JOSEPH PILATES

In 1912, he moved to England to join his brother and the two of them performed as acrobats and pugilists. During World War I, Joseph – as a German national was placed in an internment camp. It is there that he truly started to develop his Mat work exercises. Because of his prior background, he was brought to the Isle of Man where he worked with the injured soldiers returning from the war. Joe felt that in order to heal properly that the body needed to continue to move. Consequently, he began physically moving and exercising the injured soldiers in their hospital bed. He grew physically tired of doing this work and consequently began utilizing springs from the hospital beds and other props. This original thought process involving ‘springs’ eventually grew into what is now known as the Cadillac or Trapeze Table.

After his time in England and in the internment camp, he returned to Germany to work with the German police force. By 1926, Pilates started his journey to New York City where he met his common-law wife, Clara while en route. Together, they opened their first exercise studio at 939 8th Ave. Over the years the Pilates Studio attracted quite a diverse clientele of the ‘Who’s Who’ in NYC society, Dance Entertainment circles. Joseph Pilates passed away at the age of 87 in 1967 leaving behind a legend that would change the fitness industry in many significant ways in the years to come, his method of “Contrology” was quickly embraced and was years ahead of its time.

Over the course of more than 85 years, Pilates has continued to grow and thrive and change the face of fitness not only in the US but the rest of the world. Pilates truly was the first US exercise export. No matter where it is being taught now in the world the Pilates method’s roots are traced directly back to the US.

EVE GENTRY

Eve was born Henrietta Greenhood in San Bernardino, CA on August 20, 1909. In 1917 she began to study ballet, folk and ballroom dance and in 1928 she moved to San Francisco and began studying modern dance. It was in 1936 that she moved to NYC where she began a dance career with the Hanya Holm Company.

She choreographed her most famous dance piece Tenant of the Street in 1938. She married her childhood friend and beau Bruce Gentry in 1944 and chose the professional name – Eve Gentry.

In 1940 Eve and 3 other teachers founded the Dance Notation Bureau. She was in fact the first American dancer to teach Laban notation in the US. Eve directed her own dance company from 1944 – 1968. She was also a charter faculty member for the High School for the Performing Arts and the New York University School of the Arts. Most significant in this context is that she served as a teacher and associate with Joseph Pilates in NYC from 1942 – 1968. During this time Eve had a radical mastectomy in 1955 and knew that the only person she could turn to for help was Joseph Pilates. So much muscle had been removed she could not lift her arms. With Joe’s help and guidance, she was able to return to dance in one year’s time.

She relocated to Santa Fe, NM in 1968 and established a dance studio as well as a Pilates studio with the equipment that Joe had given her before she departed from NYC. Eve worked with the Santa Fe Opera and choreographed and danced in Stravinsky’s La Rossignol in 1969 and 70 and at the age of 63 danced in the world premiere of Villa Lobos – Yerma choreographed by Jose Limon.

Throughout her more than 50 year career Eve was a dancer, teacher, coach, and choreographer for countless stage, film, and television projects. In 1979 Bennington College honored her with the ‘Pioneer of Modern Dance’ award and in 1989 was chosen by the State of New Mexico as a ‘Santa Fe Living Treasure’.

Eve died on June 17, 1994 at the age of 84. Although she trained only 3 individuals to teach the Pilates method in her lifetime, her contribution to the preservation and development of the Pilates method remains to this day remarkable.

MICHELE LARSSON

Michele is a former dancer and choreographer who trained at the Julliard School of Music. Michele received a BA in Holistic Health from Antioch University. She began teaching movement in 1965, instructing dance for the NY Public Schools in 1965. Through the years she has taught Labanotation, modern, jazz, ballet and choreography in professional studios and universities. She began teaching Pilates Mat work and post-injury classes in 1979.

In 1982 after 12 years of study with Eve Gentry, Larsson began teacher training under her guidance. She spent many months working with Ms. Gentry. Larsson worked as an associate teacher with Eve Gentry for nine years prior to the founding of the Institute for the Pilates method with Eve and Joan Briebart in 1991. While she was with the Institute she was the Director of Training and developed curricula and materials for Pilates Teacher Training.

Building on her past experience, Larsson established Core Dynamics Inc. in 1996 as a teacher training organization and studio in Santa Fe, NM. The program expanded to 6 locations throughout the US. and internationally.

CORE DYNAMICS PILATES TEACHER TRAINING WAS CREATED BY MICHELE LARSSON IN 1996 TO CARRY ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PILATES METHOD BY FIRST-GENERATION TEACHER EVE GENTRY.

Larsson decided to put the Teacher Training Program on hiatus for a few years as she studied and further developed her own continuing education and advanced studies workshops and delivered those workshops throughout the US and Internationally.

As she continues to develop her own advanced study workshops she has sold and turned over Core Dynamics Pilates to Kevin Bowen in September of 2014.

Michele is recognized as a master Pilates and Movement educator in all phases of the Pilates method utilizing all of the apparatus.

KEVIN A. BOWEN

OWNER/DIRECTOR CORE DYNAMICS PILATES

As a progressive leader in the Health/Fitness and Pilates profession for over 25 years, he is the Co-founder, past President and former Executive Director of the Pilates Method Alliance (PMA). In addition to owning and operating the Pilates Miami Studio in Miami FL for more than 13 years, he has been the Director of Education for Peak Pilates as well as the Coordinator of Education and Business Development for Lolita San Miguel and her Lolita’s Legacy Teacher Training Program.

The Pilates Miami Studio began offering Michele Larsson’s Core Dynamics Pilates Teacher Training Program in 1998 and during this time Kevin worked closely with Ms. Larsson and the rest of the Education Team developing and refining the Program. He is now the Core Dynamics Owner and Director. He has also developed ‘The Prime Male’ an information forum on health, fitness, and lifestyle for men over 40.

He has been featured in numerous local, national and international television segments such as CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, and NPR as well as written and contributed to many articles in periodicals such as Pilates Style Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, IDEA Fitness Journal on the Pilates method and holistic health.

Shannon Lee West

Mary Ellen Bryan

MARY ELLEN BRYAN’S movement career began in 1987 studying ballet under the Royal Academy of Dance technique, which led her to a professional dance and choreographic career. In 1999, under the study of master teachers Michele Larson and Virginia Nicholas, she earned a Pilates Certification through Core Dynamics Pilates and has had the great fortune of training and mentoring Pilates teachers in training since 2008. Mary Ellen has trained with many great teachers who have played a major role in building her unique and accessible teaching style which spans several movement modalities. Having always lived with a great passion for people and holistic health, she pursued a BFA in Dance at Arizona State and Athletic Training at Lindenwood University, as well as Thai Bodywork and Gyrotonic licensing. With access to various movement modalities, Mary Ellen has facilitated many clients with a wide variety of physical conditions from surgery rehabilitation to professional athletes to obtain strength and healing. Inspired by the desire to reach people in all walks and seasons of life, Mary Ellen opened Central Studio in October of 2012 and continues to develop programming with passion and purpose.

Our outlet and modality at Central Studio is movement. We believe movement heals, it brings joy, it's an outlet for every emotion under the sun, it grounds you, and allows for space to fly.

Why did I become a Pilates Teacher?

Pilates is the greatest cross trainer that keeps one doing what they love, longer, better, and stronger. Discovering the magic of the Pilates Method while dancing professionally gifted me the ability to withstand the rigors of training and dancing long hours day after day without injury along with elevating my performance and technical abilities.

Why do I still teach Pilates?

Walking with people through their varying life experiences keeps me driven to continue working with people through life’s simultaneous joys and pains. I have witnessed firsthand the true healing gift movement is to one's life. The Pilates Method’s unique ability to create uniform strength and agility in the body supports every season in life. It’s a person’s best partner for vitality. As a teacher, every hour is new and fresh when working with clients because every hour brings new energy, new challenges, and a new focus. Every day goes by quickly, is varied, and very rewarding and fun!