Sure, we all know that Pilates is a great rehabilitative activity, and a top notch fitness form. But I think we can agree that Pilates is above all else is an art form, otherwise, why the great passion? I am pleased to introduce a lady who is a champion of Pilates as an art form, the already well-known, Kathy Corey. Want to find a person who is intelligent, intuitive, giving, and passionate? Well, you just did. Frankly, I love her passion. And I love her feet, too. Have a look, you can see that she has feet to die for!!
Ok, sorry, that was the frustrated dancer in me expressing itself, I will start to behave better now.
With teaching experience spanning 34 years, Kathy has developed a philosophy about the depth and breadth of Pilates.
“When I started Pilates, there were just a handful of people doing the work, and they were all extremely dedicated to learning and deepening into the Pilates technique. Today Pilates is widespread that there are many people doing Pilates, or saying that they are doing Pilates, without a real desire to understand the depth and the power of the technique itself. Pilates is much more than a bunch of exercises, it is in fact a lifestyle.”
Kathy stresses that Pilates is a lifelong process and that it’s not something than can be learnt in a two day course, or even over a number of years. “My great friend, teacher and mentor, Kathy Grant, always said to me ‘Kathy, do you know your Pilates?’, and I would have to say, ‘Well, no, I don’t know my Pilates’ because that was the answer she was looking for. “Good!” she would say to me in return.
“When you think you know your Pilates” says Kathy with growing enthusiasm (and this is where the Kathy the artist really steps forward), “you have to stop teaching it. That means you are not being present in your work, you are not being present with the person in front of you, you are assuming you know how that body is going to respond to your words your cuing and your exercises. You must keep it alive and you must always be present in this work.”
And recently the baton has been passed to Kathy to spearhead the International Pilates Conference in Monchengladbach, Germany, the birth place of Joseph Pilates. “It was tremendous to receive this honor from Lolita San Miguel. I think every Pilates instructor should attend this conference at least once in their lifetime, you can really feel the presence of Joseph Pilates there.” Kathy has big ambitions for this conference, as would be expected from a person of her expansive nature.
I have been accused of having some pretty high standards when it comes to Pilates but I have to hand it to Kathy here, she definitely takes the cake. In speaking with Kathy, I have learned that just as Pilates is a lifetime study, so too is measuring up to her achievements and contribution to the field, a lifetime endeavor of which we can all aspire to.
But we will get some help, because we are pleased to say that we will be hearing more from Kathy right here at Pilates Intel. Can’t wait!
Learn more about Kathy Corey here.