I decided to enter the Next Pilates Anytime Teacher Contest as a personal challenge. Entering had a dual purpose. Firstly, it was an opportunity to put myself in a position requiring self evaluation. Secondly it forced to me reveal myself to the Pilates community with the knowledge that others would see my imperfections. Quite the step to take when perfection is something that I know many of us strive for. Having also entered in 2015, I discovered that being vulnerable turns out to be quite empowering. I was ready to do it again.
For those who haven’t heard of Pilates Anytime, it is an online subscription platform that has classes, tutorials and interviews available to subscribers. These offerings are directed at high level Pilates enthusiasts and teachers. The teachers on Pilates Anytime are amazing, it is like having your own Pilates conference at your home or studio whenever you like! In 2011 Pilates Anytime created a contest to look for their next teacher and it has run ever since.
Of course, I daydreamed about what it would be like to possibly win the contest, but only in the same way that I had daydreamed about winning the lottery. It wasn’t something that I actually thought was ever going to happen. On Saturday August 12, while assisting in the Polestar mat certificate course, I read an email that would change everything: “We are so pleased to inform you that you have been selected to be a potential finalist in the 2017 Next Pilates Anytime Competition.”
Not only did I break out into a nervous sweat, but I had to hold it together during the course that day until my entry was confirmed by Skype call the next morning. While speaking with Gia, she casually advised me that the next phase was for me to promote myself during the subscriber vote. For those that know me, self promotion is not my strong point, BUT I was looking for growth… Using Instagram and Facebook I proceeded to make it known that I had entered a competition and that I needed help. THANK YOU to everyone that took the time to vote- I am so grateful! Finding out that I had won the Pilates Anytime contest was a pretty special birthday present!
Five weeks after discovering I had won the contest, I was on an aeroplane to California to film some classes that will be put up on the site alongside other instructors that I have looked up to for years. We decided on a reformer class and a mat class. With the help of some friends and clients I was able to practice my classes in the lead up to my departure.
My first two days in LA were an opportunity to acquaint myself to the time difference and to settle in- I did get to spend an afternoon with Sally Anderson and Lanette Gavran which was so wonderful. The next day I headed off to the Santa Barbara area not only to get ready for my filming but to participate in a class with Carrie Pages- last year’s winner. This was wonderful as I got most of my feelings of overwhelm out on that day. Carrie is so genuine and enthusiastic. Of all the people to welcome me to the experience I was about to have, I was so lucky to have her there.
I was able to observe Carrie film a tutorial, this was useful as I was able to witness the way she interacted with the camera. I was also so grateful to participate in Carrie’s reformer class. I’m sure you can appreciate how calming it is to lie on the reformer, feel the spring tension and allow your body to move on unfamiliar equipment before teaching somewhere new (it was also useful in ironing out those aeroplane kinks). As a visual/ kinaesthetic learner this day made all the difference in the way I was able to approach my filming. I also did a photo shoot for Pilates Nerd and Pilates Anytime on the beach which was really fun!
The next day was filming day. I woke up feeling very calm but after breakfast and a short walk the nerves had truly settled in. Luckily for me the Pilates Anytime team have to be the most welcoming and unpretentious people around. Once we got started I settled into my groove and enjoyed the process. We first filmed a bio- how I got started with Pilates, who my mentors have been and what Pilates means to me. This was the hard part as I’m not used to sitting in front of a camera and talking about myself. What was great but unexpected, was that it did trigger some memories of my early years in Pilates.
When it was time to film the reformer class I breathed a sigh of relief- this is what I had been preparing for and what I do every day. Writing out my class plan had a very calming effect- knowing that I could glance over at it as necessary- and something about the action of personally writing it all down helped too. I was lucky to have Meredith Rogers in my class along with Angelika Rydzewska, (visiting from Poland) in my class. These two ladies moved beautifully and were so open to correction which really helped my cueing. My mat class only had three people, but what a trio they were- Meredith Rogers, Amy Havens and Jacob Gomez (visiting from Spain). While teaching the mat class I felt like I had hit my groove and I HAD FUN! At this point I can only remember snippets from my classes, I’m looking forward to seeing them as much as everyone else.
The strange thing about these events is that there is so much preparation and anticipation, but it is all over so quickly (a bit like a wedding)! The hard part is to actually be in the moment to be able to take it all in. Being able to phone home to talk my experience through with my husband really helped, as did blogging about my experience each day. The Pilates Anytime experience might actually give me the motivation to write on a regular basis- something I’ve strived towards for a while now.
The second part of my experience was to head over to the PMA Conference in Palm Springs. I was very excited as I had never attended a PMA conference before and I had heard how amazing they are. I got to hang out with a great Aussie contingent made up of Polestar Pilates and Pilates ITC teachers- it was so great to have an Australian community present. I loved the opportunity to be a student and enjoy all the content with presenters that I had only heard of through Pilates Style Magazine or Pilates Anytime. It was great to have the perspective of classical and contemporary teachers all come together too. Highlights would have to be finally getting to meet Lolita San Miguel in person and hear her stories about Joe and sitting in on Kathy Corey’s mat class. I learned a lot and look forward to putting it in to practice over the next year- I am definitely putting the 2018 PMA conference in my calendar!
The experience was capped off with the Pilates Anytime party on the Friday night, a dress up affair “party like a rock star”. The costumes were very impressive and we had a great time dancing up a storm. The energy at the party was really positive, it was so great that everyone got involved and really embraced the event. An announcement was made that I was the winner of the 2017 contest and I was invited on the stage to receive a beautiful bunch of flowers. Usually I can be quite overwhelmed when I feel all eyes on me, but I am so pleased that I was able to simply be in the moment to say thank you, it was important for me to be able to do so.
Winning the Pilates Anytime Contest has been an amazing opportunity. I am ready to enjoy the ride whatever it may entail. Watching the classes on line will fill me with trepidation (no doubt) but I’m so happy to experience this. What I have felt most during this process is the extraordinary sense of connection and community within Pilates. We are part of something huge that began as a single man’s vision. The experience has intensified a passion for Pilates that I didn’t realise could get any stronger. It has ignited a desire to share my perspective on this amazing method amongst the wider Pilates community here in Australia- and to be part of the conversation around the world.
Jo Bezzina
PAA Committee
Director of Sydney Centred Pilates Studio
Educator with Polestar Education AU
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