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Classical Pilates vs Different Variations of PilatesI’ve read somewhere, that there are all different variations of what Pilates means. Many teachers have changed the essence of what classical Pilates was designed to be by over cueing, over treating and over stretching apparent weaknesses. It is said that we should stick on the classical approach to Pilates which is designed to restore: Stability- foundation to move from and muscles to attach to uniformally. So the question is, how can I tell whether my Pilates instructor right now is applying the classical Pilates or the variation of it? 0
October 8, 2006 | In
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Hmm, a tough one. I myself have been trained in various styles of Pilates. The only variations to the original style that I tend to use (most of the time) is Eve Gentry’s “Pre-Pilates”. Eve stuck to Joe’s original philosophies, but “deconstructed” the exercises so that they were a very gentle & clearly organised foundation on which to build the original exercises. Joseph’s original matwork consisted of 34 exercises, each designed for a specific purpose and to follow each other in an organised sequence. A good Pilates Instructor will not do the entire mat class in one plane. That is to say, to follow Joe’s original ideas, your class should consist of some warm up stretches and gentle exercises, spinal articulation, abdominal work, pelvic and thoracic rotation, lateral flexion,upper and lower back strengthening, side lying work focusing on lateral breathing and stabilisation, prone work for the upper and lower body,shoulder and hip joint mobilisation as well as stabilisation for the shoulder, hip and pelvic girdle. Your class should have clearly organised exercises done supine, laterally and prone. Joe’s original exercises focused on accuracy and control. Repetitions were kept very low (4-8) and each exercise in the sequence had to be mastered correctly berfore moving to the next. The positioning of the body was also very important. Your instructer should not do the entire class in the supine position, nor should they have the class participants in constant forward flexion. They should cue for correct alignment of the body through each plane of movement. Also, Joseph Pilates original concept was for a completely flat spine. Your instructor should be able to cue the class about the difference between a flat back and neutral spine and who in the class might be best suited to follow one or the other style
(gender, age, body type, specfic physical conditions will influence the flat back or neutral spine approach.)
Ok, in a nutshell, your instructor should be able to teach a class that feels free flowing easy to follow,does not use too many technical cues that are confusing,focuses on correct alignment & technique not repetitions, uses modifications so that all participants feel that they are able to correctly execute a move & have each participant feel that Pilates is not beyond their physical capabilities! Pilates is a therapuetic exercise modality originally designed to increase one’s awareness of the human body, correct posture & create a feeling of suppleness, happiness and wellbeing by enjoying good health. I am passionate about Joe and Clara Pilates original work and also Eve Gentry’s contribution and I feel very strongly that the original ideas should not be tampered with too much. The original is almost always the best, only modify the work to suit the group you are working with.
Comment by sherrie aprilovic — October 8, 2006 #
The thing is that, although we have a collection of Josephs exercises, it has been agreed by the few elders left that Jospeh Pilates did not teach an exercise exactly the same to each client. At a Polestar Pilates inaugral meeting the few students left including Ron Fletch, Lolita San Miguel and Romana all agree they were never taught the same variation of the exercsies. Joseph taught never taught the same breathing patterns for an exercsie the same to everyone, everyone was instructed different ques.
So to those who believe they teach the ‘classical’ pilates, no one can possibly do this, as I mentioned it varied person to person.
It is like chinese whispers. Someone who claims to teach ‘classical’ pilates is fooling themselves.
Comment by Krystle — October 18, 2006 #
This is a very interesting and timely question. While Joseph Pilates taught to the human body in front of him, with that body’s unique history and issues, he always followed a methodology that is well described by Sherrie Aprilovic above. Pilates is a movement system, with an order to follow and a set of principles–not just a haphazard series of exercises. Research bears out that the neuromuscular system improves with repetition; movements are refined over time. Anyone who studied with Joseph Pilates experienced their workout with a focus on transitions, a minimum of extraneous movement and a sense of ease and grace. So much of the work is documented that we can decisively say what is classical, original and authentic and what is not. A person taught in the classical system will understand the exercises, the order, and the transitions whether they live in Texas, Boston, Spain or Brasil. There may be slight variations for their particular body, but it is essentially the same system. I strongly agree that the original ideas should not be tampered with too much. Joseph Pilates was a genius of the body and there is enough information he left for us through his writings, photos, films and living teachers for us to know what his work is–and isn’t. Adhering to the classical system is a choice.
Comment by claredunphy — October 24, 2006 #