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Joseph H.
Pilates
(1880 – 1967) |
 Joseph Humbertus Pilates lived to be a
robust and vital 87 year old icon. Had he
not succumbed to the effects of smoke
inhalation during a fire, in the restaurant
below his studio on 8th Avenue in New York
City, he potentially could have demonstrated
an incredible level of physical fitness for
many years to come.
Pilates was born near Dusseldorf, Germany in
1880. Much controversy surrounds the correct
pronunciation of his name; however, nearly
all publications show it as (Pi –LAH – teez).
Mary Pilates LeRiche qualifies as an expert
and probably was Joseph’s earliest disciple
as she had worked in her Uncle Joe’s
exercise studio as a young woman in her
20’s. Even today, at 81 years she will
demonstrate the “only way” the exercises
should ever be done. That would be just the
same way it was done in the 1940’s.
“People won’t understand the brilliance of
my work for 50 years.” That is a quote from
Joseph, himself, about 50 years ago. Mary
LeRiche says that her uncle would be quite
happy and surprised at just how much impact
his work is having on the world. Today,
healthcare professionals are studying and
implementing his work into their healing
therapies. Medical doctors are writing
prescriptions for their patients. His
exercise apparatus designs are virtually the
exact designs used by today’s equipment
manufacturers. How many of the exercise
machines found in today’s traditional gym
setting can accommodate hundreds of
exercises on one single piece the size of a
twin bed?
As a child he had suffered with asthma,
rickets, and rheumatic fever. Even as a
young adolescent he made a life-altering
decision that he would restore his own
health. He studied the Eastern disciplines
of yoga and martial arts and blended them
with Western forms of physical activities
such as bodybuilding, gymnastics, boxing,
and recreational sports.
As a young man he moved from Germany to
England where he became a boxer, circus
performer, and self-defence instructor. When
World War One erupted he, and other German
nationals, were incarcerated in Lancaster as
“enemy aliens.” Pilates influenced the other
detainees to follow his exercise regime and
his fitness program was so beneficial that
he and his fellow compatriots survived the
1918 influenza epidemic that took the lives
of thousands. He attributed their survival
to their physically fit lungs! Hence, the
Pilates Principle of Diaphragmatic
Breath ing!
After the war Joseph returned to Germany but
became disenfranchised with the political
direction his country was taking. He decided
to emigrate to the America. He met his
future wife, Clara, on the ship. Clara was a
nurse and they realized that they shared the
same interest of wanting to restore the good
health of others. When they arrived in New
York they decided to open up a physical
fitness studio.
Joseph Pilates’ method of physical and
mental wellness has been a best-kept secret
of the dance and entertainment world since
the 1920’s when his studio was discovered by
Martha Graham, the mother of modern dance,
George Balanchine, the artistic director for
the New York City Ballet, and Rudolf von Laban, founder of Labanotation. Dancers such
as Hanya Holm and Romana Kryzanowska, along
with prizefighters, actors, actresses, and
travelling circus performers embraced his
methods both for the total body conditioning
needed for the rigors of their work and also
for rehabilitating the injuries that often
plague dancers, performers, and athletes.
Dance companies all over the world use
Pilates’ exercises to keep their dancers in
top form. Many dancers go on to become
Hollywood celebrities; Patrick Swayze and
Madonna to name only two. Due to the
attention the mainstream public gives to
Hollywood celebrities the name Pilates is
now a household word.
Romana Kryzanowska entered Pilates’ world as
a young dancer in New York. Pilates regarded
her as his disciple; she had absorbed and
could express the essence of his work as if
it were coming from him. She continues his
legacy today in New York and has generously
shared her knowledge with the world through
her students, books, videos, and lectures.
Joseph and Clara operated their exercise
studio for over 40 years. He had dedicated
his life’s work to restoring the health and
vitality of others. Gone now for thirty-five
years, the essence of his work continues on
into the 21st century. |
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