Gratz-Equipped Studio Tour Recap

Winsor Choza Pilates: Los Angeles, California

Saul Choza opened Winsor Choza Pilates in honor of his mentor, Mari Winsor, as a place for people to feel comfortable, supported, and cared for. Winsor Choza Pilates has a committed team dedicated to creating an impactful Classical Pilates experience for clients of all abilities encouraging well-being for life.

Why Classical Pilates?

"Classical Pilates builds the ultimate foundation for daily movement. Prioritizing stabilizing muscles allows the larger muscle groups to function with efficiency and power."

Why Gratz?

"Having trained on various Pilates brands worldwide, nothing matches Gratz. The craftsmanship, precise spring tension, and total consistency set the standard for classical Pilates."

What’s a piece of advice you always come back to?

"Romana told me something during my certification that I always come back to: when taking a Pilates class or workshop, all you need is to learn one thing, and learn it WELL."

How did you open your studio?

"After 20 years of teaching, I wanted a dedicated space to build my own community. In 2016, backed by a loyal client base and the blessing of my mentor, Mari Winsor, I opened Winsor Choza Pilates."

Favorite apparatus if you were stuck on a deserted island

"My favorite piece of equipment is the Small Arm Chair. It perfectly targets the upper powerhouse, deepens the C-curve, and engages the supporting musculature."

Explore Saul's approach to Classical Pilates, teacher education, and studio practice at Winsor Choza Pilates.

Body Contrology Lab: Jupiter, FL

Why Classical Pilates?

"I had been doing Pilates for a few years, but it wasn’t until I began my training and stepped onto a Gratz reformer and mat that everything truly shifted for me. That’s when I discovered Classical Pilates as a methodical, brilliant system — where the order matters and there’s a beautiful synchrony to the work. It isn’t just a collection of exercises; every movement has intention, purpose, and connection. I fell deeply in love with Classical Pilates, the authentic method because it demands presence. It’s not mindless movement — it invites you to think, feel, and truly inhabit your body. That alone is incredibly healing. And beyond that, it leaves me feeling tall, strong, energized, and honestly… a little invincible."

Why Gratz?

"I trained on Gratz, so it holds a very dear place in my heart. Its strength and craftsmanship allow me to truly find my powerhouse every time I practice. For those unfamiliar with the Pilates world, I often compare Gratz to the Rolls-Royce of Pilates apparatus. I’m also very much a purist in this method, and Gratz is simply the gold standard — as the original manufacturer using Joe’s dimensions, nothing compares"

What’s a piece of advice you always come back to?

"The advice that always comes back to me is to return to the basics. Classical Pilates isn’t meant to be showy — it’s meant to stabilize. Nonetheless the advanced exercises done by a seasoned practitioner can be theater-worthy. But, mastering the foundational concepts and exercises is what creates the most rewarding and lasting results. There’s real beauty in simplicity."

Favorite apparatus

"My favorite apparatus is the ladder barrel (with a soft spot for all of them, of course). There’s something magical about how it lengthens, challenges, and opens the lower back and chest — two areas we all desperately need support in. I also love articulating my spine and the ladder barrel lets me do it very safely. It’s equal parts humbling and empowering, and always leaves me feeling spacious and lifted."

Tell us about your clientele

"My clientele includes seasonal snowbirds from NYC who are already familiar with Classical Pilates and Gratz, as I’m currently the only studio in Jupiter offering a full Classical setup. I also work with adults of all ages who want to improve their powerhouse stability to support their other activities down here — including tennis, golf, yoga, and water sports."

What color upholstery is your studio equipped with?

"For the studio aesthetic, my large pieces are ivory and my smaller pieces are fjord blue. Being in a coastal city, I wanted the space to emanate serenity and mental clarity — that peaceful feeling of freedom you get near the ocean."

Pi Pilates: United Kingdom

Founded by Holly Murray in 2003, Pi Studios has grown into a dedicated home for Classical Pilates education. For more than twenty-five years, Holly has been dedicated to preserving and sharing Joseph Pilates' original method through authentic teaching, rigorous teacher education, and a deep respect for its lineage.

Why Gratz?

"When I began my Classical Pilates training, there was really only one choice: Gratz. The Pilates world was much smaller then, and if you trained in the original lineage, Gratz was simply the apparatus you worked on. I still have the original receipts from my first order in 2003—two Reformers, a Cadillac, High Chair, Wall Units, Wunda Chairs, Spine Correctors, Barrels, and a Ladder Barrel.

It represented a huge commitment, and together they became one of the first fully equipped Classical Pilates studios in the UK. More than twenty years later, much has changed. Pilates has grown beyond anything we could have imagined. There are many excellent manufacturers, countless training programmes, and millions more people practising the method worldwide.

What has never changed, however, is that Gratz continues to hold the original blueprints of Joseph Pilates' apparatus. The dimensions, the geometry, the feel, and the feedback remain remarkably faithful to the work as it was intended to be experienced. Those details matter. They shape the movement, the challenge, and ultimately the education of both teacher and student.

The very apparatus I purchased over two decades ago is still in daily use at Pi. That longevity says everything about the craftsmanship and enduring quality of Gratz.

For me, becoming a Gratz Ambassador feels like coming full circle. We have both grown over the past twenty-five years, but what has remained constant is a shared commitment to preserving the integrity of Joseph Pilates' original method for future generations."

What’s a piece of advice you always come back to?

"The Method will do the work. You just have to keep showing up and practicing."

Tell us about your clientele

"I genuinely love the people who come through our doors. They come from every walk of life and every stage of life, but they all share something in common. They recognize that this work is different. They arrive curious, willing to practice, and open to learning. That willingness is all the Method asks of us."

What color upholstery is your studio equipped with?

"Black. Timeless, perhaps informed by the iconic black and white photography of Joseph Pilates, was captured by renowned photojournalist I.C. (Chuck) Rapoport. I've simply always loved that the apparatus speaks for itself."

Flex Studio: Singapore

Helping practitioners move since 2005, Flex Studio is a place for people of all capabilities and goals to embrace the Classical Pilates Method in both small-group classes and private sessions led by certified instructors. Flex Studio was founded by Heather Thomas, entrepreneur and one of Asia's leading Classical Pilates educators and is a Gratz-Gallery where the complete Gratz system can be explored, practiced, and appreciated.

Why Classical Pilates?

"When I first started teaching Pilates in 2001, I had no idea there was such a thing as “Contemporary” or “Classical” Pilates. I only understood Pilates… as should be the case. However, with a movement background in Classical Ballet, and later, strict Iyengar and Ashtanga Yoga practices, when I first experienced Classical Pilates, I instantly felt a connection to the work. It just made so much intuitive sense to my body, as well as my mind."

Why Gratz?

"It’s practically poetry…

- The apparatus ages gracefully and with wisdom.
- The “click of closure” says it all.
- The wheel architecture under the Reformer carriage.
- The embodiment of “the Reformer is your Teacher”
- The shape of the Push Through Bar Paddle.
- The interior architecture of the Wunda (think Seated Teaser)
- The neck of the springs.
- Because it’s OG! And we all get better with age"

What’s a piece of advice you always come back to?

"- See the Advanced Practitioner in the Beginner who first walks through your door
- The Red Thread is Actually “Golden”
- Spend 5% of a session focusing on a client’s perceived “problem” and instead, re-define that client’s perception of self; thus
- Begin your journey with clients from their place of beauty (competency) and work forwards from there
- A full day’s work in the studio should leave your energy tank on a greater high than when you started your day; learn how to manage your energy by finding the magic moment when you see the opening, “the window” with your client when you are in a total zone together, working towards a common goal; and on a physical level…
- Your Center of Gravity should always match your Client’s Centre of Gravity"

How did you open your studio?

“I knew I had enough pre-existing clients to pay the rent, the moment I opened my studio door in January 2005. I didn’t fully comprehend the foresight I had to understand that Pilates was going to be a physical fitness education lifestyle in the next two decades. Even at that time, I saw the integration of Pilates in “everything,” to simply do “everything” better and I had no doubt, Pilates needed to be in everyone’s lives.

The first iteration of Flex was half Iyengar Yoga (yep! one very intrepid yoga instructor even brought a bag full of wall ropes back from Pune for us to install. We are OG!!!) and half Pilates. It was tiny, yet we crammed a LOT of modalities into that amazing space – even Gyrotonic (Pulley Tower). I was simply in love with every modality, and cherished how each discipline informed the other. I still do.

Back in 2004, there were no gyms/fitness studios, let alone Pilates studios on Hong Kong’s South Side, so very early on, we became a wellness hub and “third space” in the community. We soon outgrew our little home in Stanley, and in 2008 moved into a more active part of the south side, which co-mingled business and residential communities. This enabled the business to really take off, prompting Flex to open a second location in the CBD in 2015, and we still reside in both locations. It soon became clear our studio model and teacher training was in demand well beyond Hong Kong, prompting us to expand into the Southeast Asian market, with a third location in Singapore in 2023.

To this day, we still honour our business “mantras,” which have driven us forward since 2004:

- Our slogan: “Asia’s Home of Intelligent Fitness”
- Our motto “make each and every session a positive and productive movement experience”
- Our website catch phrase “Flex your Muscles, Flex Your Mind”

Favorite apparatus

"It would have to be the Wunda Chair. To simply look at the Wunda, it appears small, rather humble even. But look again, the lesson is in the humility of what it lacks: small horizontal and no vertical support, with only two springs. Functionally, it’s the best teacher in the system, espousing lessons in balance, “sling” control, tempo and timing, “de” rotation and rotation, thrust propulsion, Lower Extremity AND Upper Extremity strength, mobility and educating correct neuromuscular movement patters for optimal joint congruency. It teaches us to anticipate the accident we didn’t know we might have, balances scoliosis, and is hugely adaptive for pre/postnatal, injury recovery and stimulating our neural pathways, potentially mitigating against certain terminal disease. How does a simple box with only two springs do that? Oh, and it looks beautiful, and sits nicely in the corner inviting one to both dine and dance with it – whichever you fancy in the moment."

Explore Flex Studio's method, services, and history: Flex Studio

La Moon Pilates: Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia

Meet Suk Mun, the founder of La Moon Pilates, a Classical Pilates Studio located in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. La Moon serves as a small intentional space for practitioners to properly learn the authentic method of Classical Pilates and maintain the history of the original method of Contrology.

Why Classical Pilates?

"I love Classical Pilates because it stays true to the original method created by Joseph Pilates. I love the structure of the method and how every exercise has a purpose. For me, Pilates is not just about movement but about learning to move with control, precision and intention."

Why Gratz?

"La Moon is the first Classical Pilates studio in Kota Kinabalu to be equipped with authentic Classical Pilates equipment. Staying true to the Classical method was very important to me, so I wanted the equipment to be as authentic as possible. That’s why I chose Gratz. Its equipment is based on the original designs and has such a strong connection to the history of Classical Pilates. For me, Gratz was the natural choice for a studio built around the Classical method."

What’s a piece of advice you always come back to?

"Quality over quantity.” I always remind myself and my clients that Pilates is not about doing as many repetitions as possible. It’s about being present and making every movement count."

How did you open your studio?

"La Moon started from my love for Classical Pilates and my wish to bring a true Classical Pilates experience to Kota Kinabalu.
I wanted to create a small, calm and welcoming space where people could learn the method properly and build a strong foundation. Having authentic Classical equipment was also an important part of that vision.
Starting the studio was a big journey, but seeing La Moon come together and watching our clients grow through their practice has made it all worth it."

Favorite apparatus

"Definitely the Cadillac. I love how versatile it is and how many ways you can use it to work on strength, control and mobility. It can also be adapted for different bodies and different levels, which I really love."

Tell us about your clientele

"I work with people who listen to their bodies, stay curious, and care about long-term well-being. They’re more interested in sustainable practice than quick fixes."

What color upholstery is your studio equipped with?

"Our Gratz equipment is upholstered in Bone. I chose Bone because I wanted a soft, neutral tone that feels warm, timeless and natural within the studio."

Discover Shuk's personalized approach to Classical Pilates and the welcoming space she has created at La Moon.

Lume Pilates: Center Harbour, New Hampshire

Introducing, Courtney Hayden, founder of Lume Pilates, a Classical Pilates studio built with thoughtful programming and tailored sessions for each individual. The studio is rooted in building strength, supporting longevity, and encouraging resilience.

Why Classical Pilates?

"I love how the system builds upon itself. Each movement can be performed in different ways on different pieces of equipment. Watching clients understand new movements and shapes in space, then build upon that foundation over time is so rewarding!"

Why Gratz?

"The quality is unmatched. I love the precision and challenge that Gratz equipment provides. It gives clients consistent feedback, encourages proper movement, and allows them to continue progressing with every session."

What’s a piece of advice you always come back to?

"Follow your heart. What lights you up is what's meant for you!"

How did you open your studio?

"I've been teaching Pilates and managing fitness studios for years, but I always dreamed of opening my own small studio. I'm so grateful for everything I learned from the incredible founders and mentors I've worked with along the way. When I moved to New Hampshire's Lakes Region, I saw an opportunity to bring classical Pilates to a community that had few boutique fitness options, and Lume Pilates was born!"

Favorite apparatus

"Oh, this is tough! I'd probably choose the Cadillac. I love the challenge it provides while also offering support. There's endless variety, and I could spend hours exploring movement on it."

What color upholstery is your studio equipped with?

"My equipment is upholstered in Ivory."

Tell us about your clientele

"Our clients are incredible! We offer semi-private group classes with a maximum of four people, as well as private 1:1 sessions. Keeping our classes small allows each session to feel intentional and focused, giving every client the guidance they need to deepen their understanding of the work over time."

Explore Lume Pilates’ approach to Classical Pilates and experience its complete, interconnected Gratz system at Lume Pilates.

The Pilates Studio: Frankfurt, Germany

Meet Lucy Hickey, Founder of The Pilates Studio, and teacher training program instructor. Her studio recently celebrated twenty years and remains one of the top studios in the area. The Pilates Studio offers structured guidance, advanced workshops, and a diverse system of apparatus.

Why Classical Pilates?

"I love the structure of Classical Pilates and how the method seems to make more and more sense the longer you practice it. I also love how adaptable it is - if something doesn’t feel right for a client, you can find another piece of apparatus to approach the same exercise and still get the benefit."

Why Gratz?

"Gratz is what I trained on with Davorka Kulenovic in Stuttgart I was lucky to be introduced to Classical Pilates by Davorka Kulenovic in Stuttgart. I was still dancing professionally at the time, but as I approached thirty, I was tired of constantly auditioning for the next production and was looking for a little more stability in my life. Classical Pilates gave me that. So I suppose I started with what I knew! But after trying other apparatus, I realized just how much I appreciated the feel and precision of Gratz. For me, it really does feel like coming home."

What’s a piece of advice you always come back to?

"Keep taking lessons, keep learning, and keep working on your own practice. What we learn in our own bodies naturally finds its way into our teaching. And never underestimate the basics - giving clients a strong foundation and taking the time with pre-Pilates work sets them up for so much success later on.”

Favorite apparatus

“I would like a Reformer, ideally with a jump board! I’d need something to get those endorphins going when I’m missing everyone.”

What color upholstery is your studio equipped with?

"Blue Ridge and Imperial Blue. They complement each other beautifully and give the studio a calm, peaceful feeling."

Tell us about your clientele

"I’m lucky to work with such a lovely and varied group of clients - all ages and genders, and all enthusiastic about the method and experiencing the benefits of Classical Pilates. I also currently have 10 wonderful apprentices. I started my own comprehensive teacher training programme two years ago, and it’s incredibly rewarding to see them grow into confident, capable and empathetic teachers."

How did you open your studio?

“This year we’re actually celebrating our 10-year anniversary, which is hard to believe! From the beginning, I loved the space - the light, the high ceilings (perfect for candlesticks!) and the three separate rooms. I had loyal clients who supported me in the beginning, and I started slowly. My girls were only two and four at the time, so I definitely had my hands full! Over the years, the studio has grown steadily into something I’m very proud of.”

Learn more about Lucy's studio offerings, mission, and team: The Pilates Studio.

Everybody Pilates: United Kingdom

Everybody Pilates serves as a space committed to making Classical Pilates accessible to everyone and their ability. The studio was co-founded by Amy Kellow, a Second-Generation Classical Pilates Master Trainer, who works to bring together new and seasoned instructors in a dedicated, professional environment.

Why Classical Pilates?

"Honestly? Because I love it.
I love that it’s a method, not just a list of exercises. Everything connects, everything has a
reason and there’s always something else to learn.
I love the detail, the challenge and that feeling when something suddenly clicks and your
body understands what you’ve been trying to teach it.
I also love the tradition behind it. I’ve been very lucky to learn from incredibly talented
teachers who are connected to Joseph Pilates.
But I’m not interested in Classical Pilates just because it’s “the original”.
I love it because it works.
It gives us a framework, but within that there is so much room to explore, adapt and find your
own way of moving.
And after all these years, I’m still learning.
Still practising.
Still getting on the apparatus and thinking… oh, I’ve never felt that before.
That’s why Classical Pilates."

Why Gratz?

"Because it completes the System. At Everybody Pilates, we choose Gratz because it completes the Classical Pilates system. The dimensions, spring tensions, and physics of the equipment were designed
to work together, helping you feel how each exercise connects to the next. For example, movements like the Up Stretch on the Reformer share the same principles and sensations as the Pull Up on the Wunda Chair, allowing your body to recognise and build on familiar patterns across different pieces of apparatus. This connection is what makes Classical Pilates feel like a true system rather than a
collection of exercises. Gratz apparatus helps you understand the movements more deeply, move with greater precision, and experience the method the way it was originally designed. It gives us the tools to feel the difference bringing clarity and consistency to the work."

What’s a piece of advice you always come back to?

"(This advice came quite recently but it hit home– I hope John reads this!)
You don’t need to worry about what other people are thinking of you – they probably weren’t
thinking about you in the first place.
I think this is especially true when you’re learning to teach Pilates.
It’s so easy to worry about getting it wrong.
Did I give the right cue?
Did that explanation make sense?
Did they think I was a good teacher?
Was I confident enough?
But your students aren’t sitting there analysing you.
They’re busy thinking about their own bodies, their own movement and whether they can
remember which leg is supposed to be moving
So don’t get stuck trying to look like a teacher.
Be present.
Watch your students.
Listen to them.
Feel what’s happening in front of you.
Keep learning.
The best teaching comes when you stop worrying about how you’re coming across and start
really paying attention to the person in front of you."

Favorite apparatus

"Well… we all know that when you ask a Pilates instructor this, the answer changes daily
Because our bodies change daily too.
One day it’s the Reformer.
The next, you can’t get enough of the Cadillac.
Then the Wunda Chair suddenly feels like your best friend
And that’s one of the things I love about the Pilates equipment — each piece gives you
something different
And sometimes you just need the thing that feels right for your body that day.
So my favourite piece? Whatever my body needs so all the more reason to have a fully
equipped studio!"

What color upholstery is your studio equipped with?

"Well… we all know that when you ask a Pilates instructor this, the answer changes daily
Because our bodies change daily too.
One day it’s the Reformer.
The next, you can’t get enough of the Cadillac.
Then the Wunda Chair suddenly feels like your best friend
And that’s one of the things I love about the Pilates equipment — each piece gives you
something different
And sometimes you just need the thing that feels right for your body that day.
So my favourite piece? Whatever my body needs so all the more reason to have a fully
equipped studio!"

Explore the teaching, mentorship, and supportive community Amy has cultivated at Everybody Pilates.

Aspen and Pine Pilates: Helena, Montana

Aspen and Pine offers a quiet, intentional environment designed for practitioners to fully achieve mind-body connection. Founded by Juanita Ostrem, she created her studio to serve as a thoughtful training space for people to receive an individualized plan and achieve real results.

Why Classical Pilates?

"It's the time-tested system that has been changing bodies almost 100 years.  Classical Pilates gives you multiple ways to build strength with alignment when paired with an all the Pilates apparatus. The apparatus isn't incidental — it's the key to the whole method.  The system, the order and the equipment make overload, eccentric loading,  variable resistance and neuromuscular control happen each day and bodies change."

Why Gratz?

"It's the time-tested system that has been changing bodies almost 100 years.  Classical Pilates gives you multiple ways to build strength with alignment when paired with an all the Pilates apparatus. The apparatus isn't incidental — it's the key to the whole method.  The system, the order and the equipment make overload, eccentric loading,  variable resistance and neuromuscular control happen each day and bodies change."

What’s a piece of advice you always come back to?

"Years ago, a second-generation teacher asked me, "Who taught you that?" That question has stuck with me. It matters.  Where an exercise comes from and why it would be given to a client.  Sometimes what you're teaching is a prep, a variation, or even something borrowed from PT to build toward the full classical exercise but there are variations within the classical system. As a teacher, my job is to know the end goal and why I am using it. It's a privilege to be able to tell a client, "This one's a Kathy Grant exercise," or "Ron Fletcher taught this," or "This is straight from Romana” because I have had so many great teachers share their knowledge with me."

Favorite apparatus

“The Wunda Chair, hands down... I can get a full, solid workout done on it in about 30 minutes.”

What color upholstery is your studio equipped with?

"Yew Green and Black. It's our little nod to the Aspen and Pines."

How did you open your studio?

"I added Pilates to my personal training studio, grew, moved grew moved and recently left Wyoming and moved home to Montana where I just have hopefully moved for the last time.”

Discover Juanita's approach to the Classical Pilates Method and commitment to providing her clients with individualized, guided, and supported training: Aspen and Pine Pilates.

A Shared Commitment to Classical Pilates

Every studio highlighted in this series offers a unique expression of the Classical Pilates method, informed by its teachers, community, and years of practice. Whether deeply rooted in the tradition or helping introduce it to a new generation, these studios demonstrate the dedication and discipline that allow Classical Pilates to continue to thrive.

At the heart of each studio is a respect for the integrity and history of the method, paired with a commitment to creating spaces where teachers and practitioners can develop their understanding through thoughtful, intentional work. By honoring the lineage of Joseph Pilates and practicing on Gratz apparatus, these communities help preserve the essence of the original method while allowing it to continue to grow and reach new generations.

We’re proud to recognize the studios, teachers, and communities around the world who are contributing to the continued practice and preservation of Classical Pilates.

If you are interested in participating in a Gratz Equipped Studio Tour, please email marketing@gratzpilates.com.

At the heart of each studio is a respect for the integrity and history of the method, paired with a commitment to creating spaces where teachers and practitioners can develop their understanding through thoughtful, intentional work. By honoring the lineage of Joseph Pilates and practicing on Gratz apparatus, these communities help preserve the essence of the original method while allowing it to continue to grow and reach new generations.

We’re proud to recognize the studios, teachers, and communities around the world who are contributing to the continued practice and preservation of Classical Pilates.

If you are interested in participating in a Gratz Equipped Studio Tour, please email marketing@gratzpilates.com.