Comments on: Circular Pilates by Joan Breibart

By: doug lewis

doug lewis — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 02:01:47 +0000

Do we think circular pilates might help the golf of middle age men? Is there somewhere I could buy some
circular pilates flash card to incorporate into my routine when I don’t do a class?

By: Margherita Shaw

Margherita Shaw — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 19:08:58 +0000

It’s inspiring to read aboput the developments in Pilates, keeping abreast of the needs of our students and our own bodies.
Thank you for this email abour Circular Pilates. When will there be a workshop near NE Connecticut ? (the Quiet Corner)

By: Erin Mohr

Erin Mohr — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 11:07:02 +0000

As a certifying teacher for PMI, we were able to preview Circular Pilates and try it out for ourselves and on our clients before the workshops were promoted to the public. I have been using elements from this routine in my mat classes and private sessions ever since. These exercises are fantastic for getting people with rigid spines to feel a fuller range of motion and to challenge stronger clients to move with fluidity through spirals. Definitely take this workshop to keep the creative juices flowing!

Erin Mohr
Paris, France

By: Lesley Powell

Lesley Powell — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:57:56 +0000

A lot of great work is happening in the Pilates community bringing 3-D to Pilates. I have had the great fortune to be attending the PMA conference and the BodyMInd expo. There has been many exciting presentations about bringing the spiral to Pilates.

At the PMA conference this year, Deborah Kolwey presented Finding circular Movement in Pilates. Her workshop was sold out. I heard rave reviews about this workshop.

Last year at the Bodymind Expo 2008, M.Valentin presented a workshop, Arcs & spirals and Dr. Martha Eddy & I, Laban’s space harmony: bringing 3-D to your session.

One of the richest systems in understanding how the body moves 3-dimensionally is Laban’s Space Harmony. Laban addresses how the body moves different in our movement loves such as golf, tennis, basketball, karate and tai chi. Hopefully Dr. Martha Eddy and I hope to teach 3-D workshops in NYC and other venues. Irmagard Bartenieff, the founder of the Laban Institute of Movement Studies, had tremendous influence on Eve Gentry. Much of Eve Gentry’s fundamentals has roots in Bartenieff fundamental.

Dr. Martha Eddy, Kristen Hapke and I are certified in the rich system of Laban. The Bartenieff fundamentals has rich applications to get the body moving in sprirals, which are so applicaple to the Pilates work. Kristen Hapke, Tara Steppenberg and I are also Pilates teachers.

By: Deborah McKeever Watson

Deborah McKeever Watson — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 19:48:16 +0000

Dawnna,
I would have to say at first glance this looks inspired by GYROTONIC EXPANSION SYSTEM. But, then again we have, yogilates, cardiolates,standing pilates, waterlates, and dogalites to name a few, so it doesn’t surprise me. Being certified in GXS, I probably won’t be taking the workshop, so I guess we will just have to wait to see what participates think.

By: Dawnna M Wayburne

Dawnna M Wayburne — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:04:21 +0000

Any sense that some of this work may have a relationship to the Gyrotonic work?

By: Beth Begelman

Beth Begelman — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 03:26:43 +0000

Helen, You are not incorrect. Spinal rotation is contraindicated for clients with osteoporosis. I believe Joan was saying that Standing Pilates is an evolution of the matwork which they felt addressed the weight-bearing issue. Circular Pilates is, as I understand the article, a further evolution of Standing Pilates which just expands the repertoire and isn’t necessarily targeted towards clients needing weight-bearing work. I too am intrigued with Circular Pilates and will get to a workshop as soon as I’m able.

By: Helen Landalf

Helen Landalf — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 00:18:27 +0000

The idea of Circular Pilates is very attractive to me. I’ve done a lot of dancing in my life, and though I love Pilates, I always bemoaned the fact that it can be so two dimensional. It sounds like Circular Pilates addresses that.

I have one point of confusion though: It’s my understand that, though weight-bearing is great for clients with osteoporosis, spinal rotation is not. Am I incorrect about this?