International Pilates Heritage Congress

May 10-12, 2024

MONCHENGLADBACH, GERMANY

Registration opens on October 14, 2023

SPECIAL EVENTS AND PROGRAMS

THURSDAY, MAY 9
PreCon with Benjamin Degenhart
Return to Life – 34 Ways to Control Gravity
Join Benjamin Degenhart for a 4-hour mat workshop to start the Congress

Congress Video 2024 - Exclusive for Attendees
All classes will be videotaped but only available for attendees of the Congress
through the video and premium registration packages.
Make sure to register for this exclusive deal.
Videos will not be available without registration for these packages.

Dinner with the Presenters and Special Pilates Performance
Our dinner with the Presenters and Board Members also features a performance by
Li Xin Pilates from China only available with the premium package.

Space is limited. Register early.
Early Bird Special Pricing ends February 1, 2024

A Special Message from Kathy Corey

Welcome to the International Pilates Heritage Congress 2024.

For the first time, we are offering a pre-con on Thursday with Benjamin Degenhart. He will be teaching a 4 hour mat class, Return to life - 34 ways to control gravity. In this workshop, participants get to explore and question these familiar exercises, discover their purpose and the logic in the original order.

A great addition to our Congress is the video taping of all the classes. This allows you to experience every class and take the Congress home with you.

Our special dinner with the presenters includes a dynamic Pilates performance by Li Xin and his performers from China. Li Xin’s performance should not be missed!

Most importantly, I want to remind you of the reason this event is so special. We are in the birthplace of Joseph Pilates. We honor him with our ceremony at the plaque, placed at his birth house. We have a walking tour of the many houses Joseph lived in through his childhood and adolescence. The mayor of Monchengladbach and city council will attend our ceremony in respect for the work we are doing for Pilates.

With each class, ceremony, and special event, we recognize the gift we have been given from Joseph Pilates. The Congress roots us to our beginnings and to one another.

I look forward to seeing you in May.

Lolita San Miguel

(Founder and Creative Director)

New York-born Lolita San Miguel has been practicing the Pilates Method of Body Conditioning for over 50 years. She received her first certification from Carola Trier, Joseph Pilates’s first disciple to open her first studio, then trained and apprenticed with Joseph & Clara Pilates, and is one of the only two known practitioners to have been officially certified by them and awarded degrees by the State University of New York to teach the Pilates Method. One of the four “Distinguished Elders” of the Pilates Method Alliance, she has also been certified by Polestar Pilates Education and was awarded a PMA Gold Certificate. After a distinguished career in dance with several companies, she was a soloist with the Metropolitan Ballet for over ten years and ballet mistress for Ballet Hispanico for three years. Lolita moved with her husband to Puerto Rico in 1977, where she founded Ballet Concierto de Puerto Rico, now Puerto Rico’s finest ballet company – and was its Artistic and Executive Director for 28 years. Ms San Miguel also founded Pilates y Mas, Inc. in Puerto Rico in 2000 to teach, train, and certify teachers in association with Polestar Pilates Education. She retired from Ballet Concierto in 2005 to dedicate more time to teach, train, and give conferences and seminars on the Pilates Method.

In 2005 She retired as Artistic Director of Ballet Concierto at age 70 and has since dedicated her time and energy to teaching The Pilates Method internationally. She also enjoys working as a presenter with Pilates on Tour, The Pilates Method Alliance and Internationally.

In 2009 she began a new phase as a teacher with the Lolita San Miguel Pilates Master Mentor Program. The two-year program for certified teachers with three years of teaching experience has brought her excellent, devoted teachers from all six continents. They bond beautifully since they are all truly passionate about The Pilates Method. They named themselves “Lolita’s DisciplesTM” and they will be imparting her legacy to many others through her training program. They bring her great joy!

In May 2009 she started her first Pilates Master Mentor Program group in Europe attended by teachers from Australia, Switzerland, Italy, Finland, Holland and Germany. During the course of the training we travelled to Mönchengladbach, Germany to celebrate Pilates Day at the Frederick The Great Hall with a free mat class attended by 150 persons from neighboring countries. She was shocked to learn that Joseph Pilates was not known in his hometown. The next year, Lolita celebrated another Pilates Day Conference at the Haus Erholung venue in Mönchengladbach with another free mat class attended by 250 persons. During this time, she was working with the town officials to find a site for a statue or plaque commemorating him.

One of the most memorable moments of Lolita's life occurred on May 7, 2011 when a large group of Pilates teachers, devotees, and her Disciples placed a plaque honoring Joseph Pilates at the site of his birth in Mönchengladbach. The unveiling of the plaque was performed by the Mayor of Mönchengladbach, the Honorable Norbert Bude and was attended by other officials as well as by Joseph Pilates’ great grandnephew Wolfgang Pilates, who still resides in the town. To Lolita's delight, now when you speak to the townspeople, they are aware of their renowned compatriot. Lolita also organized and celebrated in May, 2012 and 2013 the International Pilates Day Conference and a memorial ceremony at the site of the plaque. Since May, 2015 Pilates Day International Heritage Congress in Mönchengladbach has become an every other year event honoring Joseph Pilates in the town of his birth.

In 2005 Lolita moved from Puerto Rico to Palm Beach Gardens, Florida with her husband. She has a beautiful, large, and fully equipped studio within the facilities of Florida School for Dance Education at 4100 PGA Blvd. Palm Beach Gardens 33410. Here the Pilates Master Mentor Program and Lolita’s Legacy are taught by her, Disciples and teachers trained in Lolita’s Legacy.

Kathy Corey

(President, Board of Directors)

Kathy Corey is a Master Teacher who began her career with the Pilates Technique in 1979. She has been the leading expert in the Pilates community for nearly 40 years. She is the Director of Kathy Corey Pilates. Kathy Corey Pilates Programs are taught at locations across the United States and in over twenty seven countries worldwide. In 2004, she designed the innovative CORE Band™, which is used in studios around the world. The Core Band™ Mat Class is recognized as an enhancement to the traditional mat exercises.

Kathy Corey Pilates offers a progressive and in-depth educational experience through many levels of training. The Comprehensive Certification Program provides a full education of the Pilates repertoire. The KCP Mentor Program is a highly selective program designed for teachers who are already certified and have been teaching for at least five years. Her C.A.R.E.S. – Cancer Awareness and Recovery Exercise System – is a state of the art Pilates program for a variety of treatments and conditions to help people in their breast cancer recovery – in mind, body, and spirit.

She is on the Contributing Editor Board for IDEA Pilates Today and is an IDEA Expert. She has been selected by IDEA as one of ten people in the world “Who Inspire the World to Fitness,” the fitness industry’s highest form of recognition.

Kathy Corey is an Advisory Board Member for Pilates Style Magazine. She is a “Distinguished Instructor” for PilatesAnytime, a global Pilates Studio, created for people all over the world to explore Pilates with highly skilled, well-trained instructors.

Corey is a PMA Pilates Gold Certified Teacher and a PMA CEC provider. She is a member of the PMA Presenters Committee for the 2016 Conference.

In 2013, Corey received the first Plaque of Appreciation from Pilates in Asia for her outstanding performance and contribution to the growth of Pilates. In 2014, she was appointed as the President of the International Education Committee for Pilates in Asia.

Kathy Corey has accepted the position of President of the World Pilates Confederation. The WPC is a European based Pilates organization for the inclusion and support of the Pilates Method of all countries, all schools and all generations of pilates. The purpose of the organization is to promote quality education and promote global unity. Master Teacher Kathy Corey received the honor of becoming the President and Director of the International Pilates Heritage Congress held in Joseph Pilates hometown, Monchengladbach, Germany, which is known as the most prestigious International Pilates Congress in the world.

Board Members

Reiner
Grootenhuis

Claudia
Holtmanns

Katya
Smirnova

Fabrice Lamego

Nagi Takahashi

Suus Janssen

Murielle Pickard-Dellis

MAY 2024 SCHEDULE

Download schedule in PDF format

PRE CON WORKSHOP

Day	Time	Presenter and Course Title	Activity and Course Description and Room
Thursday May 9	12:30 – 4:30 (12:30 – 16:30)	BENJAMIN DEGENHART	Return to life - 34 ways to control gravity  A Pilates practice usually begins on the Mat, and it ultimately leads back to the Mat. Joseph Pilates handpicked 34 original movements that—according to him—would establish and maintain good physical health. In this workshop, participants get to explore and question these familiar exercises, discover their purpose, the logic in the original order, as well as helpful transitions and variations to introduce these movements. BALLROOM

CONGRESS SCHEDULE

Day	Time	Presenter and Course Title	Activity and Course Description and Room
Friday May 10	8:00 – 9:15	KATHY COREY and Board Members	REGISTRATION – ALL ATTENDEES Pick up your name badge and welcome bag and meet and greet the attendees. EXPO HALL
	9:15 -9:45	KATHY COREY, LOLITA SAN MIGUEL, PRESENTERS AND BOARD MEMBERS	WELCOME CEREMONY BALLROOM
	9:30 - 11:00	BRETT HOWARD	SPECIAL MAT FOR SCHOOL STUDENTS GYMNASIUM
	10:00 – 12:30	MORNING CLASSES
		LOLITA SAN MIGUEL	MAT Building Blocks for Mat Starting with Posture Check, Spine moves, Feet articulations, progressing to Pre-Pilates, Joseph Pilates exercises and ending with Post Pilates while standing and reaffirming the Perfect Pilates Posture. BALLROOM
		BENJAMIN DEGENHART	STUDIO SUITE Bend Over Backwards - Rethinking extension  The Pilates method is full of opportunities to go upside down and extend. During this workshop, participants get to review and reconfigure the concepts of inversion and extension across various pieces of apparatus, and learn to build a safe and strong backbend utilizing the Pilates studio. ROOM 1
		MIGUEL SILVA	STUDIO SUITE REFORMER Trans (former) class  - On this class, find how to challenge yourself and your clients by adding some simple details that will make a big impact! Let’s find the power of transformation that the reformer have offer us! ROOM 3
		JEAN CLAUDE NELSON	SPINE CORRECTOR "Teach the Reach" The Spine Corrector is a wonderful piece of apparatus to teach the importance of lengthening. We will take a deeper look into all the different possibilities to stretch the entire body. ROOM 4
	12:00 – 14:00 (12:00 – 2:00PM)		LUNCH EXHIBITION HALL OPEN
	14:00 – 16:00 (2:00 – 4:00)	AFTERNOON CLASSES
		MARIA EARLE	MAT  Cats, sand tunnels, weathervanes, whistles, and hums — let‘s get creative and playful in this workshop that will illuminate the teachings of Kathy Grant through the lens of long-time student Maria Earle.  Come away from this workshop with movement protocols and ideas that provide a unique approach to the Pilates Method. BALLROOM
		MIGUEL SILVA	STUDIO SUITE  The game of Springs - Working around the studio to find the springs feedback on your body. We will see the result of lengthening and strength given by the "internal spring”. ROOM 1
		KATHY COREY	REFORMER  Building Bocks -- The Foundation of Advanced Movement  Every advanced exercise begins with the foundation of Pilates exercises.  We explore the value of knowing how to build upon the basics to progress to the advanced Pilates repertoire. ROOM 3
		BRETT HOWARD	WUNDA CHAIR  Deepen your Understanding on the Pilates Wunda Chair  Students will have the chance to learn the Classical repertoire and deepen their knowledge about the exercises on the Wunda Chair . In the workshop participants learn various approaches of scaffolding and deconstructing the Pilates Wunda Chair exercises.  Students will learn how to recognize the skills involved in the Wunda Chair exercises and then find ways of strengthen the particular skills. ROOM 4
	17:00 – 18:00 (5:00 - 6:00)	CEREMONY AT THE PLAQUE	ALL PRESENTERS AND ATTENDEES MEET IN HOTEL LOBBY AT 17:00(5:00PM)
	18:00 – 19:30 (6:00 - 7:30)	WINE AND CHEESE AND ROUND TABLE	ALL PRESENTERS AND ATTENDEES TO BE ANNOUNCED

Saturday May 11	7:45 – 8:45AM	SUUS JANSSEN FABRICE LAMEGO	MORNING MAT Join Fabrice and Suus for a morning wake up mat class
	9:00 – 11:00	MORNING CLASSES
		MIGUEL SILVA	MAT  You, your mat and the gravity   We will go through the 34 original exercises and find how challenging is to work in a "open chain” perspective. BALLROOM
		KATHY COREY	STUDIO SUITE  Exploring Pilates Movement  This class explores the essential movements on various pieces of equipment designed by Joseph Pilates and how the advanced exercises are progressions of these movements. ROOM 1
		BENJAMIN DEGENHART	REFORMER  Skill-building on the Reformer  The original Reformer sequence consists of over 70 exercises, including many rarely taught advanced progressions. And yet, it's these exercises that lead to bigger revelations in the Pilates system. During this workshop, participants get to explore the advanced repertoire through useful breakdowns, to make the work approachable to any client who has mastered the basics. ROOM 3
		JEAN CLAUDE NELSON	LADDER BARREL ‘Variations on the Ladder Barrel’ In this workshop we will learn a series of various of classical Pilates exercises on the Ladder Barrel.  Various are fun and they help us to keep our mind sharp. ROOM 4
	11:15 - 12:30	LOLITA SAN MIGUEL	LOVING OUR MAT (OPEN TO ALL) BALLROOM
	12:30 - 14:00 (12:30 – 2:00PM)		WALKING TOUR OF JOSEPH PILATES HOMES  LUNCH EXHIBITION HALL OPEN
	14:00 – 16:30 (2:00 – 4:30)	AFTERNOON CLASSES
		BRETT HOWARD	MAT  Using Scaffolding in the Pilates Mat     Scaffolding is an education theory developed by Lev Vygostsky and Jerome Bruner, it is the provision of sufficient support to promote learning when concepts and skills are being first introduced to students.  Supports are gradually removed as students develop autonomous learning strategies, thus promoting their own cognitive, affective and psychomotor learning skills and knowledge. In this workshop we will apply the theory of scaffolding to the Pilates Mat work, to use as a tool to meet the needs and create success for all of the participants of Pilates. BALLROOM
		JEAN CLAUE NELSON	STUDIO SUITE ROOM 1
		LOLITA SAN MIGUEL	REFORMER  The Universal Reformer  Mr. Pilates thought of himself as a Universal Reformer and was convinced we would live in a better world, be healthier and happier if we were physically fit. He was right and we can all agree. ROOM 3
		MARIA EARLE	WUNDA CHAIR  UNLOCKING THE WUNDA CHAIR: A 360-DEGREE EXPLORATION  This workshop opens doors to unlocking the profound versatility of the Wunda Chair,  also known as the Low Chair. Dive into the realm of possibilities as we explore innovative ways to seamlessly integrate the Wunda Chair into your clients' initial  sessions and beyond. An engaging and dynamic apparatus, the Chair provides a  playground for honing movement skills that foster a profound connection to the core,  enhance thoracic mobility, and fortify the shoulder and hip complex. ROOM 4
	18:00 – 21:00 (6:00 –9:00)	PRESENTERS, INVITED GUESTS AND ATTENDEES	SPECIAL DINNER WITH THE PRESENTERS (Included only with the premium package.)

Sunday May 12	7:45 – 8:45AM	MURIELLE PICKARD	MORNING MAT Join Murielle for a morning wake up mat class
	8:00AM	LOLITA’S CHOICE	LOLITA’S BODY WALK HAUS EROLUNG LOBBY
	9:00 – 11:00	MORNING CLASSES
		JEAN CLAUDE NELSON	MAT    "The Ring of Fire ” Feel the burning connection to your power house with every move you make. Introducing the Magic Circle to your mat workout does not only increase the intensity but also builds up a stronger connectivity of the entire body. BALLROOM
		BRETT HOWARD	STUDIO SUITE  Finding Balance in Pilates  Working with Asymmetries     In this workshop participants will learn techniques to find greater balance and symmetry. Students will practice and assess movement as we practice paying close attention to weight distributions. Techniques are provided to help identify unwanted movements while learning tricks and tips to correct alignment. Asymmetrical Movement Patterning techniques created by Romana Kryzanowska will be given as well. ROOM 1
		LOLITA SAN MIGUEL	REFORMER/TOWER  The Reformer and Tower  Join Lolita for this unique experience with her Reformer/Tower program. ROOM 3
		KATHY COREY	PED-I-PUL, Toe Corrector, Foot Corrector  Join us for a very special class featuring the ped o pul, foot corrector and toe corrector.  These innovative programs include, focus of footwork, spinal articulation, upper body work to improve balance, agility, strength and flexibility. ROOM 4
	11:15 – 12:30	KATHY COREY	SPECIAL MAT CLASS FOR ALL BALLROOM
	12:30 – 13:30 (12:30 – 1:30PM)		LUNCH EXHIBITION HALL OPEN
	13:30-15:30 (1:30 – 3:30PM)	AFTERNOON CLASSES
		KATHY COREY	MAT  MATWORK – ASSESSMENT AND CORRECTIONS  The course addresses common problems of alignment, mobility, flexibility, extension, and symmetry and how to properly teach and perform the matwork exercises.  We progress through the movement patterns with attention to body awareness and precision in movement and how to correct misalignments. The assessment and correction of alignment, balance, coordination and core strength explores the power and depth of the matwork. BALLROOM
		LOLITA SAN MIGUEL	STUDIO SUITE  A Little of Each  Joe’s Creative genius extended to apparatus he constructed himself where he applied much of his Matwork–Cadillac (Tower), Reformer, Chair, Ped o Pull, Magic Circle. We will visit them all for as long as time allows ROOM 1
		MARIA EARLE	REFORMER  Delve into an exploration of advanced exercises on the Reformer that demand  heightened body awareness, control, strength and balance. Often, these exercises are  considered challenging to teach and can be overlooked. However, they hold immense  potential to deepen your students' practice and understanding of the Pilates method.  Throughout the workshop, the primary focus will be on equipping you with a diverse  range of targeted teaching strategies and tactile assists. These invaluable tools will  empower you to confidently lead your students through complex movement patterns  while prioritizing their safety and providing effective guidance. ROOM 3
		BENJAMIN DEGENHART	WUNDA CHAIR  Wunda Chair - “the silent artist”  The Wunda Chair combines an ergonomic furniture piece with a versatile exercise apparatus, and Joseph Pilates had a lot to say about this apparatus! Based on original quotes by Joseph Pilates about this invention, this workshop takes a look at the original philosophies of the Pilates through the Wunda Chair design and its unique exercise repertoire. ROOM 4
	15:45 – 16:30 (3:45 – 4:30PM)	PRESENTERS & ATTENDEES	CLOSING CEREMONIES BALLROOM