Your studio isn’t as inclusive as you think

When I first started Pilates I didn’t even know what it was. I was assisting the teachers at the Harlem School of the Arts in New York when I decided to try a Pilates class taught by Cynthia Shipley with my dance teacher friend, Raymell Jamison. She used Raymell for the demonstrations, and I thought that it looked easy. I found out that it was not easy however, I walked away feeling great and wanting to know more.

At the time I was doing ballet classes once a week and started to notice a deep inner hip pain. I was working with a chiropractor who was giving me treatment, and this was the first time someone could tell me why I had this hip pain. I asked if Pilates would help and he also thought it would be a great choice. It wasn’t long before it started to feel so much better as a result.

I had always loved fitness and weightlifting. I was looking for something to do and so it wasn’t long before I got certified in Classical Pilates. As soon as I finished my mat course I started teaching in Harlem and quickly followed with my comprehensive training. I knew this was the right decision for me because I was excited every day. It was hard working full time, having both kids at school and doing my course – I have no idea how I did it but I did!

The turning point for me when was I got divorced and lost my job. I decided to throw myself into teaching Pilates full time. I initially taught on the Upper Eastside of Manhattan and worked at many different studios for years. I quickly realised how non-existent it was to find other Black Pilates instructors like me.

In 2010, I met Dyane Harvey Salaam, a Pilates instructor, who told me about Kathleen Stanford Grant. She had invited me to her memorial service as she had just died a few months back. I was not able to attend but I became a part of the beginnings of Pilates Instructors of Color. There I met Sarita Allen, Marcea Daiter, and Dallas Fuentes. It was at that time I found out that there were more Black instructors than I had assumed. It may not seem like a lot to everyone else but to me it was as if we were a billion people strong. Due to scheduled conflicts, we disbanded however, I did not realise that their inspiration would remain in the depths of my memory.

Years later that time I spent with the ladies of Pilates Instructors of Color would result in the creation of something radical.  On May 27th, 2017, I created Black Girl Pilates ® (BGPI). BGPI is a supportive and encouraging community of Black female identifying instructors who teach worldwide.   Over a period of seven years we have advocated and pushed for significant change which meant having tough conversations with some of the most influential white Pilates organisations, studio owners and instructors. I started a Facebook group designed to create a safe space where we could share our experiences, hopes and dreams. I knew the name alone would cause some friction amongst the white Pilates community however, I had prepared myself for the racism I would experience once the group became the subject of conversations in Pilates forums. Regardless, I moved forward and found the community we as Black instructors all needed.

The pandemic of 2020 would bring a whole new challenge.

Around this time police brutality was at an all-time high with the brutal lynching of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and the effects the quarantine had on the Pilates industry. Racism was staring us in the face, and it was at that time we started shining a spotlight on the Pilates industry and how it did nothing to support our community.

I decided to do something about it so I created my first Antiracism webinar for Pilates instructors and studios. The response was overwhelming, but I knew that some of them were responding out of guilt but had no plans to become anti-racist.

In my Anti-racism workshops the first question I ask is ‘Do you think you are racist?’ – to which the majority always say no. White people have had this conditioning since birth. It’s a lot for any instructor to unpack but you have a choice to say this is messed up. In white culture, you are all obsessed with being perfect and doing the exercises down to the letter, there are such high expectations on a Pilates body – it’s not serving anybody and it’s not serving our community. This is an example of how white supremacy through racism effects Black people.

The term ‘Pilates body’ is one I fervently dislike. In my view, there isn’t one. It gives people an unrealistic expectation of the purpose of Pilates. If you Google Pilates the result will be a white, lean woman. A lot of the cueing you would use with a larger body is totally different including how you approach an exercise. A great example is Stomach Massage. An instructor (Black) once told me that a Classical teacher attempted to get her tall, larger body into the rounded position. She had a bulging disc in L4/L5 and even though the teacher had been informed the teacher attempted to get her feet up on the foot bar of the reformer. Instead, she could have considered other ways to do this exercise or completely leave it out. The teacher could have given the instructor more support by placing her feet down on the platform and focusing more on finding more lift into extension, thinking about the middle back and the head placement. So much about cueing and exercise choice when you work with Black people and other marginalised body types needs to be completely revised.

I always give my clients something I know they can do. I listen with my eyes and ears; I observe the body and that tells me all I need to know. Pilates expands outside of the exercises, and it is important that I give my client what they need all the time.

At the same time, I cannot change their bodies. I am the facilitator of this method and I need to teach you to be independent of me.

This is where my background in social work also helps shape how I support my clients effectively. Sure, there’s the connection to the client and the business side of getting it done – then there’s caring what my clients does outside of the studio. On certain days we might focus on the exercises they like doing. I allow them to have a conversation with me during the session. About what goes on outside of their time with me. In my view, exercise is meant to be healing, we’re here to help them move. Their body is in our hands, and we also need to connect to their spirit.

One good thing to come out of the pandemic is that we finally have Black-led Pilates certification programs. There are still only less than 10 of them. People needed more instructors, so it was important that we created Black run programs that felt safe. Tonya Amos partnered with Balanced Body to create Diversity in Pilates which is a free Pilates certification program for potential Black instructors. Other Black-run/owned studios like Danica Kalendaraglu of Pilates 804 (Glen Allen, Virginia), Rayannah Salahuddin of The Pilates School San Francisco (California) and Ife Obi of The Fit in Wellness (Brooklyn, New York) are breaking down doors in the Pilates industry with their inclusive, affordable, safe certifications and mentorship programs in their respective cities.

What this brings is a safe space for our community – there is someone like us who understands us, understands our culture. They recognise us, the difference in how we move and our body shape. Our whole culture is based on movement. Dance has always been a way of celebration. We are natural movers, it’s part of who we are. It brings us together as a community.

Here are a few things that white Studio Owners or teachers should strongly consider before they attempt to create spaces of safety, particularly for Black people:

1.     Acknowledge you are a part of what is wrong, and you have facilitated it many times. Yes, that means you were conditioned to be racist.

2.     Your studio lacks representation. How many Black students, teachers and friends do you have? If a white person was racist towards a Black teacher/student in your classes, how would you handle that?

3.     Learn how to undo what you’ve always done. Your reactions are ingrained and many times you do not realise your implicit bias towards Black people.

4.     You can change if you want to.

5.     Black people will still need their own spaces without your presence so we can heal with our community.

There is still a long way to go for the white Pilates industry. I can educate you on it, whether you accept it is up to you to make those changes. Regardless, Black Girl Pilates® will always be a beacon of support, community, encouragement and advocacy for our community.

Sonja is an Atlanta based Antiracism Educator/Consultant for Pilates/Fitness, Activist, Pilates Instructor, social worker, writer, author, and the founder/creator of Black Girl Pilates®️ which is a platform highlighting/supporting Black women identifying Pilates instructors globally.

Sonja is committed to Black representation within fitness and improving the health/wellness in the Black community through writing, speaking and advocacy.