White Cloud Pilates Coach in Mid-west mermaid

White Cloud Pilates Coach in Mid-west mermaid

Originally uploaded by troymccarty

Pilates is the New Black: But What Does Style Have To Do With It?

Pilates has become the new black. We have chair Pilates for seniors – pool Pilates – gym Pilates – some flavor of Pilates is everywhere you look.

Personally, I love all the directions Pilates has taken. It keeps everything interesting and attracts a variety of people to the concept of Pilates. But what happened to simply, “I teach a good Pilates class”?

I take pride in my work as a Pilates educator, I teach a good old reformer class, a trap table class, a barrel class and mat exercise. I had a call the other day and the caller asked me “now do you teach west coast, east coast, classical, or contemporary?” I stammered for a moment and said with conviction “ I teach Pilates” how can I help you?

This lady went on to inform me that she has taken pool Pilates, chair Pilates and sex Pilates (not kidding!). I didn’t know there were so many new Pilates methods out there. Hmmm, maybe I’m teaching too much and not getting out in the real world enough.

Let’s see now – if I lived on the west coast I guess teaching out there, that would make me a west coast teacher. If I lived in NYC, I guess I would be teaching east coast Pilates. Catching my drift here? I just teach Pilates. I hate to brand what I teach into a camp. Maybe when I’m teaching if I stood to the west of my client I could say now I’m teaching a west coast style, and so on. I know there are different styles of Pilates based on where Joe’s devotes settled, but I think we all teach from the same vocabulary.

I remember being in a tour of Gypsy in my dancing days and one of the songs was “You Got to Have a Gimmick”. Pilates doesn’t need a gimmick. I think the exercise is so fascinating that it stands alone. If you can get your clients to carry into life what you just spend an hour teaching them – you have done your job. I’m all about seeing my clients achieve and learn in each class. If I see my clients leave with a sense of lift to their bodies or they have learned about their psoas or their spine, then I have done my job, regardless if I’m east coast, west coast, classical or contemporary – good Pilates is simply good Pilates.