I saw photo’s of Elaine on Facebook. She took the photo’s on her smartphone while doing the Reformer exercises. I loved them and asked her if I could interview her. And here it is! Elaine Ewing (36) – certified by the NY Pilates Studio under Junghee Won and Sean Gallagher –  is Pilates teacher and owner of Rhinebeck Pilates, a classical Pilates studio in upstate New York.

Do you own a studio?

I own a studio in Rhinebeck, NY, about 1.5hrs north of NYC. Rhinebeck is a pretty, historical village where many people visit on the weekends and have summer homes, or eventually relocate permanently from NYC.  Six teachers other than myself teach there. We teach classical Pilates on Gratz equipment.  We offer private and small group sessions to men and women of all ages.

What is your background?

I began practicing Pilates in 1999 while I was a student at the School of Visual Arts in NYC studying Fine Arts Printmaking.  I lived right around the corner from a Pilates studio, and began working at the front desk in exchange for free group classes. During my senior year of school, I had the idea that I should probably get a job and start making money. I was drawn to Pilates because I wanted something that I could do part time, and my art the rest of the time. Needless to say, little by little Pilates took over! Which is a good thing!

I love Romana’s quote, “Pilates is strength, with stretch and control”. That’s the best way to describe it when people ask me what Pilates is.

Where did you receive your Pilates education(s) and who was/were your teacher(s)?

I am certified by the NY Pilates Studio, under Junghee Won and Sean Gallagher.

Do you still study the method and do you attend workshops?

I absolutely still study the method like crazy! I am learning something new about Pilates every single day, through my own workouts and by teaching my clients, and when I’m able to be the student myself and be taught by senior teachers. I also attend workshops regularly, my favorites being anything taught by Junghee Won, Bob Liekens, and Sean Gallagher.

One quote from a letter from Clara to Ron Fletcher, that she claimed Joe had said. She wrote, “Joe always said, opposition is the match that lights the fire.”

What is your opinion about Traditional, Classical and Contemporary Pilates?

I am certified in Authentic Pilates so naturally I believe that traditional Pilates, as close to as Joseph Pilates intended, is the best form of the method. And with that I feel that Gratz equipment, built according to Joe’s specifications, is the best equipment to do Authentic Pilates on. That being said, I have friends who teach contemporary Pilates and who use different equipment and I know they are doing amazing things with their clients and they are wonderful teachers. So, to each its own. The only thing that really bugs me is when people claim to teach Authentic or Classical Pilates and they are really not!

Nowadays people call themselves a Pilates trainer after one weekend course or a Pilates workshop. What is your opinion about that?

I think it’s really sad, and very unfortunate to all the clients out there who are doing Pilates, that they don’t really know the level of education their Pilates teacher may have. This is yet another reason why everyone should do Pilates in a Pilates studio setting, that posts the bios of all the teachers and clearly states what type of Pilates they teach. Clients may not realize it, but they do need to do their own research before they start practicing the method, and make sure what they are being taught is actually The Pilates Method. Not a form of movement that is based on The Pilates Method.

What Pilates apparatus is your favorite?

I’m not sure I can choose… but if I had to I guess I would say it’s a tie between the Reformer and the Arm Chair. The Reformer because it never fails to challenge me and to kick my butt. The Arm Chair because it’s freeing and challenging at the same time.

Which Pilates apparatus is your least favorite?

Do Pilates teachers really have a least favorite?! I can’t think of one!

Do you prefer a certain brand?

I love Gratz because it is the best for the Authentic and Classical work.  The spring tension and sizing is perfect for allowing the body to become one with the equipment and get stronger at the same time.  When I try to do Pilates on other brands, it doesn’t feel the same. It feels like I’m just “doing Pilates”, and I don’t feel like I get stronger.  When I’m on Gratz, I feel the method come alive.

What Pilates exercise is your favorite and which your least favorite?

I think my favorite exercise changes all the time! Right now my favorites are the Short Box Series, the Long Stretch Series (particularly Upstretch) and all of the Splits on the Reformer.  If my workout is missing any of these, I feel totally incomplete!  For some reason, I just do not like Thigh Stretch. And for a long time, I just couldn’t enjoy Climb a Tree, although that has changed! Basically, the exercises I least enjoy are the ones I need to practice more.

Who is your Pilates example?

My Pilates example is all of my own students. They rarely cancel, push themselves, trust me, are enthusiastic, interested in Joseph Pilates, and love the method.  I watch them get stronger and stronger, I watch the issues they originally came in with vanish, and their confidence grow.  They are wonderful examples of what the Pilates Method is and should be!

What would be your top 5 tips for Pilates students and/or newbies?

• Take your sessions in a studio setting, and research the backgrounds and bios of the teachers you will be working with.
• During your sessions, be in the moment and let yourself be a student.
• Try to get better and better at Pilates…. but don’t try too hard!
• Try to remember the order of exercises and the names- it’s one of the first steps to advancing.
• Remember that you’re doing Pilates so that you can be better at the other things you do in life.
• Pilates doesn’t end when you leave the studio. Take it with you in your body and use it in everything you do.

What is your main advise to the future trainers who want to be Pilates instructors?

Do your research and find the best place to get your training. It may not be the easiest, or the most conveniently located. It might seem daunting and scary.  Push yourself and trust in yourself that you can do it. Don’t cut corners in your certification process. You will always regret it, you will always be chasing Pilates!

What do you tell people if they ask you what Pilates is?

I love Romana’s quote, “Pilates is strength, with stretch and control”. That’s the best way to describe it when people ask me what Pilates is.

How does Pilates differ from yoga?

Pilates is a method of exercise designed by Joseph Pilates, on specialized equipment.

What makes a Pilates teacher a better Pilates teacher?

Constantly learning and being open minded.

Is your focus more on private, duets, triosessions, groupclasses or something else? How many classes do you teach each week?

On a typical day, I teach a couple of small group classes, as well as private sessions to people with knee replacements, spinal stenosis, hip replacements, scoliosis, and arthritis, as well as people who are in excellent shape and just want to get more fit.  So it’s a very nice variety. 25-40 lessons, depending on the season.

What do you like and dislike the most about teaching Pilates?

All the different types of people who do Pilates makes it really fun. It never gets boring.  With that, sometimes comes some drama. Which I could do without!

How many times do you workout yourself?

I usually work out at least twice a week. Its usually a reformer workout and a mat workout. Then I mix in some Chairs and classical endings.

Is there still an exercise (or more than one) you didn’t “nailed” yet?

All the hanging exercises with the fuzzies and trapeze bar on the Cadillac that Kathi Ross Nash teaches on Pilatesology- impossible! Well, hopefully possible one day.

What is your favorite Pilates quote?

One quote from a letter from Clara to Ron Fletcher, that she claimed Joe had said. She wrote, “Joe always said, opposition is the match that lights the fire.”

Is there a Pilates book you like to recommend to our readers?

I recommend the Pilates Method of Body Conditioning: Introduction to the Core Exercises, by Sean P. Gallagher and Romana Kryzanowska.  It has excellent cues and photos of exercises on each piece of equipment, as well as archival photos throughout.

 

Elaine Ewing

Rhinebeck Pilates

6400 Montgomery St

Rhinebeck, NY 12572

845-876-5686

elaine@rhinebeckPilates.com

“A body free from nervous tension and fatigue is the ideal shelter provided by nature for housing a well balanced mind, fully capable of successfully meeting all the complex problems of modern living.” -Joseph Pilates