Why Pilates Is Good for You

I love teaching STOTT PILATES® and seeing how it helps people of all ages and ranges of mobility. At the Pilates Centre of Ballet Memphis, we have able-bodied clients who take Pilates to stay in shape, and we have clients who may be stiff and want more flexibility. With clients I have been with for a year or more, I am always ecstatic to witness their progress, whether it’s being able to hold no tension in their necks or finally accomplishing an advanced exercise. Is Pilates for you? Almost anyone can benefit from Pilates—men, women, children, those who are athletes and those who may not have exercised at all in some time. As with any exercise program, you’ve got to stick with it to see results. When you do, (and I know you will!) you will begin to see:

·         Increased stability and peripheral mobility

·         Improved fitness levels that could help prevent injury

·         Greater ease of movement

·         Improved performance of specific sport skills

·         Enhanced balance, coordination and circulation

When taking or teaching a Pilates class, I always start my warm-up with breathing. It helps get rid of tension and gets the blood moving. I remember teaching a new client for the first time, and I had noticed that she was excellent at exhaling, but never took in a deep breath. After a few minutes into our session, I told her what I had seen and that she should inhale to exhale. She looked at me and realized for the first time in many years that she had not inhaled deeply. She now carries that sense of breath into her everyday life. I had taught someone something as simple as breathing and I was so happy to help her.

I also had a client that was on many pain medications for a number of years due to a neck surgery in the past. After taking a mat class for six months at the Pilates Centre, he was off all of his pain meds and was thrilled to have his neck pain gone because Pilates had strengthened his neck and back. The best part was that he was telling this to someone new who had just walked to the centre and had never taken Pilates before.

Why not see if Pilates is right for you? We’re here to help you begin—not just with Pilates but also in learning how to have a healthier, more toned body and relaxed state of mind. We’re not far from anywhere in Memphis, and we offer all levels of classes.  
—Julie Niekrasz (pictured above in blue), dancer with Ballet Memphis and certified STOTT PILATES instructor

“I love taking Pilates at Ballet Memphis. The instructors are the best! It is amazing how much body awareness I have now. To me, it is the best form of exercise.”

—Sue Lightman, 9-year client of the Pilates Centre

Rachel Choy, Lauren Petrin and Anna Hedgepeth in Matchgirl

Every year, much of the seniors' focus revolves around where to apply to college. Then they wait impatiently for acceptance or rejection, and finally comes the decision of which offer to accept. One year, everyone had it figured out by January, but in most years, like this one, it came down to the end of April.

I don't know that this year's group is unusual in their academic prowess,  maybe they just talked more around me about where they were applying and where each was accepted. The list is so impressive that I want to take a moment to share it with you. Lest any parents think their child is going to sacrifice her academic future by spending so much time at Ballet Memphis, I offer for their consideration this list of schools to which our senior class not only applied, but here are all the schools to which they were accepted: Auburn University, Boston University, Bowling Green State, Clemson, College of Wooster, Cornell, Duke, Emory, Fordham, Georgetown, Harvard, Mississippi State, Northeastern University, Northwestern, Princeton, Rhodes, Samford, St. Louis University, Texas Christian University, University of Alabama, University of Arizona, University of Arkansas, University of Chicago, UT Knoxville, UT Martin, UT Chattanooga, University of Memphis, University of Michigan, University of Washington, Vanderbilt and Washington University.

I think what's most impressive is how well rounded our dancers are, choosing to pursue studies and careers in my different fields. Rachel Choy graduated from ECS and will attend UT-Chattanooga in the fall. Anna Hedgepeth graduated 6 out of her class of 400 at Houston High and will attend Cornell University where she will double major in society and biology–a major for pre-med students who plan on practicing medicine in third-world countries. Ana Marinovic graduated summa cum laude and was Salutatorian of her class at St. Mary's Episcopal School. Although Emory University awarded her a four-year, full scholarship as an Emory Scholar, Ana has chosen to attend Harvard University. She told me she'd like to double-major in any of the following: government, mathematics, education or creative writing. Leandra Mayfield plans to attend Bowling Green University to major in music and psychology so that she can be an expressive arts therapist. Sarah McFann graduated from Arlington High School as a National Merit Scholar. She'll attend the University of Alabama and major in both dance and chemical engineering. Lauren Petrin graduated from St. Mary's and will major in communications at Boston University. Kristian Swain graduated from Collierville High school and plans on majoring in elementary education at Mississippi State. Jacqueline Beaird also graduated from Collierville High School and will major in Spanish and elementary education at UT-Knoxville.
I couldn't be more proud of the dedication these young women have brought to both their ballet practice at Ballet Memphis, and those around them.
—Janet Parke, Ballet Memphis School Principal