The English recognized his special talents and Joseph Pilates was moved to the hospital where he worked as a nurse, helping to rehabilitate those suffering from war-time diseases and injuries. He began experimenting with springs attached to hospital beds and found that the springs gave enough resistance to patients’ muscles to help them recover and regain strength and muscle tone.

The prototype of the equipment we use today known as “The Universal Reformer” had been born.
After the War, Joe Pilates returned to Germany and began training the Hamburg Police Force. It was there that Pilates met movement analyst Rudolf von Laban. Laban was intrigued with Joe Pilates’ Method of Contrology and incorporated some of the Pilates Method to his own. Some of these exercises are still part of the Hanya Holm’s (one of the founders of Modern Dance in America) dance technique warm-up.

In 1925 Pilates was invited to train the new German Army. However, disenchanted with the developing political climate, he decided to leave for America. On his way, he met his wife to be Clara, who was a nurse. In 1926 Joe and Clara opened their first Pilates Studio in New York City. It immediately caught the attention of the dance community. Such dance legends as Ruth St. Dennis, Ted Shawn, Martha Graham, Hanya Holm, Jerome Robbins, and George Balanchine all studied with Pilates and took their students to him for general conditioning, injury prevention, and rehabilitation.

The Pilates Method has stood the test of time, one of the oldest and now one of the hottest trends in the fitness scene. Pilates develops strength, flexibility, endurance, and it improves posture, alignment, coordination and balance.

GAYLA ZUKEVICH

Gayla Zukevich began her studies of the Pilates Method in 1992 at the Center for Sports Medicine in Walnut Creek, California under the direction of Diana Herold. She was certified by Master Teacher, Romana Kryzanowska, in 1994 after completing her apprenticeship with The New York Pilates Studio. Ms. Zukevich developed a Pilates Curriculum for the Dance Department of The Governor’s High School for the Arts in Norfolk, Virginia where she is currently on the faculty. Ms. Zukevich also introduced The Pilates Method to The National Dance School of Scotland while living and teaching in England from 1999 to 2002. Ms. Zukevich is also an Associate Professor at Old Dominion University, teaching Pilates for the Dance Department as well as for the Community Outreach Program. Having found Pilates after a dance career and a serious surgery, Ms. Zukevich is dedicated to sharing her knowledge and teaching The Pilates Method to all.

KATHRYN FINNEY

Kathryn Finney began her study of the Pilates Method under the talented eye of Gayla Zukevich in 1996. She found that Pilates evened out her musculature, enhanced her dance technique and prevented many potential injuries due to daily dance rehearsal, classes and performances. In 2000, Kathryn entered and completed her Pilates apprenticeship in the The Pilates Studio of New York with Romana Kryzanowska and Bob Liekens. Also in that year, Kathryn founded and developed the Pilates Center at Old Dominion University in the Dance Department where she has been on faculty since 1997. She has also been on faculty of the Dance Department at The Governor's School for the Arts in Norfolk and has taught Pilates as a guest for many different venues in the state of Virginia as well as for the American College Dance Festival. Kathryn is still an active member in the Norfolk dance community and is the mother of two beautiful children.