Joseph Pilates, un homme, une méthode

Abstract

Joseph Pilates est né en Allemagne en 1883. Il est un enthousiaste du corps et du mouvement. Pendant la 1 re guerre mondiale, il est interné en Angleterre et conçoit les bases de sa méthode : la contrologie. Il émigre aux États-Unis en 1926, où il ouvre son studio avec sa compagne Clara. Les premiers appareils Pilates s’installent et le tout New-York artistique vient s’entrainer chez lui. Il écrit son premier livre en 1934 « Your health » dans lequel il expose son concept de santé. Le livre suivant est publié en 1945 « Return to life through contrology ». Entre 1926 et 1967, Joseph Pilates va inlassablement entrainer les personnes qui viennent chercher ses conseils. Sa méthode a connu un vrai engouement populaire au début des années 1990, aux États-Unis d’abord, puis a gagné le monde entier. Beaucoup de styles et d’écoles de Pilates existent de nos jours : « classique », « authentique », « contemporaine ». Joseph Pilates was born in Germany in 1883. He is an enthusiast of the body and movement. During World War I, he was interned in England and developed the basis of his method: contrology. He emigrated to the United States in 1926, where he opened his studio with his partner Clara. The first Pilates machines were installed and the whole of artistic New York came to train with him. He wrote his first book in 1934 “Your health” in which he explained his concept of health. The next book was published in 1945 “Return to life through contrology”. Between 1926 and 1967, Joseph Pilates tirelessly trained people who came to him for advice. His method became very popular in the early 1990s, first in the United States and then around the world. Many styles and schools of Pilates exist today: “classical”, “authentic”, “contemporary”.