Romana Kryzanowska: A Pilates Legacy Origin Story
Pilates has become a global fitness phenomenon, but its roots trace back to a singular source: Joseph Pilates (1880 - 1967). His pioneering methods were passed on to Romana Kryzanowska (1923 - 2013), who studied under him in the 1940s and dedicated her life to preserving his work. Today, Romana’s legacy is carried on through her daughter, Sari Mejia Santo, and granddaughter, Daria Pace. This three-generation lineage has grown into Romana’s Pilates International, a global institution with instructors across the U.S. and beyond, all committed to teaching the purest form of Pilates.
Romana’s Journey to Pilates
Romana’s introduction to Pilates came during a critical moment in her life. She was a young ballet dancer with a serious ankle injury that threatened her career.
“I was about 20 and a ballet dancer when I discovered I had a chip in my ankle. Surgery was the recommended solution,” Romana recalls. But George Balanchine, her teacher at the time, suggested a different path. “He said, ‘Romana, before you go to any more doctors, let’s go see Joe.’ At that time, I didn’t know who Joe was, but through Mr. Balanchine, I met Joseph Pilates in his New York City studio.”
Joseph Pilates, affectionately known as “Uncle Joe” to Romana, offered her a simple yet effective solution. “He said, ‘Little girl, take five lessons with me—three in the first week and two in the second week. If your ankle isn’t better, I’ll give you your money back.’ Each lesson cost $3 at the time.”
The Pilates Method That Changed Her Life
Pilates provided Romana with a block of wood, 2 inches by 4 inches, and instructed her to perform heel raises every morning and night. Along with this, she was guided through exercises on various Pilates apparatuses to strengthen her body.
“By the third lesson, my ankle wasn’t hurting. By the fourth lesson, the inflammation was gone. I asked if I could go back to ballet, and he said, ‘Why not? I didn’t tell you that you couldn’t.’” By her fifth lesson, Romana was back to dancing, performing four pirouettes without pain.
This personal transformation ignited Romana’s passion for Pilates, and she would spend the rest of her life teaching and preserving Joseph Pilates’ original method.
Romana’s Pilates: A Global Legacy
Today, Romana’s Pilates International is a powerhouse in the Pilates community, with certified instructors around the world teaching the authentic Pilates method that Romana dedicated her life to. Her commitment to teaching Pilates in its purest form has created a lasting legacy that spans generations.
Credit: Edited Excerpt from Tendu Magazine’s "The Pilates Legacy: Three Generations of Pilates"