Romana’s Pilates Isn’t a Game of Telephone — Here’s Why Lineage Matters
Lifespan Pilates NYC | The Only Romana’s Pilates International™ Training Center in Manhattan
There’s a reason our clients often say, “This feels different.” Because it is.
One client recently put it perfectly: "Pilates today is like that old game of telephone. You start with one message, and by the time it gets passed down to the tenth person, it’s nothing like the original."
That’s exactly what’s happened across much of the Pilates world. The method has been diluted, repackaged, stylized, and in many cases, stripped of its power. What remains may be inspired by Pilates in name, but bears little resemblance to what Joseph Pilates actually taught.
Romana’s Pilates is different. It isn’t a remix. It isn’t a rebrand. It is the closest expression of the original method as passed down through Joseph Pilates’ protégée and chosen successor, Romana Kryzanowska.
Photographed at Romana’s Pilates International™ Headquarters, Ft Lauderdale, Fl.
(Pictured from left to right)
Cynthia Shipley, Senior Master Instructor, Lifespan Pilates
Sari Mejia Santo, Grand Master Instructor, Romana Kryzanowska’s Daughter
Daria Pace, Grand Master Instructor, Romana Kryzanowska’s Granddaughter
This is what lineage means. It means what you’re learning has integrity. It means you’re not guessing your way through an exercise. You’re being taught by someone who was trained by someone who trained with Romana—or Romana herself.
That proximity to the source matters. Because real Pilates isn’t about random. It’s about correction. It’s about intention.
Pilates is everywhere. But what you’re looking for isn’t everywhere.
At Lifespan Pilates, we preserve that lineage. Every teacher here has trained within the Romana’s Pilates International™ system. Our studio is a Certification Center that actively participates in maintaining the global standard. And our clients can feel the difference the moment they walk in.
You don’t need to guess who created the exercise. You don’t need to wonder if it works. Because when the work is preserved, so is its power.
And once you feel the real thing—you’ll never want anything less.