From Contemporary to Classical: My Pilates Journey and Why It Matters

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It was during a visit back home to California when I took my first ever Pilates class—an intermediate reformer class with a friend from San José State University, who had certified in Stott Pilates, a contemporary method, after we graduated from the dance program. I loved the class! It was a fun challenge and offered a new way to work my body. Fast forward to 2010, back home in Montreal, when I suddenly decided I needed to become a Pilates instructor.
I searched for programs in Montreal and found a Stott certification course. Classical Pilates vs contemporary Pilates was not even a thought in my head back then! “What is classical Pilates” was not even a question I knew to ask. I signed up for the mat course, thinking I’d certify in mat Pilates only—after all, I wanted to bring Pilates to my Cadance dance students. And for a while, I was completely content with that.

The Pull Towards the Reformer

However, the reformers at the studio where I trained started to pique my interest. I soon realized that if I also wanted to teach at a Pilates studio, I needed to certify in the reformer. The beauty of the Stott program was that it offered certification in modules. After completing the reformer course, I enrolled in the certification for all of the other apparatuses. Chair, barrels, Cadillac, and specialized training for injuries & special populations helped me become comprehensively certified.

Throughout all my training, I never fully understood what “classical Pilates” meant. While Stott Pilates provided excellent training, we only briefly touched on the history behind the method and the man himself, Joseph Pilates.

Teaching Pilates with a Contemporary Lens

I taught group and private classes across Montreal, always focused on giving my clients a workout centered on technique and alignment. But I also followed the contemporary flow—incorporating pulses, holds, and props to make the workout more dynamic and to deliver the “burn” my clients were after. I found myself searching for creative ways to change up the Pilates repertoire because I was worried my clients would get bored. But with all of the creative modifications, it never truly felt like my style.

The Shift: Classical Pilates Enters My Life

In October 2019, I opened my own private Pilates studio inside Universal Dance Studio in St-Henri. I was so excited to have my own space, equipped with a brand new Stott Pilates V2Max Reformer/Tower and Stability Chair. But soon after, Classical Pilates entered my life. I was also teaching at another Stott Pilates group studio when the owner decided to go classical. He outfitted the studio with classical Gratz equipment, and suddenly, I had to adapt. Now it really was classical Pilates vs contemporary Pilates right before me.

If you’re not familiar, one major difference between contemporary and classical Pilates is the design of the equipment. Contemporary Pilates has adapted the original specifications of the apparatuses in various ways (different footbar and carriage dimensions, spring tensions, and strap angles, etc.). This was especially noticeable to me when I started using classical apparatuses.

The Pandemic: A Time for Exploration

Then, in 2020, Covid hit, and I was no longer teaching in person. Studios pivoted to online classes, and while that was challenging, it allowed me to take classes with teachers from all over the world—including classical Pilates instructors. This was when I truly started to feel the difference between contemporary and classical Pilates. I was experiencing the same exercises, but they felt completely different in my body. And this was just the matwork!

Even after we were allowed to return to in-person teaching, many studios still offered online classes. I took advantage of this new learning opportunity, diving deeper into classical Pilates through various workshops. When the former contemporary studio-turned-classical offered its first teacher training cycle, I hesitated. The idea of committing over 600 hours and thousands of dollars for another certification felt daunting.

Falling in Love with Classical Pilates

During that first training cycle, I was able to serve as a “practice body” for trainees. As I did, I realized I was falling in love with classical Pilates! I even sold my contemporary Pilates apparatuses and outfitted my studio with classical equipment. I thought that with the classical Pilates workshops I had taken, I would be fine to teach classical Pilates. But it wasn’t enough. I needed to immerse myself in the classical method.

In May 2022, I enrolled in the second Montreal teacher training cycle of Alycea Ungaro’s Real Pilates program based in New York. I have never regretted it for a moment. Instead of learning all of the matwork first, then the reformer, and so on, we learned Pilates as a system—beginning with the basic repertoire and progressing to intermediate and advanced levels. This approach—the way Joseph Pilates intended his method to be taught—made so much more sense. I was finally able to connect the dots between different exercises in a way I had never noticed before.

The Classical Pilates Philosophy: Trusting the Method and Honoring the Roots

Jay Grimes, who sadly passed away in July of 2024, was a major proponent of maintaining the integrity of Joseph Pilates’ original method, Contrology. Grimes studied directly with Joseph and Clara Pilates. He worked on developing a new line of Pilates apparatuses that adhered more closely to the original designs Joe used in his studio. He often said, “Trust Joe – he did all the work.” For Grimes, the key to feeling the full magic of Pilates was not in modifying the method, but in trusting it. Sticking to the original order of exercises, using the original apparatuses, and truly following the path Joseph Pilates laid out.

Now, I want to be clear: I’m not saying that other branches of Pilates aren’t valuable. They can be great workouts and lots of fun! But when the word “Pilates” is used to describe everything from contemporary approaches to more out-there variations—sometimes even barely “twigs and leaves” of the original method—it can be confusing for clients. Many people don’t realize the difference between these branches and the deep-rooted trunk of Joseph Pilates’ Contrology.

not all certifications are created equal

Many contemporary Pilates studios require instructors to be comprehensively certified through well-established, globally recognized programs. I found my Stott Pilates training to be thorough, and I have friends who’ve completed equally rigorous certifications through respected schools like BASI, Balanced Body, and Polestar. On the other hand, some studios—especially those offering more fitness-based reformer workouts—may offer weekend “certifications” or in-house training that lack the depth of the programs mentioned above. These trainings often focus on a limited set of reformer exercises or a choreographed flow, with little to no emphasis on anatomy, equipment safety, or proper client spotting. While these types of trainings might teach you how to guide a class through a routine, they don’t always equip you with the tools to understand the full potential of the method or ensure that you’re delivering a truly effective and safe workout.

What Makes Classical Pilates Certification Unique

In contrast, classical Pilates certification programs are far more comprehensive than a weekend training. The Real Pilates Teacher Training program I completed was intense and rigorous, requiring 600 hours of training over 30 weeks. Rooted in the original system of Pilates passed down from Elder Romana Kryzanowska to second-generation teacher and creator of Real Pilates, Alycea Ungaro, the program provided an in-depth education in every aspect of Pilates.

Our Lead Trainers were among the best in the business, many of them having completed multiple certifications with world-renowned master teachers. The program included practical seminars, practice teaching, and self-practice. Each week, we took private and semi-private sessions. We regularly participated in test-outs, evaluated by our Lead Trainers to ensure we were progressing.

In addition to the practical work, the program involved readings, research, homework, and written tests. We progressed from basic to advanced exercises, learning how the apparatuses and movements are interrelated. The curriculum also covered anatomy, movement principles, equipment safety, and hands-on spotting and cueing. The mentorship we received throughout the program was invaluable in helping us develop the skills and confidence to become the best Pilates instructors we could be.

Before stepping into any studio, it’s important to ask about your instructor’s certification and training. Even if you’re not sure you need to choose classical Pilates vs contemporary Pilates! Be sure you know what kind of training and experience your instructor has to ensure you’re getting the full benefit of the Pilates method. As a classical instructor, I want to make sure you know the difference and help you experience Pilates in its truest form. I want to provide you with a comprehensive, thoughtful, and systematic approach that honors the roots of the method.

The Classical pilates vs. Contemporary pilates Debate

That said, I don’t discount my Stott Pilates training—it gave me a solid foundation and perspective. But I do feel that some contemporary Pilates methods tend to water down the exercises. They either lose their full, vigorous expression or get bogged down in choreography. Many pre-Pilates exercises I learned from Stott, developed by the Pilates Elders, still have value, and some advanced Stott exercises overlap with the classical repertoire. I truly am grateful to have both styles of training in my toolbox.

What is Classical Pilates?

Classical Pilates is about as close to the source as you can get. The equipment used is as close as possible to what Joseph Pilates originally designed. After his death in 1967, his method was passed down by his students, known as the “Elders.” Romana Kryzanowska, one of the most prominent Elders, was the first to formalize Pilates teacher training. It is her work that forms the foundation of today’s classical Pilates.

I’m proud to teach classical Pilates in Montreal, where so many studios focus on contemporary methods. In a city where many Pilates classes may or may not follow Joseph Pilates’ original repertoire, I am honored to offer his full system of exercises. I also recognize that many contemporary studios only teach reformer Pilates. They may focus more on fun or impressive-looking choreography than on teaching the entire Pilates method. So, when people take a “Pilates” class, they may not really be learning what Pilates is all about.

Matwork: The Foundation of Pilates

Some people think “Reformer Pilates” is all there is to Pilates—and don’t get me wrong, I love a good Reformer workout! But I have a deep appreciation for the matwork—not only because that was my first certification through Stott Pilates, but also because it’s truly the essence of Pilates. Joseph Pilates designed the apparatuses to complement and help you achieve the exercises in the matwork, and matwork can be done anywhere, without equipment. In fact, Joe would give matwork as homework to his clients!

In his book Return to Life Through Contrology, Pilates’ 34 mat exercises build from the Hundred to the Push Up. These exercises challenge every muscle in every plane of movement. On the mat, it’s just you against gravity, which can make the matwork even more demanding than working on the apparatuses. It’s a true test of Pilates technique and fitness.

The Beauty of Classical

I truly believe that Pilates is having a “moment” right now, largely thanks to the popularity of Reformer classes. I think that if you’ve found an exercise method you enjoy and will stick with, that’s fantastic and I encourage you to keep going! But if you’re only doing Reformer, you’re missing out on so much of what Pilates has to offer. If you’re serious about gaining strength and efficiency in movement, classical Pilates is for you.

One of the criticisms I heard about classical Pilates when I was doing only contemporary work was the strict adherence to the order of exercises. In Stott Pilates, we were taught the order but often strayed from it in our teaching. In fact, many of the continuing education courses I took introduced “blends” of Pilates with other modalities like yoga, which didn’t follow the original Contrology method. While these other techniques have their value, they aren’t necessarily what Joseph Pilates intended.

In my experience with classical Pilates, I can confidently say that following the order of exercises and focusing on balance in the body makes all the difference. The order is meant to be adapted to each client’s needs, so while we follow the original flow, we can skip or build up to exercises that don’t serve the person in that moment. With classical Pilates, no two workouts are ever the same. It’s never boring because you’re constantly refining and improving. The power of Pilates is in its adaptability. Even during my third trimester of pregnancy, I was able to continue a vigorous workout, still following the original order, adapting to my ever-changing body, and utilizing the many classical apparatuses in the studio that aren’t available in a contemporary setting. For me, there is no debate of classical Pilates vs contemporary Pilates—my body experienced a clear winner.

Ready to Experience Classical Pilates?

If this resonates with you and you’re ready to experience the full power of Pilates, I’d love to guide you on your journey. Schedule your first session with me today!