Very true, Siri, as it should be!

Every day is Pilates Day.
sdg

Beautifully put Luis!

Dear Bloggers:

Reading the controversy presented on this site I am compelled to express my point of view as well as some concerns.

It is clear that Lolita San Miguel is not against the PMA mission, but truly troubled by making Pilates Day an exclusive event for members of the PMA. Is Pilates Day for all or just a few? I believe that it is up to each practitioner to decide how to commemorate such an event. The response by Elizabeth Anderson, Executive Director for the PMA, gives me a great sense of how committed the organization is to bettering our industry and how costly the daily operations are. This is also reiterated by Ms San Miguel on her press release; she is one of the most enthusiastic supporters of the PMA and their goals. But at the end of the day I and only I can make the decision to be part of an organization such as PMA. If any one decides to celebrate Pilates Day under the PMA umbrella they are welcome to do so. If I decide to commemorate this special day in my own way I should be free to do so. Where does my freedom start and end? This is a matter that should be handled with thoughtfulness and respect.

In addition, I am overwhelmed by the boldness that some of the bloggers express. Somewhere during this debate we lost respect and camaraderie for each other as professionals. Who studied with whom? How much did ones’ training program cost? What is ones’ profit? These matters are not only irrelevant to the topic at hand but are private and not to be used lightly as a tools of sarcasm and passive aggression. Who is the best? What makes you the cream that rises to the top? More important than reciting classic repertory is your commitment and ability to listen, access, and teach for the well being of your clients. Talking and debating about Pilates and looking for recognition are not accomplishments, but rather are wasted energy that benefits no one. So the question is: Are we going to be inclusive or exclusive even within our family?

For the past three years I have lived in Connecticut, working from two different studios. In total I interact with six fully certified instructors, all from different schools, backgrounds and countries. We share one goal: How can I help my client? Our interaction is one of kindness, professionalism and most of all respect. If one of us has trouble making sense of a client’s specific needs and issues, we share ideas and look for solutions. Though there is sometimes disagreement, there is always respect.

In conclusion, I believe that all Pilates practitioners should be able to celebrate Pilates Day. Those under the PMA umbrella can use the PMA materials, and those not under the umbrella can celebrate the day as they see fit.

Sincerely
Luis Bravo

Dear Bernie,
In Moscow I had 250 in a class.Having taught for 34 years in large groups around the world,I dont find it a problem.
In Boca we had 13 reformers so the ratio of equipment to students
was great, and doing these workshops like Romana has taught in the
last 18 years gives everyone a chance to move and get the work in their bodies.I teach the differences in equipment manufacturers,where the accidents will happen(I was just deposed in a second lawsuit as a safety expert),I teach how each system and elder changed the work and what are the differences that evolved over the last decades, for instance: Corolla Trier was a contortionist so Joe taught exercises for her, Eve Gentry has a double radical masectomy so her exercises were gentle and her school, led by Michelle Lawson and then it became Physical Mind,
is very gentle and therapeutic. Having sold a million dollars in
balanced body equipment since 1986 I've seen every change in their equipment and can explain springs and resistanced, ratios and dimensions and how it compares to JP's original blueprint patents.
and, I can teach foot cicles and breathing but I dont.
Regarding yoga: Just because you read a book(and there was no HInduism in Hamburg and no yoga in Germany) doesnt mean it is in your work. Joe read the philosophy books, but where in there any
Hinduism in his work? I'm just saying enough with "Namaste" and
bowing in your Pilates classes and videos, Joe was very German.
And, I was solicited by the editor for my opinion of this blog.
And, it is not dollar per minute value in a course, but value period.
And,I have all the answers to your questions and hundreds you've never thought of but it's in my book and my courses. My years of research I share in my classes;
Good luck,
Bye,
SDG

Siri,
I made a mistake in what I wrote before. You stated that you had 28 students not 38. That is still $988 a workshop hour and still a great gig. How do you still keep the Quality of the teaching when there are so many teachers? I just want to correct my mistake and set it straight and apologize for the misquote.
Bernie

Dear Siri,
Thank you for your concern for what Lolita will be teaching me, but rest assured I am very satisfied with what I experienced so far. Lolita is my master Pilates instructor and I look forward to the rest of my mentorship. In your email that you sent me a couple of days ago you stated that I should search out Jay Grimes and study under him. Maybe one day I might be blessed to meet him and find out his philosophy and learn his style of teaching. You also stated that you were big in Boca teaching to 38 students during one of your workshops. Thus one day we may cross paths and I would enjoy speaking with you face to face, for these blogs and emails have been interesting but do take up too much of my time. I am in the heart of our season and I am teaching several clients a day while still trying to facilitate our conference registration.
I am still trying to figure out why you are so intended on trying to put Lolita down or even the PMA for that matter. If you don’t like the PMA its simple don’t join it. If the PMA disgusts you so much, boycott them by never having anything to do with a conversation involving the PMA. I like the PMA but like every organization there will be things I won’t agree with that they feel the need to do. As a mature adult and member of the organization I feel it’s my duty to state my disagreement. And this is what I think Lolita was trying to do. I was glad that Elizabeth Anderson of the PMA responded in the manner that she did along with the others that took the time to comment on “Pilates Day”. Lolita is a great teacher and is someone that was taught by Joseph Pilates himself. I know that you have your doubts on what she is teaching, but were you there when Joseph was teaching to her. In earlier blogs I stated that I have seen 4 of the “elders” teach and they all had differences. Are you making any derogatory remarks towards them along with Lolita? In fact Kathy Grant stated “A part of Pilates is Yoga. He said (Joseph Pilates) that he was influenced by Yoga.” Are attacking at her knowledge of Pilates? I have the video footage if you ever want to see it.
I am surprised that you felt the need to address me on this blog since you emailed me just the other day. In that email you stated that 38 instructors were enrolled in workshop in Boca. I did receive advertisement on a workshop of yours in Boca. It was $450 for 12.75 hours. Let’s compare your workshops. Lolita’s is $40 an workshop hour and yours is $35.29. She teaches to 12 teachers at a time that’s $480 a workshop hour and yours is $1341. Of course this is before your overhead but still I think you have a pretty good gig. I also asked you a few questions which you stated that you had the answers but you never left them in your return email. Here are the questions that I posed to you. Do you think Joseph changed the way he worked with people from the 1930's to 1960's? Do you think he changed the way any of the equipment was built? If Joseph was alive today what would his studio look like? How would he teach to others? Do you think he would strive to learn more? Would he want to learn more about the diseases and illnesses that his students were dealing with? How would he handle working with someone that had a hip or knee replacement? How would he work with osteoporosis? This may not be about “Pilates Day” but with all your comments earlier I think it would be nice to hear your opinion.

This will be the last time that I am going to blog on this topic though feel free to email me. I would like to hear your response and I am sure others would also. Maybe you could either write back or even better yet write a article for YesPilates answering the questions. I want to leave you with a little of my philosophy. Greatness is not thinking of what I can do to put myself above others but what I can do to put others above me. In a positive way.

Bernie

Dear Lolita(and then I quit);
Please show me where in Joseph Pilates work he put yoga.
Sure those poses weren't gymnastics?
With interest,
Siri Dharma

Dear Bernie
As you are an athletic man, maybe you should just ask this teacher's training program, can she teach you the 100 arm exercises for men,or the 75 uchanged exercises on the reformer, the five neck strengtheners for men on the equipment, the 75 original mat exercises, all of the advanced Cadillac,the Armchair(Joe's original one, not the Avalon aborhation)or do you learn just therapy and breathing and foot rolls,take one hour to do twenty exercises and "Namaste?"
Would those exercises help you survive four years in prison,a plague,two world wars and a revolution?Love to meet you in two years and hear your answer
and see if you can change a body in thirty hours.Lolita is spiritual, we've always gotten along because she has no ego. I love to be spiritual, dont get me wrong, I've spent 25 years breathing out of my left nostril for one minute and there in no pranayama or mantra in the Punjab I haven't practiced, but my Yoga Master taught me to teach without changing the formula, and I respect Joe's work by not changing his formula,and folks,there can be no unity between those who agree anything goes and those that don't.
Could you get a job in New York,for instance? And,
The "Pillars of our artform?"
SDG

Thank you Bernie Nelson, for doing the math on Lolita's Master Mentor program. It is reasonable, and even cheaper than other courses I have taken. Thank you Lilian for discussing having respect for one another.
I am entitled to have a Pilates Day whenever I wish, on my island, as are all of you wherever you live. PMA is entitled to have a PMA Pilates Day, not necessarily THE "Pilates Day". What if you couldn't attend a St. Patrick's Day parade unless you had an Irish birth certificate?
Let's all continue to pass on Joe and Clara's work.

Lillian, I agree that we should keep The Method alive, but let's be clear on what it is. It is the original work of the master, Joe Pilates.
As for Romana joining the PMA - why invite her to YOUR party when she IS the party?
Respectfully,
Suzanne

Lillian-
Reprint one derrogative word or slander I used against Lolita.
I said she teaches yoga and Pilates is not yoga. That is notderogative, it is a fact,
and of course she is honored and respected and accomplished
in Puerto Rico, the PMS and Florida.
SDG

Response: Be respectful of others.

You Obviously do not know Ms San Miguel, I do. I describe her as a person who has self-discipline, perseverance and who sets high standards and lives up to them in her everyday activities.

I know her accomplishments in Puerto Rico which are undeniable and where she is honored and respected.

On the other hand, I suggest you try to refrain from showing your prejudice and using derogative words and slander and have to apologize.

If you wish to be part of this discussion concerning Pilates Day please do so in an objective intelligent manner addressing the issue. Joe Pilates was fifty years ahead of its time and your remarks have convinced me that you are forty-two years behind. We should try to keep The Method alive, thriving, vibrant and positive.

Lillian V

Have any of you actually read your own foolishness? We teach Pilates, a movement system designed to balance the body mind and spirit. I just wish we could stop bickering and look at the body in front of us, use all of the tools we have to help that body move better and most of all stay true to the form. I haven't seen or heard a word from Romana, why does anyone feel so compelled to include her in all the correspondence. In all of my dealings with Romana she has never needed anyone to speak on her behalf. It's Pilates not brain surgery, our goal is to make people better so they can tie their own shoes and walk up and down stairs. I'm a purest, not an elitist. I love Pilates in it truest form and want everyone I touch to love Pilates too. The cream will always rise to the top, Classical, Pure Pilates is the cream, it's the only method that actually changes the human body. Yes there's a lot of other stuff out there, it's not our competition, they're not even on the same planet. Stay true to the form, that's all we need to know. Pamela Garcia

Dear Bernie-
The PMA was formed by the people battling the trademarks of Pilates, now they are having trademark problems.

I dont need to speak for Romana,her actions to refuse anything to do with the PMA speaks for itself.

I do my own conferences too, so I understand the profit and loss.

and 12x$8000 sounds like a good gig to me, I can learn from Lolita!
SDG

I can cook Mexican, Italian and Chinese food; but I don't put my rigatoni and mung bean sprouts in my quesidillas. I have taught Kundalini Yoga for 34 years and Pilates for 22 years, and did Shotokan Karate for 15 years, but when I teach Pilates, I teach Pilates. I dont chant, or bow in my class.
And, I wouldnt be part of a lawsuit to bring someone down,down,down, who I considered a friend who I honored and respected; but then
I'm a Sicilian and we are very clear about our loyalty and friendships.

I dont consider the lawsuit old wounds, I consider the mess we are in today the fault of SeaN gALLAGHER

Lolita-
There is no ballet or yoga in Pilates.

There was no word "interment" where did I say that?

And, you are a great movement teacher but A Master is known by
their making their teachers greater than themselves.

Siri Dharma GAlliano

Lolita San Miguel comments:

I must say I never expected my disagreement with the PMA over the celebration of Pilates Day to turn into name-calling, vicious personal attacks and that it would reopen old wounds. My disagreement was simply because I feel Joe belongs to all of us, and everyone should be entitled to join a celebration of Joe’s accomplishments, and I mean everyone, including those who may not be PMA members, most especially Romana Kryzanowska—a person whom I consider a friend and whom I honor and respect—and her teachers. I feel that Joe would be delighted that he is known and appreciated and that his work is benefiting millions of people. The PMA’s creation of a Pilates Day is a great idea, and it would be even greater if it wasn’t tainted by exclusivity. Its membership did not expect it as one of its privileges nor was it consulted.

As his apprentice along with Kathy Grant, I witnessed Joe’s depression in his last years. The main reason was because he felt that his work had not achieved the broad recognition or the universal acceptance he had anticipated. He often said, “I am fifty years ahead of my time.” I believe it is time for all who truly love and believe in Joe’s work to put a stop to all this pettiness, come together and in unity, endeavor to perfect the mechanisms that will raise the standards of quality in the practice of Pilates.

To Siri I say that as far as my being “interred in an island (Puerto Rico) for 30 years,” I wish all those who suffer such “interment” to have the satisfaction, accomplishments, recognition, appreciation and blessings I received during these years and indeed, during all my life. Furthermore, yes, I do use flexion, extension and rotation in my work. I also integrate ballet and yoga (two of the oldest proven forms of physical training) as well as modern, foot work etc., just as did my teachers Joseph and Clara Pilates and Carola Trier along with The Hundred.

Namaste!

Lolita San Miguel

Dear Fellow Instructors,
We should all be above this petty shot taking at one another. Can’t we all just get along! I was there when Lolita tried to first voice her opinion on “Pilates Day” to a member of the PMA staff. She was only trying to state how this trade mark could make things undesirable for the PMA. There were a couple of ideas that were voiced that might help avoid that situation. One was that they change the name to Pilates method Alliance Pilates Day or PMA Pilates Day. Which since their name was in the title it would make since to Trade Mark it. The other was to promote the day to celebrate Joseph Pilates and his work allowing all participants to promote how they chose. But if they wanted help and leadership that the PMA would be there for anyone that wanted to join their organization. I have heard many stories about Joseph Pilates but the one that sticks out is about how he wanted to change the health of everyone. IN A POSITIVE WAY!
Now let’s talk about how we all treat each other as Pilates Instructors. There has been a lot of rude thinks stated by tenured Pilates Professionals. What are we teaching our Pilates students? Have you ever met the people that you are insulting? I have listened to all of the “elders” speak and voice their opinion on our art form or industry (either way you want to name it) except Romana. This is truly a shame for I would like to hear her point of view, but from her and not someone that was trained by her. I have attended many conferences to continue my education and get ideas of what other modalities of Pilates are like. I know a lot of you say that there should only be one way to teach Pilates but I have seen 4 of the 5 Pilates “elders” teach and they all have differences. Conferences are the only way many Pilates instructors can afford to see the pillars of our Pilates art form. I think it would be great if we all could work toward Joseph’s goal of teaching to everyone.
Lastly I would like to talk about this whole money thing that has been brought up. I have been teaching Pilates for only 8 years but I can tell you that if you are teaching Pilates for the money, it is time for you to quit. Pilates comes from the heart and soul. Yes things cost and we have to make money to pay the bills. You should never criticize the cost of one service till you have been in their shoes paying their bills. I am taking Lolita’s mentors program and I am paying the $8000 for her two year program which consists of 200 hours of workshop. That’s $40 a workshop hour in which she only allows 12 students. I think the cost is reasonable. What do you charge for your workshops by the hour? I feel education is of upmost importance and that the day I have nothing more to learn is the day I should stop teaching. I am also putting together a national Pilates conference here in Florida so I can assure you that the PMA is not a cash cow. Hotel costs, promotional info costs, presenterx costs and staff for the event costs. For all you that have your own teaching programs check out how much it costs to become a legal certifying body.
Feel free to email me at Bernie@pilatesroundtable.com if you have any positive comments
Bernie Nelson
Founder of
Body & Core Pilates Studio and the Pilates Round Table.

Don't mean to sling mud at a nice woman older than my mom. It's just ironic, that's all. You read my points. The PMA and manufacturing companies and certification courses, though,are fair game. "Not for profit?"
LEt's mulitply 800 people paying $700 and sponsors paying
tens of thousands, teachers only getting paid $100,(except not the new ones.) I am all for and about the teachers, and the work. The organizers who control don't interest me; not one person, not one group.And my opinion is that smaller workshops and privates are the place to learn,and invest teacher's money not large classes of 70 variations of innovative Pilates. I know too much to be quiet,am solicited every day, and don't consider this an industry, but an artform.
And, I would have a Pilates Day anyway, if you dont think that is just ridiculous.
SDG

I thought pilates was for everyone. I was going to have a small pilates event on Pilates Days with my clients. We were to give the donations to a local charity. I guess maybe I should rethink it.
As for the comments that Siri made about Lolita. There is no need to sling mud. I know and currently work with Loilta and have worked with Siri. The funny thing is Lolita and Siri both want to see Pilates taught in a quality manner. When we start slinging mud at each other it only makes this industry, as a whole look bad.

Dear K
I have taught for free in the local high school for 8 years, and juvenile hall before that. I always take the young teachers with me to increase their teaching skills, different than having adults pay you to watch them move.
That is my work.The PMA is for new people in the last 10 years needing a place to belong. The founders got so excited after soliciting a half of million dollars from little teachers to fight Romana, they wanted to keep it going. They fought to be generic, and now protest when others dont
meet their standards THEY decided, like anatomy. I like Mary Bowen(I know, but I do)who says the only rule there used to be was you had to do Pilates for 10 years before you could teach. the way Power Pilates(and they are the second best)pushes their enrollees(so the math, hundreds paying thousands so get the next group out and in)to test out when they are not ready, the pressure and abuse being reported(and Romana's Pilates, not to be confused with Romana does the same) is not how you learn. there used to be three studios is a city, now there's three studios on every corner and in every club,
the public does not have that demand, and the teachers are hurting. it is not about the teachers, it is about the money, honey.
And, I will fight +the nature of their beast" because that is not the nature of Joe Pilates.
sdg
SDG

There's nothing contradictory in saying something is open to all, but there's a fee. If you go to the movies, it's open to the public, but you have to pay. And the movie industry is FOR PROFIT (as Siri knows), unlike the PMA. You just want something for nothing - as long as someone ELSE is doing the work. I come from a background of working with relief charities and it's pretty obvious that Melissa and Siri have never been involved in running a not-for-profit service organization. You guys are funny actually! Hey I know, maybe Lolita can fund the whole annual PMA budget - then they wouldn't need to charge for anything! She must be raking it in with her new course. 8 thousand bucks for people who are already professional teachers! Woooo - that must be some course! Look whose getting rich off Pilates now! But she thinks the PMA should work for free?

By the way Melissa, I just looked it up and there are at least 2 Pilates associations in Australia, both are not-for-profits that have membership dues (like the PMA) to fund their work - so good luck with that 'down under'. You are being very naive. Good thing you're in a position to work for free, or are you?

I agree with Siri that manufacturers 'push' the industry, and that's a bad thing. But that's the nature of their beast and the PMA is not resposible for that. All those manufacturers started in business years before the PMA was set up. Again, if Lolita, Siri and Melissa paid all the PMA's bills they wouldn't need sponsors either!

Rock on PMA - I appreciate you guys.

What a great discussion. I am an Australians Pilates Instructor and have started up a website for ALL Instructors to unite, discuss and inspire each other. This embodies exactly what Lolita has said. I have read through each post and the part of Elizabeths' first comment that intrigues me is this "Our Pilates Day program is intended to be inclusive and unifying for our international Pilates community. It is open to all who wish to participate. The only requirement for participation in hosting a Pilates Day event is that the host is a PMA member" How VERY contradictory. It is elitist and exclusionary to say we have to be a PMA member to share in the celebrations of the very thing that should UNITE us all. If I had ever considered joining the PMA to support its philosophy, I can now say no thanks most definitively. I will continue to work on uniting the Australian Pilates community my way. I have made an entry on my site featuring this discussion, I am keen to see how the Australian Pilates community feels.

If I could show you the timeline of PILATES,
until the fifties there was just Joe and Clara, then three, Corolla Trier; when Joe died in '67, there became just a few more in the '70's, Romana, Kathy,Eve, Ron; they started more teachers and in the 80's there were 100 studios and in the '90's a thousand. Now you may think it is good there are thousands and thousands of variations of people, but the market is flooded, studios are closing, the public has not been educated they have been inundated, and everyone is turning to something else to make a living in this economy. We are putting teachers out of work,
not giving them jobs. It's an illusion of the certification courses and manufacturers.
That's a breakdown. of Pilates.
sdg

No, I just think this non-reality of what was done to Romana and then the PMA decides it sets the standards, when the manufacturers do with their support,is the breakdown.How far have they changed the work and equipment in the last nine years?
that is the breakdown.
sdg

Again, after reading your post,. I cant believe that you think Romana would enjoy herself mingling with the people who brought her down, gloat over it(check Lolita's post) and ruined so much of Joe's work. Why in the world does she need you?
sdg

Regarding Romana:Why would she go work for the people who sued her? Why would she let you use her for attendance surge? How can someone devoted to maintaining the quality of Joe's work, teach next to weird gadgets called Pilates machines and weirder teachers cuing to insert tampons to find their pelvic floor? First you destroy her,
then you want to market her? Don't you get it? And, does your board have to "certify" her daughter and grandaughter
to teach, since they are not "PMA" certified? And,they will only teach on the
Gratz equipment,not any of the "Innovative"
"Improved" equipment. You are all invited to Big Bear, though, if you want to do
Traditional Pilates on the Gratz.We dont let people invent their own gadgets or exercises, it is strictly Joe's work, and we are not negative, we are too busy practicing Pilates for politics. It's an
expresso compared to Schmalates.
SDG

Dear Elisabeth-
Pilates used to be a culture, now it's an industry; much like what happened to the surfing culture which is now an "industry."
The industry is pushed by the manufacturers;new machines invented every season so people who already have equipment need to "upgrade" and Stott,
Peak and Balanced Body, who sponsor the PMA,and BMS, have their own "certification"
courses. It's all very incestuous, unorganic, and not an art form; which is what Pilates was, an artist and a genius.
That can not be industrialized. Your formula and vision will not work long term. It must be in your soul and destiny to be a teacher; it's unique, not certifiable.
Siri Dharma Galliano

Isn't it priceless, Lolita doing yoga on a
Balanced Body Reformer,trying to be a Universal teacher to the organization formed by those who sued Romana, and refuse to let Romana teachers present at their events unless their teachers certify them?
She should be more grateful to the lawsuit for getting her off the island she has been stuck on for thirty years and for the PMA making her into a celebrity. Without the lawsuit no one would ever know her blend of ballet,yoga,movement,therapy,
and, oh yes, the Hundreds.
And without talking thousands of people into giving them thousands of dollars, the PMA staff might be suffering in this economy without a job, and the Pilates work might not be as broadly known, but it would be closer to Joe and Clara's work, and therefore, it would, and will survive.
Siri Dharma Galliano

As a corporate member of the PMA, and a Pilates instructor for 35 years, I have no problem with the PMA doing a Pilates Day event. We all have free choice to participate, and the more awareness Pilates generates the better it is for generations to come.
The PMA is not perfect, but what is? They are trying to keep the intergrity alive and the spirit intact. There are many people involved with the PMA, and they are doing the very best they can. You do not have to participate if you don't want to.
I was involved with the class action suit against the trademark of Pilates. We won, and there are many interpretaions of the work. Some good, some bad. Trying to keep it honest in the world today is very hard, but we "oldies" try to keep the work honest and as true to Joe Pilates Method as possible.

PMA's Pilates Day 2009

As the Executive Director of the Pilates Method Alliance (PMA), I want to thank Lolita for her endorsement of the PMA’s efforts to establish high standards of quality in the teaching of Pilates and in the certification of Pilates instructors. I agree with her that the PMA’s mission is absolutely necessary for the good of the Pilates industry. Lolita has always been an ardent supporter of the PMA, and we hold her in the highest regard both as a person and as a First Generation Pilates teacher. I am sorry that she does not agree with the way our Pilates Day program is conceived.

There are a few important points I’d like to stress:

• Pilates Day is a creation of the PMA. The PMA conceived it, branded it and invested in marketing and administering it over the years. Otherwise it would not exist.
• The PMA is a not-for-profit organization. As such, no one receives personal financial gain from the Pilates Day trademark.
• The PMA was founded at the conclusion of, and in response to, the trademark battle over the word ‘Pilates’. It was founded as a grassroots alliance by a group of people who believed strongly that Pilates should be deemed a generic term, should not be privately owned, and should be available to all. We are in complete alignment with Lolita on this point.
• The PMA does not seek to own the word Pilates, and does not attempt to make Pilates its exclusive property. Our Pilates Day program assists our members in making Pilates available to more and more of the general public through organized promotional events. We do not seek to make Pilates Day an exclusive PMA celebration. We seek to assist PMA members in making it a day of celebration and participation for as many people as possible.
• The administering and promoting of Pilates Day costs money. PMA staff members create email blasts, update and maintain the website and spend a large amount of time on the telephone and on line with members, helping them to organize their events and to sort out innumerable issues with their insurance which is of profound benefit to them. The financial support we receive from membership dues is what funds this work.
• Our Pilates Day program is intended to be inclusive and unifying for our international Pilates community. It is open to all who wish to participate. The only requirement for participation in hosting a Pilates Day event is that the host is a PMA member, and membership is open to all who wish to join. PMA members are given access to an extensive Pilates Day Kit, which includes ready-made downloadable promotional artwork and logos, samples budgets, press releases and production time lines, among other things that help to brand and promote their event. Pilates Day hosts also benefit from a multi-faceted promotional program administered by the PMA, bringing attention to the events being held on May 2, 2009. The production of these Pilates Day materials and the creation and maintenance of the www.pilatesday.com website are funded by PMA member dues. All of this is in the service of helping Pilates Day hosts create events for the public at large, to increase participation and raise the profile of Pilates, and we hope that people all over the world will practice Pilates just as Lolita describes.

Anyone who is not a PMA member is of course free to celebrate the life and work of Joseph Pilates at any time and in any way they choose and we encourage them to do so! However, in order for the PMA to provide the particular services described above, we do need the participation of those we’re serving, in the form of membership dues.

Respectfully,

Elizabeth Anderson
Executive Director