been a long standing sponsor of Celebrate Great Falls and organize the Great Falls annual Fourth of July Fireworks celebration. It’s been a joy to grow a supportive, expert-led community here.

In addition to being comprehensively trained in classical Pilates, I hold advanced specialty certifications in:

  • Osteoporosis protocols for safe strengthening

  • Post-Partum Corrective Exercise (including pelvic floor support and diastasis rehab)

  • Kathy Grant Heritage Program Graduate (one of Joseph Pilates’ first-generation students)

  • Movement Science Made Simple, a graduate-level biomechanics mentorship program

  • Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization – Level 1