The Pilates Source® continuing education workshops are for Pilates studio teachers and serious pilates students. Our workshops, seminars, and conferences are extremely beneficial to all pilates instructors from all schools of Pilates who want to gain a deeper knowledge of Joe’s Contrology® and the history of the system. Workshops take place in various locations. Please see individual workshops for specific locations, dates, times, and rates.
Pilates Historics™ Webinar
The History of Joe Pilates’ Patents
Sean P. Gallagher, PT and Elaine Ewing
Saturday, November 15, 2025
6:00-7:30 EST
$30 per person
- Recording available for 7 days
- Please use Elaine’s Zoom meeting room for this webinar.
Over the course of approximately 20 years, Joe Pilates filed a series of patents for many of his original pieces of equipment.
Patenting his apparatus was one way Joe was able to protect his inventions and designs against competition. It was also a step towards manufacturing, which was one of his goals.
This webinar will include an in-depth look into Joe’s patents dating all the way back to 1920. We’ll explore his possible influences and what may have been some of his intentions behind these patents, as well as discuss how some of his equipment ultimately evolved from the original patents into what we use in classical pilates today.
Super Advanced Reformer: Part 1
Presented by Sean P. Gallagher and Elaine Ewing
Sunday, January 11, 2026
$450 per person (includes handouts)
Location: Rhinebeck Pilates
- This workshop will take place live at Rhinebeck Pilates. There is not a virtual options and there will not be any recordings available.
Prerequisites:
Since this will be an interactive, physical workshop, you must take an advanced group reformer class (Mondays from 11-11:30am EST) or do a virtual or in-person private session with Elaine at least once so we can determine your level of ability. For safety reasons if you do not have an advanced practice you will not be able to attend the super advanced workshop until you do.
Everyone taking this workshop is expected to be strong and flexible enough to able to do the basics of each exercise and thus why a strong advanced practice is a prerequisite for taking this workshop.
In this workshop we will cover:
We will cover many of the super advanced reformer exercises during this workshop. These are the more common super advanced exercises that Romana would give to anyone with a strong advanced workout, including the dancers, ice skaters, gymnasts and other athletes as well as to some men.
We will take the time to gain a better understanding of how to look for the strength and flexibility needed to do these exercises and how and when to progress into them from your advanced series. We will teach hands-on, cues that have been passed down through through decades of classical pilates and have been proven to be most effective for safety and success in the super advanced work.
Some of the exercises covered will include Breaststroke, Swakate, and Jumpboard.
Two Workshops with The Pilates Source®
Presented by Sean P. Gallagher and Elaine Ewing
Monday, April 20, 2026
10:00 am-4:00 pm
$400 per person
Location: Rhinebeck Pilates
- Workshops are not available separately.
- These workshops are in-person only. There is no virtual option.
Workshop #1
How to Address Individual Needs with Joes’ Contrology®
10:00 am-12:30pm
Have you ever felt unsure of your understanding of what to do or teach when a student comes in with a specific problem or injury? How do you approach the workout with a new student who was told to try pilates to help their particular problems? How do you adapt the workout for a current student who has experienced a new injury and wants to continue their pilates practice?
If you have questions about what exercises are good. or bad, to do in a pilates session when a student has an injury, join us for this interactive workshop where we will look at common issues and how the student’s individual needs can be met by using the Cadillac or Wall Unit.
Workshop attendees will be asked to submit a case study that may be selected for the workshop.
Workshop #2
How to Address Problems When Teaching Certain Exercises
1:30-4:00 pm
Do your clients struggle with learning or executing particular exercises? Do you wonder how you could approach the exercises in a new way that would help your students successfully accomplish them?
As teachers, we have the ability to teach with our verbal cues, tactile cues, visual demonstration, and more. In this participatory workshop, we will discuss common exercises that teachers may feel challenged to teach effectively on the Cadillac (or Wall Unit) and the mat. We will practice a variety of ways of teaching to best impart an understanding of pilates that will have lasting effects on your students and the quality of their workouts.