PILATES AT THE PILLOW^®:
The New Science and Lost Art of Joe’s Contrology^®

September 16-18, 2022

Pilates at the Pillow^® is a three-day conference for pilates teachers at the historic Jacob’s Pillow and at Joe’s original studio in Becket, MA.

Table work with springs and boards, comprehensive mat work, understanding the cardiovascular system Joe’s way (with a little current science for support). Integrating it all to help you understand and teach his work as he wanted it taught the first day back in your studio.

Pilates Archival Airplane Board™ 

Taught by Sean P. Gallagher and Elaine Ewing

Joseph Pilates invented 4 different Airplane Boards with distinct exercises for each one. This workshop will focus on Joe’s 4 original Airplane Boards and their exercises that he archived through photos, film, and drawings. Exercises with the 2 Loop Airplane Board, One Loop Airplane Board, and Three Loop Board (invented by Sean), Airplane Board with No Loops, and Pillow Airplane Board will be taught and demonstrated. These exercises range from basic to advanced and can be implemented into your lessons upon your first day back in the studio. Pilates Archival Airplane Boards™ will also be available for purchase through Lineage Pilates who will be making the boards for this workshop. We will also be utilizing Sean’s invention of a group metal bar cage to allow for 20 groups of 2 to work out together during the workshop (shown in photo).

Sean P. Gallagher

Sean P. Gallagher (BFA, PT, CPT, CFP, EMT, MS) is the owner and master physical therapist of Performing Arts Physical Therapy, as well as a master pilates teacher and Teacher of Teachers at his studio in NYC, The New York Pilates Studio^®. He developed the first teacher training manual along with Romana Kryzanowska for Authentic Pilates™ and was instrumental in getting the Pilates method recognized and taught around the world. Sean is also the owner of the largest collection Joseph Pilates’ archival material and has three published books, “The Pilates Method of Body Conditioning” , “The Collected Works of Joseph Pilates” and “The Joseph H. Pilates Archive Collection”. Sean has also been teaching pilates at Jacob’s Pillow in Becket, MA for 17 years.

As a physical therapist, he has provided backstage Physical Therapy care at over 120 Broadway shows. With over 35 years of dance and physical therapy experience he has developed the most comprehensive injury prevention and self care program available to performers today. Sean is an adjunct professor for Anatomy, Somatics, and Authentic Pilates™ at Marymount Manhattan College, Anatomy and Authentic Pilates™ at the New School for 12 years, and was adjunct professor for Gross Anatomy at NYU’s Physical Therapy program for 9 years. He is a New York State certified Emergency Medical Technician and has recently completed his masters in Clinical Nutrition from Bridgeport University. He also collects old books on medicine, exercise and health.

Sean Gallagher is the property owner of Joe’s original studio and items displayed there. He was the main presenter at Pilates at The Pillow^® 2018 whose workshops were titled, “Was Joe 50 Years Ahead of His Time, Or Not?” And “Common Teaching Cues in Pilates”.  He also organized Pilates Jeopardy, was a panelist in the panel discussion, “The State of Pilates Today”, and guided a tour of the historic property and studio that was originally Joseph Pilates’.

Elaine Ewing

Elaine is owner of Rhinebeck Pilates, the Hudson Valley’s only Authentic fully equipped pilates studio, located in Rhinebeck, NY since 2003. Equipped with Gratz apparatus, much of it vintage, her studio also showcases archival, rare, and original pilates images on the walls throughout. She is certified through the New York Pilates Studio and currently teaches both at Rhinebeck Pilates at The New York Pilates Studio. She has studied and practiced pilates extensively through workshops and classes taught by Sean Gallagher, MeJo Wiggin, Steve Giordano, Bob Liekens, Leah Chaback Katz, and Simona Cipriani, to name a few.  

Elaine can be found on Pilatesology as the model for a number of Sean Gallagher and Junghee Won’s instructional videos.  She currently assists Sean Gallagher in running his online shop for selling archival pilates posters and in restoring Joseph Pilates’ original Berkshires studio and his original apparatus there.

Pilates Archival Mat™ Variations and Cuing

Taught by Sean Gallagher and Elaine Ewing

It is entirely possible to add variety and interest to your mat classes without straying from Joe’s authentic work!

Through the approximate years of the 1930’s-1960’s, Joe Pilates documented his matwork through photos, film, publications, written instructions, and drawings. His most famous book, Return to Life Through Contrology, depicts his basic matwork, which remained consistent over these 3 decades.

This workshop will focus on Joe’s original Return to Life matwork variations that he also taught, based on extensive archival evidence from a variety of sources. These exercises are a great way to add variety to your mat classes and challenge your clients when you return to the studio!

We will be teaching Joe and Clara’s cuing, as well as Romana’s and Sean’s to provide you with a comprehensive vocabulary of cuing possibilities that you’ll be able to use right away when back in your studio doing hands-on teaching.

Sean P. Gallagher

Sean P. Gallagher (BFA, PT, CPT, CFP, EMT, MS) is the owner and master physical therapist of Performing Arts Physical Therapy, as well as a master pilates teacher and Teacher of Teachers at his studio in NYC, The New York Pilates Studio®. He developed the first teacher training manual along with Romana Kryzanowska for Authentic Pilates™ and was instrumental in getting the Pilates method recognized and taught around the world. Sean is also the owner of the largest collection Joseph Pilates’ archival material and has three published books, “The Pilates Method of Body Conditioning” , “The Collected Works of Joseph Pilates” and “The Joseph H. Pilates Archive Collection”. Sean has also been teaching pilates at Jacob’s Pillow in Becket, MA for 17 years.

As a physical therapist, he has provided backstage Physical Therapy care at over 120 Broadway shows. With over 35 years of dance and physical therapy experience he has developed the most comprehensive injury prevention and self care program available to performers today. Sean is an adjunct professor for Anatomy, Somatics, and Authentic Pilates™ at Marymount Manhattan College, Anatomy and Authentic Pilates™ at the New School for 12 years, and was adjunct professor for Gross Anatomy at NYU’s Physical Therapy program for 9 years. He is a New York State certified Emergency Medical Technician and has recently completed his masters in Clinical Nutrition from Bridgeport University. He also collects old books on medicine, exercise and health.

Sean Gallagher is the property owner of Joe’s original studio and items displayed there. He was the main presenter at Pilates at The Pillow^® 2018 whose workshops were titled, “Was Joe 50 Years Ahead of His Time, Or Not?” And “Common Teaching Cues in Pilates”.  He also organized Pilates Jeopardy, was a panelist in the panel discussion, “The State of Pilates Today”, and guided a tour of the historic property and studio that was originally Joseph Pilates’.

Elaine Ewing

Elaine is owner of Rhinebeck Pilates, the Hudson Valley’s only Authentic fully equipped pilates studio, located in Rhinebeck, NY since 2003. Equipped with Gratz apparatus, much of it vintage, her studio also showcases archival, rare, and original pilates images on the walls throughout. She is certified through the New York Pilates Studio and currently teaches both at Rhinebeck Pilates at The New York Pilates Studio. She has studied and practiced pilates extensively through workshops and classes taught by Sean Gallagher, MeJo Wiggin, Steve Giordano, Bob Liekens, Leah Chaback Katz, and Simona Cipriani, to name a few.  

Elaine can be found on Pilatesology as the model for a number of Sean Gallagher and Junghee Won’s instructional videos.  She currently assists Sean Gallagher in running his online shop for selling archival pilates posters and in restoring Joseph Pilates’ original Berkshires studio and his original apparatus there.

Pilates Archival Massage Table™ Part 1

Presented by Sean P. Gallagher and Elaine Ewing

One of Joe’s lost apparatus was known as The Massage Table. This apparatus was similar to a raised mat with a Cadillac structure on one end, which included arm springs, leg springs, and a push through bar. With this addition to the apparatus, Joe documented a specific series and order of exercises.  Get ready to learn a wide range of ways to archivally challenge your clients!

This workshop will focus on the arm and leg springs series of exercises from The Massage Table. These archival exercises span what we would call basic through advanced exercises, making this an excellent opportunity to add to your knowledge base not only as to what and how Joe taught, but also how to continue to challenge your clients back at the studio as authentically and archivally as possible. Again, we will also be utilizing Sean’s invention of a group metal bar cage to allow for 10 groups of 2 to work out together during the workshop along with the Pilates Archival Bench Mat™ to facilitate the combinations needed in teaching these exercises.

Elaine Ewing

Elaine is owner of Rhinebeck Pilates, the Hudson Valley’s only Authentic fully equipped pilates studio, located in Rhinebeck, NY since 2003. Equipped with Gratz apparatus, much of it vintage, her studio also showcases archival, rare, and original pilates images on the walls throughout. She is certified through the New York Pilates Studio and currently teaches both at Rhinebeck Pilates at The New York Pilates Studio. She has studied and practiced pilates extensively through workshops and classes taught by Sean Gallagher, MeJo Wiggin, Steve Giordano, Bob Liekens, Leah Chaback Katz, and Simona Cipriani, to name a few. 

Elaine can be found on Pilatesology as the model for a number of Sean Gallagher and Junghee Won’s instructional videos.  She currently assists Sean Gallagher in running his online shop for selling archival pilates posters and in restoring Joseph Pilates’ original Berkshires studio and his original apparatus there.

Sean P. Gallagher

Sean P. Gallagher (BFA, PT, CPT, CFP, EMT, MS) is the owner and master physical therapist of Performing Arts Physical Therapy, as well as a master pilates teacher and Teacher of Teachers at his studio in NYC, The New York Pilates Studio®. He developed the first teacher training manual along with Romana Kryzanowska for Authentic Pilates™ and was instrumental in getting the Pilates method recognized and taught around the world. Sean is also the owner of the largest collection Joseph Pilates’ archival material and has three published books, “The Pilates Method of Body Conditioning” , “The Collected Works of Joseph Pilates” and “The Joseph H. Pilates Archive Collection”. Sean has also been teaching pilates at Jacob’s Pillow in Becket, MA for 17 years.

As a physical therapist, he has provided backstage Physical Therapy care at over 120 Broadway shows. With over 35 years of dance and physical therapy experience he has developed the most comprehensive injury prevention and self care program available to performers today. Sean is an adjunct professor for Anatomy, Somatics, and Authentic Pilates™ at Marymount Manhattan College, Anatomy and Authentic Pilates™ at the New School for 12 years, and was adjunct professor for Gross Anatomy at NYU’s Physical Therapy program for 9 years. He is a New York State certified Emergency Medical Technician and has recently completed his masters in Clinical Nutrition from Bridgeport University. He also collects old books on medicine, exercise and health.

Sean Gallagher is the property owner of Joe’s original studio and items displayed there. He was the main presenter at Pilates at The Pillow^® 2018 whose workshops were titled, “Was Joe 50 Years Ahead of His Time, Or Not?” And “Common Teaching Cues in Pilates”.  He also organized Pilates Jeopardy, was a panelist in the panel discussion, “The State of Pilates Today”, and guided a tour of the historic property and studio that was originally Joseph Pilates’.

The Science Behind Joe’s Rehabilitative and Cardiovascular Spring Work™

Presented by Sean P. Gallagher

One of Sean’s signature Pilates Natural Laws Of The Body™ workshops. Looking at the body’s cardiovascular system and how Joe’s Contrology^® not only supports this body system but also enhances it and what the current science says is important for a healthy functioning system and how Joe understood this need over  60 -100 years ago by developing and using his work to challenge and strengthen the cardiovascular system through his exercises and his apparatus. Sean will also help you understand the use of spring properties and the benefits they provide in helping to maintain a healthy flow of the circulatory system by the use of spring resistance and their use in the powerhouses and extremities to support the muscles and other tissues.

Sean P. Gallagher

Sean P. Gallagher (BFA, PT, CPT, CFP, EMT, MS) is the owner and master physical therapist of Performing Arts Physical Therapy, as well as a master pilates teacher and Teacher of Teachers at his studio in NYC, The New York Pilates Studio®. He developed the first teacher training manual along with Romana Kryzanowska for Authentic Pilates™ and was instrumental in getting the Pilates method recognized and taught around the world. Sean is also the owner of the largest collection Joseph Pilates’ archival material and has three published books, “The Pilates Method of Body Conditioning” , “The Collected Works of Joseph Pilates” and “The Joseph H. Pilates Archive Collection”. Sean has also been teaching pilates at Jacob’s Pillow in Becket, MA for 17 years.

As a physical therapist, he has provided backstage Physical Therapy care at over 120 Broadway shows. With over 35 years of dance and physical therapy experience he has developed the most comprehensive injury prevention and self care program available to performers today. Sean is an adjunct professor for Anatomy, Somatics, and Authentic Pilates™ at Marymount Manhattan College, Anatomy and Authentic Pilates™ at the New School for 12 years, and was adjunct professor for Gross Anatomy at NYU’s Physical Therapy program for 9 years. He is a New York State certified Emergency Medical Technician and has recently completed his masters in Clinical Nutrition from Bridgeport University. He also collects old books on medicine, exercise and health.

Sean Gallagher is the property owner of Joe’s original studio and items displayed there. He was the main presenter at Pilates at The Pillow^® 2018 whose workshops were titled, “Was Joe 50 Years Ahead of His Time, Or Not?” And “Common Teaching Cues in Pilates”.  He also organized Pilates Jeopardy, was a panelist in the panel discussion, “The State of Pilates Today”, and guided a tour of the historic property and studio that was originally Joseph Pilates’.

Guided Tour of Joe’s Original Property, Studio, and Apparatus- and Joe’s Voice Teaching his Method

New for the Fall 2022 Tour!

• Mediation spots in Joe’s Woods: sit on one of Joe’s original stools and contemplate the nature that so inspired him
• Study books from Joe’s original collection: a rare chance to sit and turn the pages of Joe’s books and to read his marginalia 
• “NEW” archival apparatus- first time shown to Pilates at The Pillow® attendees!

Join Sean P. Gallagher and Elaine Ewing for a guided tour of Joe and Clara’s original Berkshire property, studio, bungalow, and apparatus collection. Start at the famous Yellow Lion Pilars and make your way through each iconic moment of pilates history on the property- from the Iron Shoe sun design, to the bungalow, to the fully restored studio. 

Up-close study and sometimes even personal use of Joe’s original apparatus will take place. Original equipment on display includes but is not limited to: the Bednasium, the Junior Reformer, wooden Cadillac, an Electric Chair, a high chair without a back, an original claw foot Reformer, Joe’s handmade Airplane board and so much more.

Sean will guide you through Joe’s studio and show you artifacts within his collection, including some of Joe’s tools and belongings. Not only will he show you the original pilates apparatus, but also the vintage Gratz side of the museum. Within the walls of the museum, attendees will have the profound opportunity to hear Sean play a recording of Joe’s voice teaching.

Along the property tour, Elaine will tell stories about pilates history in relation to the property and structures and provide an education about the original apparatus. Photos and videos of yourself using the equipment are welcome!

Pilates 34 in 34^®

Taught by Sean P. Gallagher or Elaine Ewing

Sean Gallagher/Elaine Ewing teaches a mat class each day based on detailed notes from a dancer, Sharry Traver Underwood, who attended Joe’s mat class at Jacob’s Pillow during the summer dance intensive in the 1940’s. 34 exercises in 34 minutes, with additional, previously unknown breathing warm-up exercises that Joe taught as well as his specific cues not found published anywhere else and a little surprise as well. If you’ve been looking more to add to your mat classes for your clients at every level, then taking this classic mat will help you be more of “the source” teacher you’ve been looking to be.

Pilates Archival Standing Mat™

Presented by Sean P. Gallagher and Elaine Ewing

This complete and comprehensive standing mat program includes the majority of Joe’s standing mat exercises that most know as well as many that are rarely taught and some that are not widely known. There will be a lecture by Sean as to the benefits of the standing mat work to the different body systems to provide teachers with current information that will allow them to build a mat class that is relevant for today’s population needs. You will be able to integrate it into their regular mat class before as well as after the floor work.

Pilates Stick Workout™

We will be breaking into pairs and be doing the Joe’s Contrology® games that he would have his students do for fun as well as conditioning. These games are documented in archival material, and we will demonstrate proper execution and rules (as best we know them) and then let everyone enjoy an evening of laughter, challenge, camaraderie and connections that the P@P™ is known for.

Historical Pilates Slide Show, Lecture, and Book Signing with Cathy Strack

Join Cathy Strack as she leads a historical pilates slide show and lecture based on her research for her biography about Joe Pilates. Cathy will discuss her many “first discoveries” in historical pilates research, such as the finding of Joe’s will, interviews with dozens of his students, and more. A book signing will follow the lecture.

Interview and Q & A with Sean Gallagher: The History of the Pilates Studio Business: 1992-2003: The Romana Years

Elaine Ewing will interview Sean Gallagher about the history of the Pilates Studio Business during the years of 1992-2003, when Sean and Romana were working together. We will discuss how the first comprehensive teacher training program was developed, the process of taking it across the US and around the world, the development of the first comprehensive teacher training manual, the publication of 3 historical books, and more.

Monday, September 19, 2022

Pilates Archival Exercises™ Workshop

Experience and learn many well-known exercises in the Pilates Method as Joseph Pilates originally created, cued, and taught them. Discover that quite a few exercises and cues were originally done differently than commonly taught classically! We will teach historical exercises as well as Joseph Pilates’ hands on cueing on the Reformer, Wunda Chair, and Cadillac. We will then give supervision to participants while they practice doing and teaching the exercises. We’ll also be discussing how these historical moves can fit into our own practice, how and when we can use them when teaching your clients, and why the exercises have been changed over time.

Monday, September 19, 2022 | 10:00 am -4:00 pm
$300 per person
Location: Rhinebeck Pilates, Rhinebeck, NY

Register Online for the Optional Bonus Pilates Archival Exercises™ Workshop

Pilates at the Pillow^® is held at the Jacob’s Pillow in Becket, Massachusetts where Joe Pilates taught his historical and now-famous mat classes and had a studio on his nearby property. Once a hard-scrabble mountaintop farm, Jacob’s Pillow is now a home for international dance. 

Joseph Pilates Becket Studio

Experience the recently renovated original studio of Joseph Pilates which is a museum and working studio where workshops and tours take place.