Pilates Studios Los Angeles | Risa Sheppard Sheppard Method Pilates offers training for every level of exercise students of all ages. 310-470-2828 How Did Pilates Get So Popular? The exercise form of Pilates dates to World War I, when a young German was placed in a British internment camp as an enemy alien. That man was Joseph Pilates, and he had been training Scotland Yard detectives in the art of self-defense. In the internment quarters, he began perfecting his exercise techniques and improvising resistance equipment from bed springs. After the war he went home to Germany and promoted his new methods. They quickly found acceptance among the dance community. He was then asked to train German soldiers, but decided to leave his native land and come to the United States, where he settled in New York and opened a fitness center alongside the New York City Ballet. His exercise regime found the same favor among American dancers as it had in Germany. Eventually, his students went on to open their own studios. These include: • Eve Gentry, who taught in New York and later in Santa Fe. • Bruce King, a dancer who taught in New York. • Mary Bowen, a Jungian analyst who taught in Massachusetts. • Robert Fitzgerald, another dancer who taught in New York. A key leap forward in the development of Pilates came when Hollywood celebrities were introduced to Pilates at Ron Fletcher’s Beverly Hills studio in the 1970s. The method grew in popularity as media coverage followed. Today, there are hundreds of Pilates studios in Los Angeles. Among those is Sheppard Method Pilates, led by Pilates master Risa Sheppard. Her courses are designed to improve strength in the “core” – abdominal area – and back. The studio also offers teacher certification training for aspiring instructors. Call (310) 470-2828 for more information. There are two schools of Pilates, the “modern” method that incorporates some of the innovations added by some of his first-generation students, and the “classical” method as originated by its namesake founder. Joseph Pilates died in 1967. He was 83. He wrote several books about his exercise method, which he called “contrology,” and held patents on 26 exercise devices.
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