A Family Tree

by Iris Dorbian

Joseph and Clara Pilates

Many people know what Pilates is, but have no idea where it came from. The body-mind exercise system we now know was developed by Joseph Pilates in the early 20th century. Combining smoothly controlled movements with concentration and breathing, the Pilates Method (then called "Contrology") was immediately adopted by the dance community, especially by those who were recovering from injuries. In his New York studio, Joseph Pilates passed on his unique teaching philosophy to several protégés. These students, or "elders" as they are popularly called, went on to successful teaching careers of their own, and at least five of them remain active forces within the Pilates community.

Born in 1880 in Germany, Joseph Pilates suffered from asthma, rickets and rheumatic fever as a child. Seeking remedy from these ailments, Pilates fortified himself with exercise, body-building and sports.

By age 14, his physical self-improvement had been so successful that he worked as a model. In 1912, Pilates moved to England, where he was hired to teach self-defense to detectives at Scotland Yard. Incarcerated as an enemy alien during World War I, Pilates taught fellow captives his system of exercise; he even rigged a hospital bed with springs and straps (the precursor to his famous exercise machines) to help patients recover while still recumbent.

When Pilates returned to Germany after his release, his body-conditioning method made great headway in prominent dance circles. In 1926, Pilates emigrated to New York by ship; en route, he met his future wife Clara. Together, they opened a fitness studio in a building that they shared with the New York City Ballet. From 1941 until 1944, their niece, Mary Pilates, also taught at the studio. In addition to teaching, Pilates published a book and invented various exercise equipment.

By the early 1950s, dancers had become Joseph and Clara's most ardent and loyal followers. Legendary City Ballet founder and artistic director George Balanchine was so impressed with his neighbors' work that he entrusted Pilates to teach his movement exercise to his young dancers. According to a 1956 issue of a dance publication, most dancers in New York had by then been instructed or influenced by Pilates. Joseph Pilates died in 1967, and Clara taught and ran the studio until 1970. She passed away in 1977.

Iris Dorbian is a contributing writer for the magazine.