Susan Pepper is a delight! Swissbody Academy has set high standards for teaching Pilates and movement. Susan is a third generation ballet dancer from South Africa. She was one of the first Pilates studios in Switzerland. Although Susan is an incredibly competent business woman, she understands that there is a difference in packaging a commercial training product as opposed to establishing an environment for Pilates education that is inclusive and expansive.
Susan just completed Lolita San Miguel’s Teacher Training program. This is a woman who has taught Pilates for many years, trained quality teachers, and is humble and grateful to continue with her education.
I bought the Wunda Chair syllabus to Swissbody for five days. The syllabus was 108 pages with pictures. As I began to write, I realized that without the photos, the notes can become muddled and the process of note taking can be distracting from the work at hand. My assistant, Yuuko Igarashi, flew to Colorado and we spent the weekend taking photos. Some of the photos really needed to be large to see the detail. The students were very grateful and thanked me for taking the time to provide information to supplement the notes.
Susan and I are both very much preoccupied with the pelvic floor. The movement of the bones and muscles simply cannot be ignored when teaching any movement. The Wunda Chair really requires basic understanding of the pelvic floor functional movement. This knowledge helps the student understand the purpose of the exercise.
I will be teaching the same Wunda Chair Pilates workshop in Japan in 2011. Amy Havens, owner of Center Pointe Pilates in Santa Barbara is planning to also offer this Pilates workshop in 2011. I am grateful that my experience at Swissbody has left me more prepared for the next opportunity.