How did we come to start Pilates and develop a tremendous respect for the power of daily Pilates workouts? The journey towards this passion which culminate in the opening of our New York Pilates studio in 2000 actually started in 1997 while we were on tour with a world-renowned magician. At that time, we were not only transitioning from four years in corporate Japan to a full time dancing career, but also pushing our bodies beyond their capabilities to perform stunt work AND cram our 5’8” frames into boxes and props that were built for shorter ladies… OUCH!! Never before had our bodies taken such a beating! But Pilates saved us! Our daily Pilates workouts helped iron out the stiffness gained from four years sitting at desks and restored symmetry to our battered frames, freeing us from the aches and pains of our demanding new jobs. More than that, Pilates, including both mat Pilates workouts and Pilates Reformer exercises, alleviated stress like no other exercise system we had ever practiced. We continued Pilates as Radio City Rockettes, and never missed a show out of nearly 250 performances.

Thus, after we hung up our tap shoes and finished our masters degrees at Columbia University, we decided to open a New York Pilates studio right in the center of Manhattan. Because we had enjoyed such remarkable results with our initial Pilates training, we were determined to create in our own New York Pilates studio a warm, welcoming and compassionate atmosphere in which we could deliver great Pilates workouts. Now, 20 years later, we are so happy that we took the first step!

Shortly after opening, we began Pilates Teacher Training at the studio to develop confident and competent instructors for the Pilates community. This arm of our business has been one of our most fulfilling endeavors, as we thoroughly enjoy sharing our love and passion for Pilates with those interested in becoming Pilates instructors. Another passion of ours is creating a well-rounded studio that acts as a “one stop shop” for men and women on the road to fitness. We’ve always loved cardio but had a hard time finding a cardio program that didn’t derail our Pilates training! Thus we created CARDIOLATES®, a Pilates rebounder program that incorporates all the balancing and alignment principles of Pilates with the amazing benefits and exercise of rebounding.

Moreover, to spread our Pilates passion, we launched the Pilates on Fifth video podcast in June 2007. Because of the overwhelmingly positive responses we received, we created a Pilates online workout site, www.ultimatepilatesworkouts.com a year later. This site is the culmination of our ten years of work at our Pilates studio, as the site includes Pilates online workouts, CARDIOLATES® (Pilates rebounder program) , as well as Pilates Teacher Training videos. We are so pleased with the evolution of all three of these special programs. Currently, our Pilates Teacher Training program The Pilates Academy International trains hundreds of students every year in cities across the United States and internationally as well. Our CARDIOLATES® program is also popular throughout the US and internationally as one of the premier Pilates rebounder programs around. And finally, our Pilates online workouts website sports over 25,000 members to date.