PILATES WRITTEN EXAM COMPREHENSIVE ACADEMIC STUDY GUIDE
WITH VERIFIED CONCEPTS AND EXAM-FOCUSED EXPLANATIONS
2025–2026
What are the 6 muscles that comprise the pilates powerhouse? - correct answer -transverse
abdominis, diaphragm, rotators, multifidus, quadratus lumborum, and the pelvic floor
Who are the 11 pilates elders? - correct answer -clara pilates, romana kryzanowska, mary
bowen, robert fitzgerald, ron fletcher, eve gentry, kathy grant, jay grimes, bruce king, lolita san
miguel, carola trier
clara pilates - correct answer -wife of joseph pilates
romana kryzanowska - correct answer -A close student of Joseph Pilates, Kryzanowska took
over as director of the Joseph Pilates studio a few years after he passed away. Romana is one of
the most well known and highly regarded keepers of the classical Pilates tradition. She
dedicated the rest of her life to educating Pilates instructors around the world. Her daughter,
Sari Mejia Santo, also trained with Joseph Pilates and taught with her mother. Now Romana's
granddaughter, Daria Pace, owns Romana's Pilates, with affiliates teaching classical Pilates
around the world.
Mary Bowen - correct answer -Mary Bowen became a Jungian analyst but continued to study
Pilates with Joseph Pilates and others of his students. She continues to teach Pilates through her
ninth decade and developed a Pilates Plus Psyche program.
robert fitzgerald - correct answer -He was a dancer and opened his own studio in New York City
in the 1960s that catered to the dance community.
ron fletcher - correct answer -Ron Fletcher was a dancer with the Martha Graham dance
company. He opened a Pilates studio in Los Angeles and went on to develop his own Pilates
style which is now known as Fletcher Work.
,eve gentry - correct answer -She was a dancer who, like Ron Fletcher, brought her dance
training into her work as a Pilates teacher thereby expanding the Pilates teachings. She
developed her own "pre-Pilates" approach, calling it The Gentry Method. In 1991 she was one
of the founders of the Institute for the Pilates Method.
kathy grant - correct answer -One of only two students who was actually certified to teach
Pilates by Joseph Pilates himself, Kathy Grant taught Pilates at the Tisch School of the Arts in
New York City, holding a faculty position there since 1988. She passed away May 27, 2010
jay grimes - correct answer -Another dancer, Jay Grimes studied extensively with Joseph Pilates
and with Clara Pilates after Joe's death. He also studied with Romana Kryzanowska and
eventually taught with her. He continues to teach Pilates as the director of Vintage Pilates.
Bruce King - correct answer -He was a member of the Merce Cunningham dance company. He
opened a Pilates studio in New York City.
Lolita San Miguel - correct answer -She was certified to teach Pilates by Joseph Pilates and
continues to teach Pilates. She introduced Lolita San Miguel's Masters Program.
carola trier - correct answer -She was the first person to open her own Pilates studio with
Joseph Pilates' personal blessing.
what are the 6 fundamental principles of pilates? - correct answer -breathing, concentration,
centering, control, precision, flowing movement
What is the core defined for pilates? - correct answer -transverse abdominals, diaphragm,
pelvic floor, multifidous
, neutral pelvis - correct answer -The alignment of the ASIS (Anterior Superior Iliac Spine - aka
Hip Points) and the Pubic Bone in line with each other in the Coronal Plane. (Remember that
the Coronal Plane is the plane that divides you in half creating front and back; anterior and
posterior.)
neutral spine - correct answer -the natural and balanced curves of the spine when in Neutral
Pelvis. When the pelvis is in its neutral position, it allows for the most amount of space between
each vertebra as they are aligned in their natural curves. Coccyx - lordotic, Sacrum - kyphotic,
Lumbar - lordotic, Thoracic - kyphotic, Cervical - lordotic. Unique to each individual. It's the
height of each individual's vertebrae and discs as well as his/her particular angles of the tops
and bottoms of those vertebrae that determine the curves. However, with some rare
exceptions, nearly all human spines have these curves in and out when in Neutral Pelvis...to
some degree or another. We don't set the curves, they exist and we work, with balance of
muscles and effort of opposition to open those curves on all sides.
Anterior Tilt - correct answer -when the ASIS is tipped forward of the Pubic Bone in the Coronal
Plane creates a hyper-lordosis (of small or large degree) that ultimately eliminates the curves of
the spine into one straight line with the sacrum and coccyx tipped strongly (as they are the
posterior of the pelvis as well as the base of the spine). The most obvious of this is a pregnant
woman.
Posterior Tilt - correct answer -when the ASIS is tipped backward of the Pubic Bone in the
Coronal Plane (tucked pelvis) with it's habitually gripped rectus abdominus, and glutes erases
the curves as well.
imprinting - correct answer -An imprinted spine refers to an ever so slight posterior pelvic tilt,
Using the abdominals to draw the lower back slightly toward the floor. When supine, the pubic
bone will sit slightly higher than the hip bones.
This does not mean posteriorly tilting the pelvis so far that the tailbone lifts off the floor - the
tailbone must always maintain contact with the floor, otherwise the transversus abdominus will
not work effectively. Every person's imprinted spine will look different to the next, the distance
between the lumbar spine and the floor will be different for each person - the spine does not
WITH VERIFIED CONCEPTS AND EXAM-FOCUSED EXPLANATIONS
2025–2026
What are the 6 muscles that comprise the pilates powerhouse? - correct answer -transverse
abdominis, diaphragm, rotators, multifidus, quadratus lumborum, and the pelvic floor
Who are the 11 pilates elders? - correct answer -clara pilates, romana kryzanowska, mary
bowen, robert fitzgerald, ron fletcher, eve gentry, kathy grant, jay grimes, bruce king, lolita san
miguel, carola trier
clara pilates - correct answer -wife of joseph pilates
romana kryzanowska - correct answer -A close student of Joseph Pilates, Kryzanowska took
over as director of the Joseph Pilates studio a few years after he passed away. Romana is one of
the most well known and highly regarded keepers of the classical Pilates tradition. She
dedicated the rest of her life to educating Pilates instructors around the world. Her daughter,
Sari Mejia Santo, also trained with Joseph Pilates and taught with her mother. Now Romana's
granddaughter, Daria Pace, owns Romana's Pilates, with affiliates teaching classical Pilates
around the world.
Mary Bowen - correct answer -Mary Bowen became a Jungian analyst but continued to study
Pilates with Joseph Pilates and others of his students. She continues to teach Pilates through her
ninth decade and developed a Pilates Plus Psyche program.
robert fitzgerald - correct answer -He was a dancer and opened his own studio in New York City
in the 1960s that catered to the dance community.
ron fletcher - correct answer -Ron Fletcher was a dancer with the Martha Graham dance
company. He opened a Pilates studio in Los Angeles and went on to develop his own Pilates
style which is now known as Fletcher Work.
,eve gentry - correct answer -She was a dancer who, like Ron Fletcher, brought her dance
training into her work as a Pilates teacher thereby expanding the Pilates teachings. She
developed her own "pre-Pilates" approach, calling it The Gentry Method. In 1991 she was one
of the founders of the Institute for the Pilates Method.
kathy grant - correct answer -One of only two students who was actually certified to teach
Pilates by Joseph Pilates himself, Kathy Grant taught Pilates at the Tisch School of the Arts in
New York City, holding a faculty position there since 1988. She passed away May 27, 2010
jay grimes - correct answer -Another dancer, Jay Grimes studied extensively with Joseph Pilates
and with Clara Pilates after Joe's death. He also studied with Romana Kryzanowska and
eventually taught with her. He continues to teach Pilates as the director of Vintage Pilates.
Bruce King - correct answer -He was a member of the Merce Cunningham dance company. He
opened a Pilates studio in New York City.
Lolita San Miguel - correct answer -She was certified to teach Pilates by Joseph Pilates and
continues to teach Pilates. She introduced Lolita San Miguel's Masters Program.
carola trier - correct answer -She was the first person to open her own Pilates studio with
Joseph Pilates' personal blessing.
what are the 6 fundamental principles of pilates? - correct answer -breathing, concentration,
centering, control, precision, flowing movement
What is the core defined for pilates? - correct answer -transverse abdominals, diaphragm,
pelvic floor, multifidous
, neutral pelvis - correct answer -The alignment of the ASIS (Anterior Superior Iliac Spine - aka
Hip Points) and the Pubic Bone in line with each other in the Coronal Plane. (Remember that
the Coronal Plane is the plane that divides you in half creating front and back; anterior and
posterior.)
neutral spine - correct answer -the natural and balanced curves of the spine when in Neutral
Pelvis. When the pelvis is in its neutral position, it allows for the most amount of space between
each vertebra as they are aligned in their natural curves. Coccyx - lordotic, Sacrum - kyphotic,
Lumbar - lordotic, Thoracic - kyphotic, Cervical - lordotic. Unique to each individual. It's the
height of each individual's vertebrae and discs as well as his/her particular angles of the tops
and bottoms of those vertebrae that determine the curves. However, with some rare
exceptions, nearly all human spines have these curves in and out when in Neutral Pelvis...to
some degree or another. We don't set the curves, they exist and we work, with balance of
muscles and effort of opposition to open those curves on all sides.
Anterior Tilt - correct answer -when the ASIS is tipped forward of the Pubic Bone in the Coronal
Plane creates a hyper-lordosis (of small or large degree) that ultimately eliminates the curves of
the spine into one straight line with the sacrum and coccyx tipped strongly (as they are the
posterior of the pelvis as well as the base of the spine). The most obvious of this is a pregnant
woman.
Posterior Tilt - correct answer -when the ASIS is tipped backward of the Pubic Bone in the
Coronal Plane (tucked pelvis) with it's habitually gripped rectus abdominus, and glutes erases
the curves as well.
imprinting - correct answer -An imprinted spine refers to an ever so slight posterior pelvic tilt,
Using the abdominals to draw the lower back slightly toward the floor. When supine, the pubic
bone will sit slightly higher than the hip bones.
This does not mean posteriorly tilting the pelvis so far that the tailbone lifts off the floor - the
tailbone must always maintain contact with the floor, otherwise the transversus abdominus will
not work effectively. Every person's imprinted spine will look different to the next, the distance
between the lumbar spine and the floor will be different for each person - the spine does not
