meet kathleen snyder, owner of kat pilates

Pilates is my love, born of a passion for illuminating strength from an inner connection with mind, body and spirit.  It began when I was a child (the oldest of six girls) who was trained in gymnastics by a father who himself had achieved international recognition in the sport in his youth.   I recognized from the beginning that achieving goals and attaining personal excellence in gymnastics required patience, accountability and discipline, as well as mental and physical control and most importantly faith and trust.  My father taught his daughters that these principles can be generally applied when facing the lessons of life.

Gymnastics was a part of my being like a limb to a body.  The journey with my beloved sport culminated with a career ending finish at Cornell University where I achieved a high honor of Ivy League all around champion. My fondest memories however, were not of the awards won but of the friendships, relationship experiences and the numerous transformational opportunities.

When I began Pilates training I recognized many of the same aspects of the mind body connection that I had experienced in gymnastics.  In the year 2000, I received my certification to teach after an intensive year of training with Romana Kryzanowska, the protégé of Joseph Pilates.  I immediately started a home business in New Jersey and later co-owned MadKat Pilates in Glen Ridge, NJ with my dear friend. In 2009, I became a Level III Romana’s Pilates® teacher trainer and am honored to be part of passing on the Pilates legacy to future teachers.   

I am committed to the empowerment of each and every one of my clients who trust me with their time and their bodies.  I want them to know that in time they can expect not only a physical transformation but also a shift in overall well being. Joe Pilates intended for his students to connect the mind with the body to achieve inner calm and happiness.

not all pilates is the same

In the year 2000 a US Federal court decided that the Pilates name could not be trademarked. Thus “Pilates” is a generic name used to generally describe core training. Unfortunately this created a dilemma for the consumer, as there are now Pilates instructors with vast and varying educational credentials.

At Kat Pilates, we teach the exact exercises which were passed on from Joseph Pilates to Romana Kryzanowska. All instructors at Kat Pilates are trained in the Romana’s Pilates® Method and have completed all of the requirements of its comprehensive certification program, which involves a rigorous yearlong commitment. Additionally, Kathleen has the distinct honor of being a teacher trainer within the Romana’s Pilates® program. Anyone interested in becoming an instructor can begin the certification program with her.

joseph pilates, THE MAN BEHIND THE METHOD

Joseph Hubertus Pilates was born in Germany in 1883. As a child he was physically weak due to asthma and rickets. He was determined to improve his physical condition and engaged in various sports such as gymnastics and boxing. He eventually moved to England to follow his boxing pursuits but at the outbreak of World War I was interned as an “alien enemy” at a German nationals’ work camp in England. While inside the camp he developed exercises, which he called “contrology” to help internees gain strength in mind and body. He further worked in the hospital setting at the camp attaching springs to the bed frames to help patients rehabilitate without ever leaving their beds! Joe moved to New York in 1928. With his wife, Clara, by his side they settled into a gym in midtown Manhattan near the training studios of many athletes and dancers.

Famous choreographers and dancers came to Joe to train as well as to rehabilitate from injury. Romana Kryzanowska, a talented ballerina, was one of the many dancers George Balanchine sent to Joe to heal. Not only was she transformed but Joe ultimately passed the torch to her to continue his teachings. She eventually inherited his studio.

ROMANA KRYZANOWSKA, his protégé

In 1941 George Balanchine brought Romana to Joe to help her rehabilitate an injured ankle. She left for Peru in 1944 to raise her children and taught Pilates there. In 1959 she returned to the United States and continued teaching with Joe and Clara. In 1970 she became the director of the Pilates Studio. Romana who passed away in 2013 is considered to be the grand dame of the method and one of the most respected teachers in the world. I consider myself to be most fortunate to have trained with her and to have received my certification from her. Today, her daughter, Sari and granddaughter, Daria keep the method and her spirit alive.

Joe Pilates was a certified member of the Chartered Institute of American Inventors. He designed all of his equipment and worked with Frank Gratz to create the apparatus. Gratz Pilates Equipment continues to be the official manufacturer of equipment following the original designs. We proudly use only Gratz equipment in the Kat Pilates studio.