All Things Pilates with Darien Gold - Pilates Expert

The Reformer, the most enduring and popular Pilates apparatus our genius mentor, Jospeh Pilates invented. Originally named, the Universal Reformer, this piece in the Pilates line-up was first built by the inventor himself and his brother, Fred. As the Universal Reformer gained more attention, the demand for it became greater. Romana Kryzanowska, one of Mr. Pilates’ most devoted disciples, continued his teachings on his apparatus at the NYC original studio after Joe passed away. Then in the late 1960’s a fortuitous meeting with Donald Gratz, a metal installation and furniture company owner would set in motion the next generation of apparatus, including the reformer.

Now, in 2019, there is yet, another iteration of the classical Pilates reformer, this time, manufactured by Balanced Body, a leader in the Pilates apparatus industry. My guest today is Ana Caban who is the Balanced Body Brand Ambassador for the new Contrology reformer.
Original air date: April 7, 2019

In 2018, I visited England for the first time as an instructor, and where I spent a week teaching classical Pilates to both classical and contemporary teachers. My DVD, The First Seven, also made its England debut and is our today's topic.
I conceived of The First Seven in 2010 as a way to help beginning students understand the Pilates technique. I titled the DVD, The First Seven, because those were the first mat exercises I learned from Romana Kryzanowska. Her simple but effective approach into the mat repertoire by teaching these seven basic exercises was extremely helpful and I knew it would help others. The First Seven is sold on Amazon and a great addition to your DVD library.
Original air date: May 6, 2018

Roberta Gratz is the co-owner of Gratz Industries, Inc. and wife of the late Donald Gratz, whose father Frank along with a business partner opened a custom metal fabrication business Treitel/Gratz in New York City in the 1920’s.
After Donald took over the family business and while delivering a metal furniture piece to one of his customers met Romana Kryzanowska at his customer’s home. Romana had needed a manufacturer for her apparatus as more and more teachers were arriving at her studio, the original Pilates studio, eager to learn the method from her and then needing apparatus to work on at home. Meanwhile, Donald went on a blind date with a young reporter named Roberta Brandes. Roberta began her journalistic career as a copy girl in 1963. She quickly rose up to become a reporter for the New York Post in 1965 where she spent the next 15 years. This interview is part of her story.
Original air date: December 23, 2018

Mr. Pilates developed his method in part, by observing feral cats and watching how their spines flexed and extended, and from those observations developed his mat repertoire. Eventually, medical professionals took notice especially, chiropractors. He would go on to share his method with the chiropractic community evidenced by a plaque which hung in his studio. It read: “This is to Certify that Joseph Pilates is awarded this appointment of merit in appreciation of his valued assistance in the presentation of the Post Graduate course of the Academy of Chiropractic, Inc.”

Chiropractic is from the Greek, meaning “done by hand.” It is grounded in the principle that the body can heal itself when the skeletal system is correctly aligned and the nervous system is functioning properly. Joining us is Dr. Charles Zollner, a chiropractor, and he’s here to discuss in more detail the benefits of chiropractic care and its connection to the Pilates method.
Original air date: November 4, 2018