Ocala's first Pilates studio established in 1999. Family owned and operated. We are a classical Pilates studio with a contemporary edge. We are proficient at designing classes for beginners, intermediate and advance clients with different levels of expertise in all the classes we offer. Our group classes have up to 4 clients per class so we are a hands-on studio. Our clients are watched closely and corrected accordingly and encouraged to progress safely from one level to the next. We also offer semiprivates, duets and privates sessions. for clients with injuries and physical limitations or for clients that prefer them.
We adhere to classical Pilates fundamentals and principles such as taught by Joseph Pilates and his proteges which worked directly under his tutelage and were responsible for continuing his legacy. We welcome you to join us in continuing to honor Joseph Pilates's vision of achieving better health through mindful movement.
Tammy Fakhoury is third generation classically trained and certified with Power Pilates in NYC, proudly under the tutelage of Susan Moran Sheehy and Phoebe Higgins. Tammy has also completed mat and equipment modules presented by Balanced Body bringing a contemporary approach to her Pilates teaching. Over the course of the last 23 years, she has completed workshops with master teachers John Claude West, Madeline Black, Karen Clippinger, among many others.
Jeanne King holds a BFA in dance from the University of Oklahoma where she had the privilege of training with the principals of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. She is a BASI Pilates instructor, trained under the tutelage of Rael Isacowitz, since 2001. Jeanne has completed Ultimate Pilates, the Mentor, Master and Master Reunion Programs, the highest certificate of achievement awarded by BASI Pilates.
Joe was born in Germany in 1880. He grew up a small and sickly child who suffered from rickets, asthma and rheumatic fever. Like so many who suffer from physical ailments, Joe became obsessed with physical fitness and health. As a young child he would hide in the woods for hours watching and observing the movements of wild animals. As a teenager determined to overcome his own afflictions he studied human anatomy, and both Eastern and Western forms of exercise including Yoga. By the age of 14, he was posing for anatomical charts and later became skilled in boxing, gymnastics, skiing and skin-diving. In 1912, he went to England and worked as a circus performer. He toured England with his troupe and became one of the star performers.
In 1914, after WWI erupted he was incarcerated in Lancaster, in a "camp" for enemy aliens, along with other Germans. It was here that he began devising his method of exercising that he later named "Contrology". During this time many of his compatriots became his students and diligently followed his exercise regime. During this time an influenza epidemic had swept the nation killing thousands. And, even though the camps were among the hardest hit, all of Joe's followers emerged unscathed. Later, he was transferred to another camp on The Isle of Man where he worked as a nurse/caretaker with many disabled internees suffering from wartime diseases and physical injuries. Here, he began devising equipment to rehabilitate his patients. Joe would remove the bedsprings from beneath the beds and attach them to the walls above the patient's bed to create spring resistance and allow carefully controlled and precise movements to those who were bedridden. Joe understood the healing effects of movement and although many of Joe's patients were bedridden they emerged stronger and healthier.
When the war ended Joe returned to Germany and continued to develop his work. He began training the Hamburg Military Police in self-defense ad physical training. In 1925, Joe was asked to train the New German Army. He declined because he did not agree with the political direction Germany was taking. In 1926, Joe decided to emigrate to the United States and on the journey across the Atlantic he met Clara, a nurse, who became his wife.
Upon arriving in New York City in 1926, Joe and Clara opened a studio in the same building as several dance studios. Joe continued developing "Contrology" as his method became an intrinsic part of many dancers' strength training and rehab work. George Balanchine, the famous choreographer studied with Joe and referred many of his dancers to Pilates for strengthening, balancing and rehabilitation.
In January 1966, there was a fire in their building and as Joe tried to salvage anything he could he fell through the burnt out floorboards. He reportedly hung on by his hands from a beam for quite a while until he was rescued by firefighters. Joe died in October 1967. Many believe that this incident directly led to his death. Clara, a trained nurse who was considered by many to be the more patient teacher, continued to teach and run the studio.
In 1975, Romana Kryzanowska, a former dancer and student of Pilates returned from Peru and took over the studio. Clara died two years later in 1977.
Pilates had a firm belief that he was fifty years ahead of his time. Today, although specialists in the field of rehabilitation and body conditioning have modified the original method, the basic principles incorporated in the method still hold true. Many of his advocates, who honor his work, feel that if Joe were alive today, he would have done the same to progress his work. Master teachers and first generation instructors, who knew Joe and Clara, often said that they would have been very proud of the worldwide popularity their method has attained. However, it is doubtful that Joe would be pleased with the influx of "quickie" weekend certification programs which have popped up for would-be instructors. Comprehensively trained instructors are the essential element in maintaining the integrity of Pilates and in assisting a student in realizing their full potential.
"The attainment and maintenance of a uniformly developed body with a sound mind fully capable of naturally, easily and satisfactorily performing our many and varied daily tasks with spontaneously zest and pleasure" - Joseph H. Pilates