Pilates Changes Like a Game of Telephone

Do you remember playing the game of telephone when you were a kid? You whispered a phrase from one person to the next, and then laughed at what it morphed into at the end. Pilates changes in a similar way, so that one person’s version of Pilates is far different than another’s. The exercises may still be the same, but there are going to be subtle differences. Here’s what I’ve noticed over the years. 

 Your First Introduction to Pilates

The first time you try Pilates, you’re obviously only going to know what you’re taught. My first exposure to Pilates was mat only and limited to 13 of the 34 mat exercises found in Joseph Pilates’ book, The Return to Life Through Contrology. My teacher was classically trained, but I didn’t know what that meant at first. 

It was at my first Pilates conference that I was able to try contemporary versus classical Pilates. To be honest, the number of workshops, classes, and presenters was overwhelming! Some sessions I loved, others not so much, and I learned a lot from that. Notably, I started to pick up on how Pilates changes based on who is teaching it – and how. Personally, I was attracted most to classical Pilates, or where I could see the origins of the movements and philosophies of the original method. 

Classical vs Contemporary Pilates

A few more years into teaching, I started to see a battle between some classical and contemporary teachers. It was upsetting to me because while I preferred classical myself, there is still something we can learn from others and their teaching methods and style of Pilates. There was a bit of snobbiness between the groups, and I learned that this wasn’t anything new. There had also been some tough days for the Pilates industry in the 90s when there was a lawsuit and many people tiptoed around using the term “Pilates”. 

Anyhow, when I would hear people go on about how they taught the most classical, true “Joseph Pilates” style of Pilates, and how it was so much better than what contemporary teachers taught, I’d shake my head. Even if they had been taught by Joseph himself, there is no way that they could replicate what he did exactly. When you learn anything, you’ll have your own interpretation of it, how it feels in your body, and how to teach it to others. It’s that game of telephone all over again, and it’s inevitable. 

Pilates Changes in Action

A great example of this is when someone is taught an exercise a certain way for a specific reason… and they aren’t aware of why. They then pass on that version to others unknowingly. I once had a teacher who was tiny – under five feet tall. She taught me several Pilates exercises on the reformer that I now realize were taught to me the way they should be taught to a shorter person. She passed on the exercise to me that way, but in fact, it had been taught to her for her own height. I know that this kind of thing happens all the time in Pilates.

Another place you can see Pilates changes “accidentally” happen is when a teacher is having equipment made or a manufacturer alters a design. They may think they are helping to make the apparatus more stable or maybe easier to move, when in fact these changes don’t necessarily help the exercises. They could make the equipment work differently, making the exercises easier (which isn’t the point!). 

What Would Joseph Do?

There is the argument that Joseph Pilates would have continued to change the apparatuses and the exercises the more he learned. Still, there is proof that there was a point when he was still inventing new things but had stopped revamping the designs of his first apparatuses. As I’ve been studying Pilates in more depth, it’s been interesting to see how his final reformer design really fits everybody. 

I really loved my first reformer back in the day, then loved my second one more, now I’m onto number four and it is my go-to favourite. It’s by far the most simple in design but the workout I get is the smoothest, most connected when compared to my previous reformers. 

Pilates Changes Along With The Teacher

I started writing this blog before I had heard of the passing of Jay Grimes, who was taught by Joe and was one of the last living Pilates “elders”. My original training came to me through the lineage of Romana, another teacher Joe had personally trained. I’ve often heard that she was the only “true” classical Pilates teacher. Yet again, though, we know that she added exercises and modified others to suit the many dancers she taught over the years. No doubt those dancers then taught those altered exercises to their own students. Eventually, the lines get blurred and not everyone knows why they are teaching a certain exercise.

While I never learned from Jay himself, I have trained with many who either learned from Jay and/or Romana. There are certainly differences (and many similarities) where Pilates changes depending on who is teaching. An interesting point to note is that Jay openly said that Joseph Pilates taught him differently than he taught to women; not all things were taught to all people in the same way. I feel like what I’ve learned through people who trained directly with Jay gave me the greatest insight and totally changed Pilates for me.

A Passion For Pilates

Whether it’s classical or contemporary, “true” Pilates or a modification, everyone that I’ve learned Pilates from has one thing in common – a passion for what they do. Every teacher has their own style of teaching and Pilates changes with each of us, however tiny the changes may be. If you want to better understand Pilates, I encourage you to follow what you’re interested in – the teachers that connect with you, the style of teaching you like best, and to keep learning. There’s always something new to discover!