If you've spent any time researching Classical Pilates, you've likely come across the name Romana Kryzanowska.
But who was she, and why does her influence still matter today?
To understand Romana's importance, you first have to understand Joseph Pilates.
As the creator of the Pilates method, Joseph Pilates spent decades refining a comprehensive system of movement designed to improve strength, flexibility, balance, posture, and overall health. Throughout his life, he taught thousands of students from his New York studio.
Among those students was a young dancer named Romana Kryzanowska.
After suffering an ankle injury that threatened her dance career, Romana turned to Joseph Pilates for help. The results were so profound that she eventually became one of his most dedicated students and trusted teachers.
Following Joseph Pilates' death, Romana became the primary steward of the method, dedicating her life to preserving the work exactly as it had been taught.
For decades, instructors from around the world traveled to study under her guidance.
She became known simply as "Romana."
To many within the Pilates community, she represented the closest living connection to Joseph Pilates himself.
Today, much of what is known as Classical Pilates can be traced directly back to Romana's teaching.
At AM RADIO PILATES, that lineage continues.
Founder Christian Cox studied directly under Romana Kryzanowska, while working at the front desk in the studio in exchange for lessons - which was quite a unique experience. This helped develop Christian's principles, techniques, and philosophy that influenced the preservation of the Pilates method for future instructors at the A.M.U program here at AM RADIO Pilates.
Why does this matter?
Because lineage provides context.
It ensures the method is taught as a complete system rather than a collection of exercises.
It preserves the intention behind the apparatus.
It maintains the progression that Joseph Pilates carefully developed.
And it helps students experience Pilates as it was originally designed.
In a world where the word Pilates is used to describe countless fitness trends, direct lineage offers something increasingly valuable:
Authenticity.
At AM RADIO PILATES, we honor that tradition every day through education, authentic apparatus, teacher training, and a commitment to preserving the integrity of the Pilates method.
Because understanding where Pilates came from helps us understand why it continues to work more than 100 years later.
