What a great time we had at IDEA this year. The show was so busy our classes were full with waiting lists. It was a time of sharing and re-connecting with so many of our teachers from all over the world and our loyal convention attendees who come convention after convention, year after year. We also met a lot of new friends and enjoyed the way they eagerly expressed their excitement over all of the new developments at Peak.

Sonia kicked us off with the MVe Reformer Everybody which all participants agreed was a great workout. After they wiped the sweat off, many of them returned to the MVe Perfect Pair (Chair and Reformer) that showed how complementary these workouts are in a group setting. Over and over we heard how ‘simple’ the classes were, how flowing, how enjoyable it was to move the body … Sonia finished her presenting with MVe Latin Dance which had the whole room smiling, dancing, and ended with a congo line! It was great seeing her and catching up personally as well.

Connie Borho, one of senior trainers from Florida, was also there presenting yoga, and pilates and yoga fusion classes. She was commanding and inspiring in her sessions during the convention and really manned the helm at the booth leading so many classes on the PilatesStick.

The PilatesStick was a huge hit, the station seemed constantly full with everyone eager to get a chance to try this great new workout with so many programming possibilities. I came back having decided to add them to our studio mix!

Stacey Lei led MVe Flex & Flow and Spring into Action continuing to carry the MVe theme through the convention. Participants loved the versatility of the classes and the user-friendly programming approach that the MVe is based upon.

I was busy with a variety of sessions that kept me switching gears continually. MVe Chi Flow had its IDEA debut and the mix of Qigong, Yoga, and Chair Exercises blended perfectly into the early morning slot! After the party, people were ready for a little energy balancing for sure. The MVe Energize was given a late day slot, and people rated their fatigue level on a scale of 1-10 – with numbers of 12-15. Ouch! There were some tired participants who learned how good the reformer work can make the body feel.

The Reformer on the Mat and Mat with Props were packed with instructors wanting new ideas and new information. At conventions we get so many teachers from other schools and it is nice to see them looking toward us for solutions and new concepts in teaching. Hopefully, everyone got some great take away tools to implement in the weeks ahead

Finally, I was thrilled to be included on the Future of Pilates Panel which was moderated by Kathy Cory and included PJ O’Clair from Stott, and Nora St. John from Balanced Body. The questions Kathy and the group asked were thought provoking and encompassed everything from equipment and education, to the economic climate, to standardization, to the history of Pilates and how to bring the past to the future. The respect we shared for each other showed through, even when we disagreed on our answers! On one point we were all in firm agreement and that is the need to have an approach to standardization that is different than the PMA is currently offering. While we all agreed that the PMA has been a good voice in representing Pilates to society, it was not the organization to ‘certify’. It reminded me of many years ago when IDEA turned the certification side over to ACE. We all commented favorably on the way the Yoga Alliance does their professional recognition — Setting a standard for education, having each school apply for accreditation and then leaving the theoretical and practical testing to each school. We agreed we are different in approach and no written test can validate all the many schools of Pilates, nor is a written test without a practical meaningful. Hence, none of us have become “PMA recognized”.

There was so much packed into those 4 days. I have come away with lots to reflect on and re-committed to ‘inspiring the world to fitness’ and hope you do the same!

Master Trainer

Zoey Trap

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