New York, 8th Avenue and 56th Street, an old low-rise building surrounded by skyscrapers, noisy cafes where cigars are still manually twisted in the neighborhood. Central Park is within easy reach. Life is in full swing, people pass by, not paying attention to an old house, where windows are comfortably burning, and dancers, opera singers and other artists gather in spacious halls. You will not even find signs at the entrance. Not a single word, sign or hint about what happened here half a century ago. This is what the studio looks like today, where Joseph developed his method, taught people to him, and they transmitted and pass on knowledge to future generations.

Every day people come here from different parts of the world, for whom crossing the threshold of this building means so much. These people, Pilates teachers, have come a long way just to touch the railing of the stairs that Joe went up to his studio to breathe in the air of this place. Here, on the second floor, was the studio of Joe and Clara, their modest living room. Bruce King and Hannah Sakimirda huddled in the neighborhood. Life and work were an inseparable whole for these people. There was a special world, with its own rules and regulations. This place remembers all the Pilates Elders, all of Joe’s clients, including many celebrities. This place retains the spirit of those Continue reading →