Romana Kryzanowska: The Legacy Lives On in NYC
Lifespan Pilates NYC | A Romana’s Pilates International™ Training Center
This August, master Pilates instructors from across the globe are gathering in New York City. Not just to teach—but to honor a woman whose name and method changed lives: Romana Kryzanowska.
Granddaughter-Daria Pace, Romana Kryzanowska, Daughter-Sari Meja Santo
At Lifespan Pilates NYC, we’re not just a studio. We are the only Romana’s Pilates International™ training center in NYC, built on the work Romana carried forward after being entrusted by Joseph Pilates himself.
As we prepare to welcome instructors and apprentices to our space for this historic gathering, we take a moment to reflect on who Romana was—and why her legacy lives on right here, in the heart of Manhattan.
Who Was Romana Kryzanowska?
Romana Kryzanowska was introduced to Joseph Pilates in the 1940s as a young ballet dancer recovering from an injury. She quickly became a devoted student—and later, his protégé. She trained under Joe and Clara Pilates for decades, embodying the strength, grace, and intellect of their original method, Contrology™.
After Joe’s passing, Romana continued his life’s work—not to reinvent it, but to preserve and teach it with integrity.
She was precise, passionate, and playful. She taught with purpose. Her sessions were challenging, joyful, and deeply rooted in the principles of Contrology™—a system that builds alignment, strength, coordination, and control from the inside out.
The Legacy Isn’t Frozen—It’s Alive and Evolving
Romana’s brilliance wasn’t just in preserving the work. It was in knowing how to pass it on. Through structured training, hands-on teaching, and mentorship, she empowered a new generation of teachers to carry the system forward—without dilution or distortion.
That’s what makes Romana’s Pilates International™ different from other Pilates programs. It’s not a franchise or a mash-up of methods. It’s a global network of instructors all trained in a single lineage—the one that began with Joe, passed through Romana, and now lives on in teachers around the world.
Why the Legacy Lives Here—at Lifespan Pilates NYC
Lifespan Pilates is proud to be the only Romana’s Pilates International™ Certification Center in Manhattan. It means the instructors who teach here aren’t interpreting a method—they’re preserving it. It means our apprentices study the system the way Romana passed it on.
This month, as we close our studio from August 26–29 to host world-renowned teachers, we’re not just celebrating a legacy—we’re living it.
It’s a chance to reconnect with the roots of Pilates, to deepen our craft, and to share this knowledge with a new generation of students, apprentices, and clients.
Why This Gathering Matters
The Romana’s Pilates International™ Conference brings together the very best. From Europe to South America to right here in the U.S., master instructors and teacher trainers are coming to NYC to teach, mentor, and connect.
It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance to witness the method alive in its highest form—and to remember why it still matters today.
Join the Legacy
Whether you’re a lifelong student of Romana’s Pilates or just beginning your journey, you’re part of something bigger than a workout. You’re learning a language of movement passed from teacher to teacher, refined over decades, and rooted in one woman’s promise to keep the work pure.
That woman was Romana. And her legacy lives on—in NYC, and in every person who learns the method the way she taught it.
Want to experience the method yourself?
Book a private session or learn about the teacher training program at Lifespan Pilates NYC.