The practice of Classical Pilates challenges the entirety of oneself, utilizing predominantly spring-resistive apparatuses to foster the creation of deep, highly specific mind-body connections. Bringing to life the original teachings of Joseph Pilates, classical work pairs spinal flexion with extension to seemingly create length and openness across the body where little to none seems to exist. A pronounced tenant of Joseph's system is the C-curve, from which so many exercises are built and advanced. With foundations in the early twentieth century, Pilates is just as relevant in the present-day, only further evolved and contoured to the realities of today's society. "Joe" possessed a keen and unique approach to movement, incorporating the use of varied equipment to illicit a particular structural alignment and target specific muscular contraction(s). Within a traditional Pilates studio, one will find the following apparatuses: Reformer, Mat, Cadillac, Barrels (Small, Ladder, Spine Corrector), Chairs (Wunda, High), PediPole, Weights, and a number of others that pinpoint either direct parts of the body or targeted movement patterns (Toe Exerciser, Foot Corrector, Magic Square, Jump Board).

 

Real Pilates, based in NYC, guides the third generation of Pilates educators toward their respective careers in the field through their cutting-edge training program. This program requires a complete immersion into the classical syllabus, featuring 180+ hands-on teaching hours, observations, self-practices, 72 content-focused seminar hours, weekly assignments/quizzes, and private work with instructors at a variety of host studios across the country and internationally. The system progresses from beginner work to intermediate and, finally, advanced with deep exploration of how to work with chronic/acute injuries as a form of rehabilitation. Upon completion, instructors are deemed qualified to teach clients of any ability level, age, or background. After 8 months, 200+ teaching sessions, 4 practical exams, and over 60 hours in the studio... Julia Shove is an official graduate of the Real Pilates Teacher Training program!