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Born in Germany in 1880, Joseph Pilates was a skinny child suffering from rickets. He spent his life studying the mechanics of the body. Pilates searched for fulfillment, strength and harmony in order to pursue multiple activities. He was fascinated with anatomy, as well as martial arts. He managed to build an athletic body - becoming a boxer, a gymnast, a skier, a self-defense teacher. Through this never-ending exploration of the body, he created a bodywork technique with the help of machines that he invented. He named this method "contrology", taking its source on the body itself.
After having worked on studying the extreme pathology of injured soldiers in World War I, he emigrated to the United States to create his own studio with his wife Clara. |
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The Pilates technique became internationally renowned, and developed into a true point of reference in the dance and performing arts world. Until his death, in 1967, Joseph Pilates kept on perfecting his method, and taught at his New York City studio.
Romana Kryzanowska, who was first his student, turned out to be his true heiress. She continued to teach his technique to the new generation, in particular to her daughter Shari Meija-Santo and to her spiritual son Philippe Taupin, who was my teacher. |
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