The difference between Classical and Contemporary Pilates
What is Pilates?
The Contemporary Pilates version of the Small Barrel – the Pilates Arc and other equipment used in a Contemporary Class.
The “Classical” Spine Corrector, Magic circle & Joe’s Toe Gizmo
The question of “what is Pilates” is bouncing about at the moment.
I often get asked by clients if they can claim Pilates on Private Health,
and the answer to both of these questions is interlinked.
There is the “Classical Method” - Joes’ method, or Romana’s method,* the original teachers’ repertoir. Classical Pilates adheres to the original choreography and class structure, is the same week to week and is taught with pelvis tilted and the low back “flat” to the floor. The focus is on flowing through the set movements, with precise transitions to take clients towards their goals. It is very focused and strong.
Classical Pilates incorporates a collection of traditional apparatus such as the foot corrector, the baby chair & the magic circle.
It follows a standardised certification procedure for teachers that closely adheres to the traditional method.
(* I know there are other names here, they include – Eve Gentry, Kathy Grant and Ron Fletcher. Most of these 3 I think of as being initiators of what we now call Contemporary Pilates.)
Contemporary Pilates teachers modify exercises, sometimes even adding props to make the exercise more achievable, the pelvis and spine are cued to be “centered” or “neutral” and the class structures and choreography vary class to class.
The exercises are often modified to keep up with “exercise science”, the class plans are more individualised and the equipment used is varied according to the clients needs on the day.
Contemporary Pilates will use the original Pilates equipment but will also add in other props like soft balls, stretch bands and weights.
Certification programs for teachers vary according to different schools and their approaches.
Currently the Pilates Industry is expanding exponentially with media coverage of celebrities and athletes who do Pilates, the fashion labels that want us in their designs, and then there are the influencers. All of these are changing the way Pilates is seen and enjoyed. (ie It is getting more and more popular).
And THIS is where we get to the Private Health question!
Pre 2018 you could claim Pilates on your Private Health. It was taken off with a lot of other modalities, and one of the main arguments from the Natural Therapies Regulation bodies is that the Pilates industry does not have a standardised qualification. Therefore the quality of teachers could be different, and therefore was not eligible to be covered. (*)
(ie there are Certificate 4 and Diploma qualifications, and the duration of these courses varies from a weekend to 2 years. While the Pilates Industry in Australia is working to standardise this most people think it is too late, there are already too many providers offering short training courses.)
(As a comparison Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has a clear education pathway to certification and is therefore covered. )
(* The Natural Therapies Expert Review Advisory Panel (NTREAP) are currently working to ceritfy 16 therapies, with more to come in February and June 2024).
I’m not writing this to dictate what Pilates is best for everyone, those of you who do classes with us know that we sit in the “Contemporary Pilates” camp. I personally was mostly trained by a Physiotherapist and Exercise Physiologist. I was drawn to Pilates for rehab and maintenance. Those who take classes with me know that I bring that element to my classes. While I love classes to flow, I will also pull them back to basic functional movements with a bias to a weaker side for example in line with current exercise science theory.
At Sublime I have always insisted the Studio teachers have a diploma qualification, through a body that I recognise and know. And by now most of you have seen or interacted with someone who is training to be a teacher, you might have seen someone sitting in the corner and observing, or teaching you one exercise, or even better you’ve had a one on one with a student teacher. This level of training is what I personally support. I have supported 6 people to become teachers, and with each one I’ve spent time helping them to understand, embrain and embody what they are learning.
At Sublime we value further training, and all of us are dedicated movers. We trust you like our style of Pilates. We can also acknowledge that it is not for everyone.
If you are wanting more information about this topic you can check out the PAA website.
https://www.pilates.org.au/about/
Or type Classical Pilates, or archival Pilates into your search engine and see what unfolds.
Thank you as always for taking the time to read this. It’s a bit more political than my usual rants, but I hope none the less informative.