1883-1967
Joseph Pilates was his name, Contrology was his method. Joseph H. Pilates was born in Germany, in 1883. A sickly child who suffered from asthma, rickets and rheumatic fever, he dedicated his entire life to becoming physically stronger. Joe studied body building and gymnastics and by the age of 14 was fit enough to pose for anatomical charts. In 1914 he moved to England earning a living as a boxer, circus performer and self-defense trainer. During World War I he was interned with other German citizens in a camp near Lancaster where he trained other inmates in fitness and exercises. It was here that the beginnings of the True Pilates Method began to take shape. After the War, Pilates emigrated to the United States. On the ship to America he met his future wife Clara. The couple founded a studio in New York City and directly taught and supervised their students well into the 1960’s. Pilates and his method, which he and Clara called "Contrology", soon established a following in the dance and the performing arts community. From their point of view, "Contrology" is the complete coordination of the body, mind and spirit. Well known dancers George Balanchine and Ruth St. Dennis became devotees and sent their students to them for training. Pilates practiced what he preached and lived a long healthy life. He died in 1967 at the age of 84. Today, Pilates is practiced around the world by athletes, dancers, fitness professionals, as well as the general public.*
*www.truepilates.com
“If you had to say that Pilates had a daughter that he passed his system on to, Romana is the one” – Jacques D’amboise
1923-2013
The most important name in Pilates. Romana Kryzanowska met Joseph Pilates in 1941. She was just 17 years old and a dancer working with the legendary George Balanchine. Pilates, who called his method "The Art of Contrology," immediately took Romana under his wing and the legacy was born. When Joseph Pilates died in 1967 at the age of 87, it was Romana who kept his studio going and his dream alive. Today, the conditioning system he created is simply called Pilates, and its leading practitioner, known throughout the world as "The Teacher's Teacher," is simply called Romana.*
Today the name "Romana" has become synonymous with exceptional pedigree and quality of work through a deeper understanding of the method which Joseph created.
* Romana on Pilates: The Legacy Edition