The Art of Teaching

You know you are a real Pilates nerd when you own more Pilates t-shirts than regular ones. My favourite, recently given to me by my amazing Vintage Pilates family in Los Angeles, says, “We don’t change the work; the work changes us.”

I was first introduced to that concept in 2000 during my teacher training at The Pilates Centre in Boulder, Colorado. It was through their instruction that I realized teaching is an art. I first encountered Pilates in 1987 during my first professional dance company job, where we took Pilates three times a week. I immediately fell in love with it. I practiced Pilates every day religiously. I even stopped taking dance classes and trained only in Pilates over time. A few years later, I asked my teacher about getting certified, but her advice was to wait and focus on my dance career and its intense touring demands. I waited, keeping my practice while I danced and toured the world. Despite the ferocious physicality of our dance repertoire and the intense touring demands for nearly two decades, I am still dancing today. Joseph Pilates’ work kept me dancing, and I can proudly say that I am aging gracefully in both body and mind. 

If you’re just beginning your journey as a teacher, you might relate to the challenges of finding confidence as a new teacher. It takes time to develop the expertise that comes with years of practice.

The Art of Teaching Pilates

After almost 40 years of personal practice, teaching, performing, choreographing, training teachers, and being a Franklin Method movement educator, I continually ask myself the same question: What is teaching? How do I further deepen my teaching while continuing to enhance the experience for my clients?

Teaching and being taught for decades ultimately led me to meet Jay Grimes. For those unfamiliar with Jay Grimes, Jay began his studies with Joseph Pilates in the mid-1960s, and after Joe’s death, he continued studying with Joe’s wife, Clara, for another ten years until her death. Jay began teaching in their original 8th Avenue studio in New York City and has since taught worldwide. Until his recent passing, in August of 2024, Jay taught and directed The Work, an intense graduate programme for certified teachers at Vintage Pilates in Los Angeles.

This dedication to the authentic method is what it means to truly be more like Joseph Pilates – honoring the original work while continuing to evolve as a teacher.

The Wisdom of Experience

On the first day of The Work program, Jay told us something to the effect of sorry guys, bad news: I can’t teach you Pilates. Pilates must be felt, with time assisting the process. I found Jay to be a man of few words, observing and then asking a question or commenting with pinpoint accuracy and maximum effect.

Gaining Pilates knowledge is easy; wisdom is harder to acquire. My practice and teaching have undergone many different incarnations over the years, but what has stayed constant is my desire to always go deeper into understanding and embodying the principles of the incredible system that Joe created. My favourite Pilates t-shirt is correct: doing the work changes me.

For those who’ve found this path rewarding, exploring Pilates as a career and investment in yourself can provide valuable perspective on professional growth.

Building Community and Developing Your Teaching

As teachers and practitioners of Pilates, we are all learning and growing. Creating a practicing and teaching community and embracing others into our pool of information to share and grow together is crucial to our industry. We can learn and grow faster, getting deeper and deeper into the work together.

Some instructors find fulfillment in crafting a career through movement and passion, finding their unique path within the Pilates community.

Many years of dancing, choreographing, and teaching have simultaneously sharpened my instructor tools and given me my superpower: an eagle eye. Seeing what is going on in someone’s body is easy. Learning to wait and choose the right timing, word, image, and touch that can create indelible change has been humbling and challenging.

The Essence of Great Teaching

After decades of experience, I believe the art of teaching Pilates boils down to this: Observing clients is easy. However, the true skill lies in using those observations to choose the right words and create the right experience, leading to positive change in their body and practice.

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