Blogs
Insights into autism, dance, and life in general by L?DT’s Founder.
My Pilates Journey
May 2nd 2025
I began Pilates in 2010 and been doing it on/off for 15 years. I continued my dance training at Liverpool John Moore’s University where my lecturers swore by Pilates as the essence of a dancer’s regime, and it should be done every day.
Before then, all I did was running on a treadmill, 100 sit-ups, and lifting some weights for 2 years. I always had good core strength and adequate turnout. But flexibility in the hamstrings were an area in need for improvement. I was constrained for time to fully-commit to the practice, by my studies between 2010-12.
In 2015, I combined the mat sequence (Isacowitz, 2014) with the arm weight series (Wilks, 2012), releves in parallel and doming (x25 reps each (Greene Haas, 2010)) and the spiritual warrior sequence from the Jivamukti Yoga Method, all of which I found useful for endurance, body-sculpting, and concentration.
I committed to cross training the above for 2 years. In the early-mid 2010s, I went to 7 classes every week: 2 ballet classes backed up by 2 body conditioning classes, 2 contemporary classes, and the odd commercial class. My dance teachers saw improvements in my retention of movement and fluidity.
One year earlier, I met an associate artist with Company Wayne McGregor, and mentor, Kerry Nicholls long before her appointment with San Francisco Ballet, who included the Jivamukti Method within her own performance mentoring programme for mid-career dancers in London – a conceptual model I aspire to develop for L?DT’s training scheme.
By that time, I was not committed to any yoga practice. Post-graduation in 2017, I ordered a Jivamukti Yoga book (Gannon and Life, 2002) on Amazon, and practiced 3 intermediate sequences (2 hours each) for 5 years, adapting where necessary.
On the release of the book, “Strength and Conditioning for Dancers” (Wyon and Clarke, 2021), I rejuvenated my fitness regimen further by trying the sample workouts throughout 2022 along with outdoor running (3-4 months due to lower back pain), and 15-minute Pilates. In the first few days, I already saw how strong my calves were after jogging.
Finally, within the same year, the Royal Ballet’s Pilates coach, Jane Paris, released an up-to-date Pilates book for dancers – “Pilates and Conditioning for Dancers” (2021)! She crafted 4 ‘frameworks’ of simple-but-effective exercises for mobility, core strength, and balance which do not necessarily need equipment, including the reformer or Cadillac.
The remaining framework in question is ‘pre-class activation’ which I used before Liverpool Biennial rehearsals and classes with balletLORENT, extending that with the Magic Ten from the Jivamukti Method (Gannon, 2018) throughout Summer 2023. After the project, I sprained a wrist whilst ice-skating where I fell on the ice and resorted to light weights (2kg).
In 2024, I tried core strength training – 4 sets of dead bugs and tabletops (20 reps each per set (2:0:2:0 tempo)) with 1-minute rests in between – followed by 15-minute Pilates for some time until Chuck D of Public Enemy co-published his own Pilates book (Lopez, 2024) which I have enjoyed practicing as a resting professional dancer for almost a year. So now, I practice that every weekend and the Magic 6 of the Jivamukti Method x3 daily. I have ordered “Somatic Exercises for Dummies” (2025) on Amazon!
For instance, if Pilates was replaced with either Gentle/Iyengar/Yin yoga or even Yogalates in L?DT’s additional training/advocacy scheme, including contemporary, ballet, and acting (more about these shortly), that would depend on the needs for balance, recovery, and longevity. Reasons behind this switch might be overtraining and need for recovery.
The company dancers would a lot of core work which overlaps heavily with what Pilates offers. Thus, any of the above yogic substitutes could provide restorative, lengthening and grounding elements which may be lacking. They emphasize slowing down whilst supporting the parasympathetic nervous system.
While Pilates is fantastic for core strength and stability, dancers need mobility and joint decompression in the spine, hips, and shoulders. Yin yoga stretches fascia whereas Iyengar provides props-based support and precision in alignment whilst also supporting nervous system regulation (2014) which is essential for performance and mental clarity.
Yogalates is ideal for dancers in need of strength but more flexibility and body-mind connection (as per gentle yoga) than provided by Pilates. Ballet is highly precise and controlled overlapping greatly with Pilates for turnout and core engagement.
But contemporary requires more floor work, fluidity, spine articulation, and processing as much emotional expression and breath work as acting (Gentle, Yin). Iyengar aids injury support.
What is your Pilates journey?
Be Yourself,
Adam John Roberts (He/Him) - Founder & Creative Performing Artist, L?DT
Facebook.com/LabelledDanceTheatre | IG @labelleddancetheatre
Recommendations:
Paris, J. (2021) “Pilates and Conditioning for Dancers.” Wiltshire: Crowood Press
Robinson, L., Bradshaw, L., and Gardner, N. (2019) “The Pilates Bible.” London: Kyle Books
Robinson, L., Fisher, H., Knox, J., and Thomson, G. (2000) “The Official Body Control Pilates Manual.” London: Macmillan
Wyon, M. and Clarke, S. (2021) “Strength and Conditioning for Dancers.” Wiltshire: Crowood Press
References:
D, C. and Lopez, K. (2024) “RAPilates: Body and Mind Conditioning in the Digital Age.” New York: Enemy Books
Gannon, S. (2018) “The Magic Ten and Beyond: Daily Spiritual Practice for Greater Peace and Well-Being.” New York: Tarcher Perigree
Gannon, S. and Life, D. (2002) “Jivamukti Yoga: Practices for Liberating Body and Soul.” New York: Ballanchine Books
Greene Haas, J. (2010) “Dance Anatomy.” USA: Human Kinetics
Iyengar, B.K.S. (2014) “BKS Iyengar The Path to Holistic Health: The Definitive Step-by-Step Guide.” Great Britain: Dorling Kingsley Limited
Isacowitz, R. (2014) “Pilates.” Australia: Human Kinetics
McGee, K. (2025) “Somatic Exercises for Dummies.” New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons
Wilks, C. (2012) “p-i-l-a-t-e-s Arm and Leg Weights Instructor Manual Level 1-5.” [self-published]
Bibliography:
Grime, L. (2019) “15-Minute Gentle Yoga: Four 15-Minute Workouts for Energy, Balance, and Calm.” UK: DK
Isacowitz, R. (2022) “Pilates.” USA: Human Kinetics
Isacowitz, R. and Clippinger, K. (2011, 2019) “Pilates Anatomy.” USA: Human Kinetics
Reinhardt, K. (2018) “Yin Yoga: Stretch the Mindful Way.” London: Dorling Kingsley
Urla, J. (2002) “Yogilates: Integrating Yoga and Pilates for Complete Fitness, Strength and Flexibility.” Canada: Harper Resource
Links
Jivamukti Yoga (2024) In Conversation: Sadie Frost x Emma Henry [online video]
Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXrktLWWjrs
[Accessed: August 2024]
Jivamukti Yoga (2022) Jivamukti Signature 60-Minute Class: Spiritual Warrior [online]
Available at: https://jivamuktiyoga.com/sw/
[Accessed: 26th March 2022]