|
My torrid romance with Pilates began many moons ago when I was a professional dancer and choreographer in San Francisco. Needless to say, my work with The Flying Buttresses feminist performance troupe, Elbows Akimbo mutlimedia performance ensemble, and Harupin-Ha Butoh dance company did not garner enough cash to support my bohemian lifestyle in the Bay Area. And being twenty-two, full of hubris, and an experience junky to boot, I did what every self-respecting young woman in my position would do- I became a professional wrestler.
But my career as "Ruth Less" was cut short; during a tag team match- one squat tough cookie tried to take me down, but I stayed my ground—only to hear a loud “snapping” sound. My right knee. My anterior cruciate ligament. Torn. For good. As I lay on the mat, I cursed myself; how could I be so stupid? I figured my dance career was over for sure.
Enter Pilates. I ventured to St. Francis Hospital Dance Medicine in San Francisco where they have a whole department dedicated to Pilates-based rehabilitation. Surgery was advised, but I wanted to try alternatives before going under the knife. I was put under the care of Elizabeth Larkham, who has since become one of the superstars of modern Pilates. After six months of rehabilitation, I returned to dancing only to realize that, to my surprise, I was a much better dancer than before my injury. Pilates had not only allowed me to return to jumping, leaping, and twirling, it had actually improved my technique, control, balance, and core strength.
I then moved to New York City, where I enrolled in the MFA program in dance at New York University and met the wonderful Kathy Grant, an original Joseph Pilates protoge who taught the morning Pilates Mat class. I dropped out of the Master’s program, but Kathy Grant inspired me to pursue Pilates teacher training- which I did with Romana Kyranowska, another of Joe Pilates original students.
I returned to San Francisco in 1992 and continued my Pilates studies with Jennifer Stacey and Carol Appel of Body Kinetics. The following year I opened my own studio in my live/work loft in the Mission district of San Francisco. The studio expanded so much over the years that we moved to a bigger building, with two full floors dedicated to Pilates-based fitness, rehabilitation, teacher training, continuing education, and complementary medicine. As Pilates gained popularity, my business grew, and I opened a second studio in Oakland, California, in 2001.
My hunger for knowledge led me to earn a Master of Science degree in Acupuncture & Chinese Herbal Medicine at the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in San Francisco in 2000.
I started to miss my family and the east coast edge, so I moved to Brooklyn and opened my third studio in Park Slope in October of 2006.
As part of my ongoing interest in Pilates innovation, I designed a new piece of Pilates equipment called the Pilates Springboard. The Springboard is an inexpensive and space-saving variation of the Wall Unit/Cadillac which is now being manufactured by Balanced Body.
Although Pilates is a fabulous system that can correct and rehabilitate a plethora of physical ailments, it doesn’t always translate to standing alignment and gait. So I developed a system that combines Pilates and walking, called Walk-ilates. We use the MBT shoes (Masai Barefoot Technology), which are stability shoes that roll instead of hitting the ground flat, to enhance the corrective aspects of the Walk-ilates program.
I've now taught Pilates for over fifteen years and have developed a unique language with which to communicate the essence of the Pilates Method. I have written seven books to date; Pilates for Dummies, Pilates Workbook on the Ball, Pilates Props Workbook, and a series of professional manuals on the equipment; Pilates Reformer, Pilates Springboard, Pilates Cadillac, and Pilates Wunda Chair. You can buy them at any of our studios or on our online store. Check them out!
Please check out my blog Ellie on the home page for the latest news on my studios and other adventures in Pilates. On the website you’ll also find our online store where you can purchase MBT shoes, my books and other related books, and Pilates equipment and accessories.
|
