| Joseph Pilates was born in
Mönchengladbach, Germany, in 1883. He was a sickly child and
had only one wish – to be healthy and strong. Soon he busied
himself with ancient Greek and Roman training methods as
well as Far Eastern relaxation techniques. He became very
inquisitive and interested in the anatomy of the human body,
analyzed the movements of animals and also practiced in
various sports such as diving, skiing, wrestling and boxing.
In 1912, he decided to emigrate to England to fulfil his
dream of becoming a professional boxer. At the outbreak of
World War I, he spent time in captivity together with other
Germans together. In a camp on the Isle of Man, he worked as
a male nurse, where he could apply his knowledge of the
human body treating injured and diseased prisoners. In order
to work with them more effectively, he utilized metal
springs, which he fixed on hospital beds. This was the
cornerstone of the development of his body-fitness program
which he later called "Contrology". After the war, Joseph
Pilates returned to Germany. He coached the Hamburg police
as well as many well-known private persons, including Max
Schmeling (German heavyweight boxing champion of 1930), Mary
Wigman (dancer and choreographer) and Rudolf von Laban
(dance theorist), who later integrated the Pilates method
into his work.
Joseph refused the offer to train the German army,
instead he emigrated to the United States in 1925. On the
ship he met his future wife Clara, a trained nurse. Together
they opened the first Pilates studio in New York. In the
same building, the New York City Ballet under the direction
of George Balanchine was situated. Due to his success in
training with dancers, Pilates was already well known in the
dance scene. George Balanchine trumpeted Joseph as a "genuis
of the body". Over the years, Joseph improved his method
constantly and constructed a variety of different training
devices for it.
After Joseph Pilates had died of emphysema in 1967, Clara
Pilates continued the studio on her own. She soon picked up
support from Romana Krysanowska, a former dancer and student
of Josephʻs. After Claraʻs death, Romana took over the
management of the studio. Until this day, Romana Krysanowska
has made it her mission in life to preserve and pass on the
authentic, classic Pilates method.
The name ,Pilatesʻ is not legally protected. Therefore,
there is now a wide range of Pilates styles. Bluebird
Pilates Munich offers the authentic, classic training
method. |
