Are Classical and Contemporary Pilates Now Closer Than Ever?

In the late 1990s, Pilates instructors and educators worldwide navigated a climate of anxiety. The looming threat of legal action; spearheaded by Sean Gallagher, who claimed ownership of the Pilates trademark, meant that many who were passionate about the method felt constrained.  Creating educational programmes or even referring to one’s work as "Pilates" carried genuine legal risk.

The 2000 US court ruling, which deemed "Pilates" a generic term, liberated the industry.  It empowered a generation of teachers and trainers to step into the light; those who had spent the previous decade quietly developing their own interpretations of Joseph Pilates’ original work.  In the UK, Allen Herdman and Lynne Robinson were at the forefront of this evolution; in Canada, Moira Stott (Stott Pilates) and her contemporary approach took root, and in USA names like Joan Breibart (PhysicalMind Institute), Brent Anderson (Polestar Pilates) and Raul Isacowitz (BASI Pilates) became more influential alongside the Classical Pilates Schools largely based around Sean Gallagher and Romana Kryzanowska, who had been working in partnership.

At that time, it was the classical Pilates camp, particularly those trained under Romana Kryzanowska, but also many of the other ‘first generation’ instructors and their protégé’s who expressed concern.  Their fears were not unwarranted: they worried that a dilution of the original method was taking place.  That Joseph Pilates’ structured, disciplined approach was being softened, compromised, by the contemporary movement’s desire for safety, accessibility and scientific validation.

Yet, here we are, 25 years later and the roles, intriguingly, appear reversed.

Today, it is often the contemporary Pilates instructors who are raising their voices.  It is the meteoric rise of “Fitness Reformer” and “Fitness Pilates”; often delivered in large-group settings with minimal emphasis on the mind-body connection which has triggered new fears about dilution.  What many are witnessing, especially in commercial gym and health club environments, is a practice that, while performed on Pilates equipment, bears little resemblance to the principles and precision of the method it claims to represent.

So, are classical and contemporary Pilates now closer in spirit than they have ever been?  And are both camps equally at risk of being eclipsed by the rapid expansion of fitness-driven variants?

Rethinking Classical Rigidity

Brett Miller, founder of Pilates Intel, raises provocative questions in his recent writings.  His criticisms of classical orthodoxy are not rooted in disrespect but in a desire to uphold the deeper spirit of the method.  In Poking the Classical Bear, Miller highlights how classical loyalty has, in some instances, mutated into bureaucratic dogma, where transitions become sacrosanct, assistance with springs is forbidden, and prop use is heretical.

Yet, ironically, even within the classical lineage, evolution was occurring.  As Bob Liekens recounts in interviews, Romana Kryzanowska herself made numerous changes to Joseph Pilates’ original system.  These were often introduced for safety, clarity, or pedagogical reasons.  She broke down exercises into developmental steps, added new components, and altered the Reformer sequence to better serve her students.

Romana’s willingness to adapt; while maintaining the integrity of the method, stands in stark contrast to the rigidity that later developed around her work.  According to Liekens, the desire to “protect” ‘The Method’ in her later years gave rise to an inflexible culture, one that sometimes ignored the nuanced understanding Romana once championed.

Contemporary Caution and Its Consequences

On the other hand, the contemporary approach, born of a desire to modernise and make Pilates safer and more inclusive, has not escaped criticism either.  Miller describes his early experience of being trained in contemporary methods with Stott Pilates as cautious to the point of stifling: a landscape of props, pads, and perpetual modification.  While such caution is well-intended, it can drain Pilates of its dynamic, transformative power.

Now, many contemporary teachers express dismay as "Fitness Reformer" classes, often divorced from foundational principles, dominate the marketplace.  These classes may offer a vigorous workout, but they frequently lack the precision, progression and mental engagement that define Pilates.  Ironically, the contemporary sector now finds itself in the same defensive position that classical teachers occupied in the early 2000s; concerned about dilution, misrepresentation and the loss of depth.

Modern Fitness Reformer Studio

A Common Cause?

Perhaps what we are witnessing is not a further splintering of the Pilates world, but an opportunity for unity.  Both classical and contemporary teachers, at their best, aim to honour Joseph Pilates' original vision: whole-body health, intelligent movement and a lifelong journey of mastery.

Instead of defending borders, perhaps the time has come to bridge them.  To acknowledge that safety, creativity, precision and personalisation can and must coexist.  That whether one teaches the "Hundred" from a classical mat repertoire or through a contemporary progression with props and regressions, what matters most is the intent, clarity and effectiveness of the teaching.

As Eve Gentry said: “Pilates is a concept.  You can learn every exercise on every piece of equipment and still not know Pilates.”

In an age when Pilates risks being co-opted by mass-market fitness culture, perhaps the classical and contemporary movements have more in common than ever before.  Not least, a shared responsibility to protect, evolve and educate.

Because in the end, Pilates is not in the equipment, the transitions, or the dogma; it is in the thinking.

Author:  Chris Onslow - Pilates Consultant

Chris Onslow, has run Pilates focussed businesses since 1998.  He and his team specialise in supporting Pilates entrepreneurs and business owners.  With a rich history of owning and running successful Pilates studios in the UK, and supporting others in Europe and the Middle East, Chris has broad expertise in maximising profitability and optimising operational efficiency.  His agency provides top-tier advice on selecting new, pre-owned, and hireable Pilates equipment from renowned brands such as Align-Pilates, Balanced Body or Stott-Pilates/Merrithew.  As the founder of Mbodies Training Academy, Chris continues to revolutionise Pilates education, offering premier online and hybrid CPD and qualification courses for Pilates apparatus instruction and special population CPD.