The Art of Pilates: Classical Pilates, Authenticity & the Future of the Method with Olga Tamara

Season 3 Episode 20 · August 2026 · 46min

Listen to the full Spotify episode here

What if the biggest mistake in Pilates teaching isn't a wrong cue, but opening a studio too soon? In this episode, Olga Tamara — who has spent over five decades in movement, from the Australian Ballet to the classical Pilates studio floor — argues that certification only gives you a licence to teach, not the skill to teach well, and that footwork, not fancy repertoire, is where most instructors are underrated. She pulls no punches on social media trends, "master class" title inflation, and the substandard training she believes is putting the whole industry at risk. In this episode, I sit down with Olga Tamara to talk about classical Pilates, authenticity, and the future of the method.

ABOUT Olga Tamara

Olga Tamara is the founder and principal trainer of Authentic Pilates Education International (APEI) and director of Authentic Pilates Studio in Lilyfield, NSW. A former professional dancer with the Australian Ballet, she trained comprehensively through the New York Pilates Method and Romana's Pilates before dedicating her career to preserving Joseph Pilates' original classical method, and has since trained generations of instructors across Australia, New Zealand and beyond. Learn more at authenticpilateseducation.com.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE

• Understand why a Pilates certification gives you a licence to teach, but not automatically the skill to be a good teacher — and why several more years of continuing education and practice matter.
• Learn why Olga recommends new teachers work in other studios first, take a business course, and avoid opening their own studio too early.
• Discover why footwork and small apparatus (foot corrector, toe corrector, tendon stretch on the electric chair) are underrated and often overlooked in modern training.
• Get Olga's take on why "master" and "master class" are titles to be earned from your peers, not ones you should ever give yourself.
• Learn the difference between "instructing" repertoire and true "teaching" — and why every teacher starts as the former.
• Understand Olga's approach to hands-on cueing: never touch without a clear purpose, always get permission first, and expect feedback energy back from the client.
• Hear why creativity in classical Pilates only comes after you've fully learned the system — creative choreography without understanding the work isn't Pilates, it's just movement for its own sake.
• Learn why Olga believes social media has made Pilates both more accessible and more dangerous, with people attempting tricks their bodies aren't ready for.

FROM THE EPISODE

"Never declare yourself a master. It's a title to be earned and given to you by your peers. It is not a title to be taken."

"Pilates doesn't need to be explained, nor can it — it just needs to be felt. 'Cause once you feel it, you understand it."

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is classical Pilates? Classical (or "authentic") Pilates refers to Joseph Pilates' original method and repertoire, taught in its full sequence across all the traditional apparatus rather than isolated pieces like just the mat or reformer. Olga describes authenticity as genuineness, legitimacy and truth to the original technique, breathing and structure Joseph Pilates created.

What's the biggest mistake new Pilates instructors make? Olga says the most common mistake is opening a studio too soon. She recommends new teachers spend time working in other studios first, keep up continuing education for years after certification, and even take a business course before going out on their own.

Do you need to know a lot about anatomy to teach Pilates? You need a solid grounding in anatomy basics, but Olga cautions against getting too caught up in the anatomical detail unless you're training as a physiotherapist or exercise physiologist. She suggests instructors lean more toward understanding movement itself — kinesiology and biomechanics — rather than anatomy alone.

Is social media good or bad for Pilates? Both, according to Olga. It's helpful because it gives people in remote areas access to teachers and mentors they'd never otherwise reach. But she's concerned it's become "a little toxic," encouraging people to copy tricks online that their bodies aren't ready for, which can lead to injury.

How long does it actually take to become a good Pilates teacher? Certification can take anywhere from several weeks to 18 months depending on the course, but Olga is clear that a certificate only gives you a licence to teach — becoming a genuinely skilled teacher takes years of continued training, practice and experience after that.

What Pilates exercise or area is most underrated? Footwork. Olga says it gets overlooked constantly, even though "everything starts from the feet" — she cites working with an Olympic swimmer whose race times improved once they focused purely on foot and ankle strength for pushing off the blocks.

Should Pilates instructors touch or adjust clients during sessions? Yes, but only with clear purpose and the client's permission. Olga's rule is simple: if you don't know what you're doing with your hands, don't touch at all — hands-on cueing should feel like purposeful resistance the client can give feedback into, not random poking.

How do you know when to adapt a Pilates exercise for a client versus keeping it as designed? Only adapt when it's genuinely needed — for a condition, injury, or a body position a client can't safely get into. Olga explains that the classical system's range of apparatus is designed to let you move a client to a different piece of equipment to work the same goal a different way, then return to the original exercise.

FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

Lightly edited for readability

Louise: Welcome back to the Art of Pilates podcast. I'm your host, Louise Taube. Today I'm honoured to be joined by one of Australia's most respected Pilates educators, Olga Tamara.

Olga's journey with movement began as a professional dancer with the Australian Ballet in the 1970s, before she transitioned into the fitness industry and eventually discovered the transformative power of authentic classical Pilates. After completing comprehensive training through the New York Pilates Method and Romana's Pilates, she dedicated her career to preserving and sharing Joseph Pilates' original method.

Today, Olga is the founder and principal trainer of Authentic Pilates Education International, APEI, and director of Authentic Pilates Studio in Lilyfield, New South Wales. Through APEI, she has educated generations of Pilates teachers across Australia, New Zealand and Korea, while also presenting workshops internationally and hosting the highly respected APEI Pilates Conference.

In this episode we'll explore Olga's incredible journey, what authenticity in Pilates really means, how the profession has evolved over the decades, and why preserving the integrity of Joseph Pilates' work still matters today. Whether you're a new instructor, an experienced teacher, or simply passionate about Pilates, I know you'll take away some wonderful insights from this conversation. Please join me in welcoming Olga Tamara to the Art of Pilates podcast.

Olga, you first discovered Pilates as a professional dancer with the Australian Ballet in the 1970s. What was Pilates like back then, and how did it influence your dancing?

Olga: It was very different, Louise, back then. We didn't have the reformers, et cetera — most of our work was done on the floor, on timber floors, because when we were on tour we would always work on the stage, and in those days we didn't even have Tarkett on the stage, it was just timber floors. Lucette Aldous, who was a principal dancer at the time, was very obsessed with all the floor work, and she made variations because it was more classically ballet-orientated — but it was predominantly Pilates, and it was on the floor. She called it "floor barre" because she put her own spin on it. Essentially, that was our introduction into Pilates, so to speak.

Louise: Wow. Looking back over more than 50 years in movement education, what are the biggest changes you've actually witnessed in the Pilates industry?

Olga: I think first came the revolution of the mat course — all the mat classes became a very big, popular movement. Then, of course, the contemporary reformer studios with the lights and the music — it's a little bit like fitness on steroids. Now we've got video screens to guide people through their workouts, and I've even seen "hot Pilates" making its way into the community. There've been a lot of changes and a lot of reinventing of what people think Pilates is — it's constantly being reinvented and changed. I just really hope that comprehensive studio training, in both the classical and contemporary, can hold its ground and make a big comeback.

Louise: Does it break your heart a little when you see Pilates in gyms with techno music and flashing lights?

Olga: It's hard, Louise. It does break my heart a little, because it's really hard for us to get the message across of what Pilates truly is. It's great that people are out there enjoying it and moving — a lot of young people just love it because they want that burn workout feeling, they want to have fun and pump to music, and that's good in the sense that people are moving. But it's kind of like — come back to real Pilates and find out what it really is. Maybe do a bit of both: do the hard work, and then go have some fun and sweat.

Louise: Yeah, exactly — that's what my sweat is, in classical Pilates.

Olga: I'm really hoping every Pilates instructor gets to experience training classically within the method, because that's where the roots of everything are — that's where the technique actually lies.

Louise: Was there a defining moment when you realised Pilates would become your life's work?

Olga: There wasn't one defining moment — I never consciously thought about it becoming my life's work, it just evolved into that. I like to balance my Pilates with my other love, which is theatre work. I'm lucky that I've got two things I'm passionate about, because I don't seem to burn out in one particular field. Life has just turned out the way it is — there was no big plan.

Louise: I saw on your socials that you're actually a theatre director and actor as well — is that right? I don't know how you fit it all in, but it's such an inspiration.

Olga: Sometimes I do burn myself out — I take on too much when I take on too much, and I've taken on an awful lot this year. At the beginning of the year I said to myself, this is going to be the year — I'm 75 this year — don't say no to anything, say yes to everything. So I did. Now I'm thinking I'm not going to do that again next year — I'll take a little step back and restructure my years so it's not so jam-packed. But it's good.

Louise: It's very inspiring. I hope I'm still teaching at 75, 76, at 80.

Olga: I'm thinking round about 80, maybe 85 — we'll see what happens. I don't think anybody should really retire. There should be some sort of continued involvement in the work field, even if it's only a few days a week. I've seen too many people fully retire — some have enough money to travel and keep active, but a lot of them just start to wilt and become inactive, and their bodies start to wield as well. You've got to keep active all the time.

Louise: I think so too. So you trained in a variety of Pilates styles before discovering classical Pilates. What was different about that experience?

Olga: There was a big trend — I think it started in the late eighties with the big fitness balls. I had an event company at the time, and we were doing a lot of bump-ins and bump-outs with events late at night — my body was being taxed to the hilt, and I hadn't done any exercise for a while, so I thought I've got to get back into something. First we bought a big ball and started creating our own exercises in the office between gigs. Then I wanted to go to a studio — the first one I went to was a physio studio, structured more like a gymnasium where you got your own card with exercises written down and had to tick boxes for how many you'd done. I didn't like that format. I remember lying on the floor doing a few leg kicks and ticking them off, and the instructor came over and told me how fabulous my work was — but I knew I'd been sloppy and lazy, just going through the motions. I thought, if she thinks that's okay, there's nothing she can teach me. So I tried a few other places, a couple of contemporary studios that were okay, and then I stumbled across a classical Pilates studio called The Pilates Method, owned by Cynthia Lochard. I had my first session there with an instructor called Edwina, and I swear, Louise, it took about 15 minutes into that session to realise this was the right fit for me. It suited the discipline I was used to — I liked the pace, the flow, the structure, the technique, the breathing was different, and the feel of the equipment was very different. It just resonated with me, and there was no turning back after that one session.

Louise: That's so inspiring to hear. So what do you believe Joseph Pilates intended that is sometimes lost in modern Pilates?

Olga: I think movement, essentially. It's become a little too rigid — there's this constant picking at bodies, this idea you can't move within a centimetre of this or that, and it's becoming way too isolated. The dynamics have gone out of it. If you isolate movements too much, you get rigid and stiff — you lose the joy of movement because of a fear of doing it incorrectly. I think modern Pilates studios that teach the full range of apparatus sometimes focus too much on isolation rather than integration.

Louise: You often use the term "authentic Pilates." What does authenticity mean to you?

Olga: Genuineness. Legitimacy. Realness. Original. Truth and accuracy. That's what it means — being true.

Louise: If Joseph Pilates walked into a modern studio today, what do you think would surprise him most?

Olga: I have no idea — I didn't know the man, so I don't know what he was thinking. He might be horrified, or he might think, "that's interesting, I hadn't thought of that." But I do know one thing: whatever he thought, his thoughts would be made loud and clear.

Louise: I just imagine him walking in and going over to people, pushing them around, saying "it should be done like this" — with those really heavy hands.

Olga: With those tactile cues, yeah.

Louise: You've trained hundreds of instructors through APEI. What qualities do your best teachers have in common?

Olga: Dedication, work ethic and passion — and a real desire to help people reach their goals in physicality and movement, to help them through any physical issues they might have. We're not trained as physiotherapists, we're not there to heal or treat — we're there to get people moving and comfortable in their body, help with posture, help with strength, help them function better for as long as they can.

Louise: What's the biggest mistake you see new Pilates teachers making?

Olga: Opening a studio way too early. It's so difficult opening a studio — there's so much involved. I see them open around my area and come and go at a very rapid rate. What happens when people open too soon is they forego their own training and miss out on the continuing education you need for years after you've certified — your certification gives you a licence to go out and teach, but it doesn't give you a licence to be a good teacher. You can only earn that through years of training and study. Do a lot of that first work in different studios, get a feel for how different people work in their space, do your research, see what fits with you. And I'd recommend doing a business course — I wish I'd done that.

Louise: I've had to learn so much along the way too. I've been teaching Pilates for over 26 years now, and I still feel like there's so much to learn. Coming to your conference, I'm thinking, "I hope I can do the exercises!"

Olga: You work beautifully, and you understand the method. You take on corrections, tips and advice — that's the thing. You're a great mover, you don't have a problem at all.

Louise: Thank you, Olga. I'm so looking forward to the conference. How do you teach instructors to balance precision with creativity? Is there room for creativity in authentic Pilates, or is it limited because of the repertoire itself?

Olga: I think there's a misconception that classical Pilates is just a bunch of exercises that must be done in a certain order, a certain number, this way, this way, this way. That is part of it when you're learning — that's part of the discipline, like starting as a dancer, you learn the basics, you learn your placement, you do so many bars of music before moving on. As you become more familiar with the work and more expert in the physicality of it, it becomes more creative. It takes many years. People need to learn the full system first, basic through to more challenging work, understand exactly what you're doing in those exercises and the technique you're using. Once you've embodied it, you can go out with absolute confidence and the knowledge you've earned to be creative — but it's not creativity for its own sake, it's creativity with a purpose. You can only do that if you understand the work, otherwise you're just doing choreography for the sake of being different, and that's not what Pilates should be about. There's a lot of room for creativity, but it has to be there for a purpose — to help someone achieve something.

Louise: So having those goals in mind. What advice would you give teachers who feel overwhelmed by how much there is to learn — because it's massive.

Olga: It is massive, but you take little chunks at a time. The most important thing is not to come off the street and decide you want to be a Pilates teacher just because you think it looks fun, or you've had a couple of sessions and think "that's cool." It's a serious job — we take care of people's bodies. We don't treat them, as I mentioned, that's not our training, but we work with bodies all the time, so it's very important. If you're going to do a course, I'd recommend doing at least a year of Pilates classes first, trying different methods, doing your own research, seeing which one fits you, and then deciding what kind of training you want to do. You need to learn the "whys" — understanding what each exercise is for. Then practise on friends when you start the course, cueing out loud, teaching people you feel safe with, because you'll make plenty of mistakes while you're learning to teach. Never judge your work against anybody else, never try to compete — someone might have a long, lean body and look fabulous doing an exercise, but you'll never do anything exactly the same as anybody else. Trust your own body and go as far as you can with what you have. Develop an eye — watch other teachers teach, see how they handle the room. And drop the perfectionism — accept that you'll stumble over your cueing at first, and that'll be okay.

Louise: Wow, that's such good advice. Do you think it's possible to become an excellent Pilates teacher quickly, or does mastery simply require time?

Olga: Some people have a natural talent for teaching, in all different areas of life — some learn quicker than others. But to be a true master of anything takes years and years of dedication. And I have to say — this mastery, "masterclass," "master teacher" — never declare yourself a master. It's a title to be earned and given to you by your peers, not a title to be taken. It really grates on me when people say "come and take my masterclass" or "I'm giving a masterclass this weekend," often from people who've been teaching for a mere 18 months, two years, maybe three or four. That doesn't make you a master. Look at masters in martial arts — it's a title given. That's all I can say — please don't call yourself a master. Somebody else can call you one, but don't call yourself one.

Louise: Very wise. Pilates has become incredibly popular worldwide — it seems to be exploding at the moment. What excites you most about its growth, and what concerns you?

Olga: I love that people are engaging with Pilates and mixing it up with other fitness activities — that's great. But I'm concerned about the substandard training coming into the community. As a result, people are starting to get hurt, and as a consequence they're not trusting that Pilates is a safe place to work out. I just hope comprehensive training stays intact and hopefully becomes a trend again.

Louise: It's so sad, especially with Breathe recently going into liquidation — I've seen social posts from young people who turned up to a class and the link was broken, they couldn't even get in. There are a lot of places out there just churning people through quickly.

Social media has changed how people learn about Pilates — has that been more helpful or harmful, do you think?

Olga: Helpful in the sense that people can take classes and have private lessons online — it gives access to different teachers and mentors they'd never have worked with before, which is great, especially for people in remote areas. But the social media side has become a little toxic, and sometimes rather dangerous. There's too much comparison of methods, too much focus on performing tricks the body isn't ready for, or that aren't even necessary — and it can be completely dangerous. Too many people see something online and think "that looks cool, I'm going to try that in the studio." It comes back to that creative thing — people are going overboard, being creative for the sake of doing something tricky or clever, and dangerous.

Louise: It can be quite scary — I've seen Pilates fails, people falling off Cadillacs and reformers. I don't understand why the people who post them find it funny.

Olga: I don't understand that either. If there's a mishap in the studio, why would you want to post it? Some people get really injured. Maybe I'm just too old — I'm not into the social media stuff, I can't get myself there.

Louise: I know, but you sort of have to these days — people know who you are.

Olga: It's a two-edged sword.

Louise: It is. What do you think distinguishes a highly skilled teacher from someone who simply teaches exercises?

Olga: A highly skilled teacher usually has many years of experience and has developed a good eye over that time. They watch the body and, at a glance, can see where the weakness exists, and know exactly how to modify, or move a client to another piece of equipment that might facilitate their body in a more useful way. Someone who just teaches exercises is literally just teaching repertoire — they're not teaching, they're instructing.

Louise: That's interesting — I feel like when I first started, I was just teaching repertoire for a long time before I felt like I was actually teaching.

Olga: That's why I said earlier, don't open your studio too soon — we all go through that. It doesn't matter what course we've done, when we finish we're only instructing what we've learned, we're not teaching yet. Teaching doesn't become teaching until you're really full of the knowledge of the body of work — then you can become a teacher. But everybody starts off as an instructor, teaching or instructing the repertoire.

Louise: How important is understanding anatomy compared with understanding movement?

Olga: It's important to understand the body and learn the basics of anatomy, but I don't believe we should get too caught up in the anatomical side of it, unless you want to be a physiotherapist or exercise physiologist. It's important to know your anatomy, but I think it's really important to understand movement — I'd recommend leaning more towards kinesiology or biomechanics.

Louise: Interesting. You've dedicated much of your career to preserving the original work. Why is that so important?

Olga: Preserving traditional methods of Pilates and other modalities like martial arts and yoga protects the foundational philosophies and maintains the authentic culture and heritage passed down from their creators — in this case, Joseph Pilates. It ensures future generations learn his training rather than a bastardised or altered version. You can't change anything unless you know it — you've got to have the original essence first. Then, if you feel you can come up with a better idea, that's fine — but learn it first.

Louise: How do you decide when it's appropriate to adapt an exercise, and when it should remain unchanged?

Olga: If it doesn't need adapting, don't do it just for the fun of it. But if a client has a condition or injury, or finds it difficult to get into a comfortable position, you take them to another piece of apparatus to see if they can find it there — that's why the system is so important and why it works. Everything is there on a platter for us — it gives you the tools to move clients around the room, adapt from one piece of apparatus to another, build their strength and address niggling body issues. You can't address everything just on the mat or just on the reformer. If someone has difficulty getting into position for stomach massage, you might work them somewhere else and come back to the reformer. Don't adapt unless it's needed — but you can be creative with your adaptations and modifications.

Louise: I love it. Are there exercises from the original repertoire that you feel deserve more attention today?

Olga: Footwork. I think footwork gets overlooked a lot — everything starts from the feet. I'd like to see teachers do more on small pieces of apparatus like the foot corrector, the toe corrector, tendon stretch on the electric chair. Footwork is underrated.

Louise: I thought you'd just say footwork on the reformer or the Cadillac or the chair, but it's the foot corrector and those types of things too.

Olga: There are so many different things you can do for the feet. Many years ago an Olympic swimmer came to see me — she'd come to Australia in our summer for training, then go back to Switzerland for their summer. I loved working with her, she was so strong, she knew the classical work and the advanced work — it was a real treat to teach her the fancy, beautiful advanced stuff. Then we got onto the topic of her swimming — she needed to pick up a little time. I went to watch her training, and noticed her strokes and shoulders were immaculate, but when she pushed off the block, that's where she lost her time, because she didn't have the strength in her ankles and feet to push. So we stripped away all the advanced work and went back to feet, feet, feet, feet, so she could pick up that time pushing off the block.

Louise: Wow.

Olga: If you have a client who does a sport, you don't need to know much about the sport, but go and watch them do it — watch their body in action, and it's amazing what you'll see. That's where you become creative with your work, because you can see what will help in that area. This is where Helen Stamos is very good — she works with athletes a lot and can be creative with a purpose for what they need. It's really important to go and watch people in action, whether they're a tennis player, a football player, whatever it is.

Louise: That's such an inspiring story, so detailed. What's one aspect of classical Pilates you wish every instructor experienced?

Olga: I'd love more contemporary teachers to come try classical Pilates on the traditional equipment, because it feels so different. I've even got a saying on my website now: "Pilates doesn't need to be explained, nor can it — it just needs to be felt. 'Cause once you feel it, you understand it."

Louise: That's what I'm looking forward to with your conference, but also terrified about at the same time.

Olga: It's very different. Some people ask me, "what's classical Pilates, what's the big deal?" A lot of contemporary teachers come here and will never become classical teachers, but they come because they love the feel of it. They've spent a lot of money on their contemporary training and equipment and they're good teachers in that world — they're not going to throw all that away and change methods. But I do love that they come here to feel the difference the classical equipment makes, and the different technique.

Louise: Just a different way of working. You've run a studio while educating teachers internationally. What's been the biggest lesson in building a sustainable Pilates business?

Olga: It's only just sustainable, Louise — it's really tough these days, a different world. When I started training people, you needed to be a lot more flexible than you'd think. Years ago you'd set your intake dates, maybe 16 students would sign up, and you'd work through the year with a couple more intakes. Now, if people can't get certified in three weeks, it's "not good enough." I get calls asking how long the course takes, and I say it depends on your lifestyle — if you have a family or a full-time or part-time job, it can take a year to 18 months. People get horrified, saying they've found somewhere that does it in three months, or even six weeks. Because there's so much of that out there and it's not regulated, fewer people want to do full comprehensive courses in classical or contemporary. It's hard work, and people want instant gratification, unfortunately. These days I'm more flexible — if someone wants to start, we start one-on-one, then I team them up with apprentices, and they end up mentoring each other, because there's always someone ahead of them, and other bodies to practise with. Flexibility is the way to go now, I think. I don't do online training though — maybe that's my age, I think it needs to be face-to-face, that's my belief. Others differ, but I'm not going to change now.

Louise: I think the value of experiencing and feeling what's going on in your body, you can't really get that through a screen — even the way you do your tactile cues. You said not to do that poking thing — I saw an Instagram shot of you teaching me at the previous conference, and you were using the backs of your hands for some of the cueing. I thought that was so interesting.

Olga: It gets a bit cringey when it's all fingertips and poking. If you can't do hands-on with a purpose, don't touch — just stay away. If you don't know what to do with your hands, do nothing. You've got to use your hands as part of resistance with your client — obviously get their permission to start with, and once they know you're going to do that, you don't have to ask every time. But make sure whenever you're touching them, you're touching with purpose, and that they're giving you the same energy back, so you're not just pushing someone into a position — they're actually giving you feedback. That's a really important thing, and hands-on training has to be done face-to-face — you can't do a massage course online, can you?

Louise: Understanding the tactile cues with Pilates — the pressure, when to touch, when not to touch — that's a face-to-face thing, absolutely essential. How has your teaching changed over the decades?

Olga: Like anybody, when you first start teaching you're so excited about all the wonders out there, and you want to encourage your client — "this is great, there's all these things you'll get to do later." You're very excited about the potential. But then one day someone said to me, "what if I just want to stay at this level? I just want to feel good, I don't necessarily want to achieve all these goals of becoming advanced." That hadn't occurred to me — that people weren't coming to work through the system to get better and better and start enjoying the advanced work. That was a quick lesson to learn at the very beginning. Now I watch, and wait, and see if their bodies are ready to progress — if they're not ready, I leave it and we keep working until we can do a little more challenging work, which they love. Then one day, really lovely, you're teaching someone an advanced exercise without telling them it's advanced or difficult, and suddenly they're doing it, and you say, "that's actually an advanced exercise" — and they're so proud of themselves. It might only be one or two or three exercises, but they don't need more than that.

Louise: That's fantastic. What keeps you inspired after so many years — how do you keep this beautiful energy and passion going?

Olga: Seeing the changes in people's bodies. Another thing about my way of teaching — I've really focused a lot on imagery, helping people find movement and feelings in their body through imagination. I think imagery and imagination are powerful tools. Seeing long-term clients progress, hearing how they feel when they finish a session — they don't feel trashed, they feel tall, they feel fabulous walking out of the room. And I love seeing my students who put all their energy and passion into the course go on to be wonderful instructors, and eventually, hopefully, inspiring teachers. I differentiate between instructors and teachers, and I think you know what I mean by that.

Louise: Absolutely. Let's talk about your conference coming up, which I'm so excited about. The APEI conference has become a wonderful opportunity for teachers to learn from world-renowned educators. What inspired you to create it?

Olga: First, I'll just clarify — APEI stands for Authentic Pilates Education International. I knew there were a lot of teachers who never get the opportunity to travel overseas or attend conferences to learn from international Pilates educators. Many years ago I wanted to give them the opportunity to learn from some of the best out there. Before anyone shoots me down — I know we've got great teachers here in Australia, all great — but international people aren't as accessible, and it's very expensive to get to them. Years ago I started bringing in one international presenter at a time, just to the studio. Then, quite a few years ago, I took the steps to create a bigger event, which means uploading all my equipment from the studio and taking it to the location. It's worked really well, but it's a lot of work — I do it every second year, not every year, because it's too much work.

Louise: I can only imagine. It's great that it's important to have international presenters out here for those who can't get to them.

Olga: Yeah — I mean there's only two at a time, but still, it's a great thing to have them there.

Louise: This year's presenters include — can you confirm the names, I'm worried I'll pronounce them wrong — Gloria Gaspar, Joel Crosby, Katie Agnew, Eve-Marie Ward, and Helen Stamkos.

What are you most excited for attendees to experience?

Olga: I want them to have a great learning opportunity. Gloria, Joel, Katie and myself are all second-generation teachers — Eve-Marie is third-generation, and they bring a great deal of authenticity to the conference, with a lot of archival material as well as new things. While it's essentially a classical Pilates conference, I have great respect for some excellent contemporary teachers and presenters in Australia. After I saw Helen deliver her very first workshop, I invited her to join us this year, because I thought her presentation was wonderful — she specialises in sports training and Pilates solutions for sports injuries. About 50% of our delegates are contemporary teachers interested in classical, so I think she's a great fit for what we're doing this year.

Louise: Why do you believe conferences are such an important part of a Pilates teacher's professional development?

Olga: Teachers get caught up in hours of teaching and sometimes burn out — I've experienced that too, occasionally, because I try to balance my life. It's important to do face-to-face workshops, get that personal interaction, and feel part of the wonderful community, because running your own studio is a lonely existence. It's a lot of work — not just the teaching, but the admin, the overheads, which get more expensive every year. It's hard, so it's important for teachers to do this kind of development.

Louise: I look forward to conferences like I look forward to holidays — I come away feeling so full, the energy of the other Pilates teachers is exhilarating, like going to a live concert.

Olga: It is. You've got like-minded people, and what's so beautiful is there's no judgment — nobody judges each other, everybody's in it together, no matter what method you're from. It's really supportive. Everyone gets a buzz out of doing conferences — they're a great way to learn, and you feel part of an actual community after being isolated in your own little place.

Louise: A hundred percent. You also get to train with different people and experience different styles, knowledge and perspectives in a short period of time.

Olga: There'll always be something you take away, whether you agree with one method or not — something where you go, "I really like that, I could use that, that's a great idea."

Louise: If someone had never attended the APEI conference before, what can they expect?

Olga: A full day — three days — of amazing workshops and insight into what classical Pilates work feels like, especially on the classical equipment. If you're interested in classical Pilates, come along — we've got day rates too if you can't do the full three days.

Louise: I hope everyone gets to go — I know there aren't places for everyone in Australia to attend. How many places left?

Olga: We're down to ten places left.

Louise: That's so exciting. I think what I'm expecting is sore muscles.

Olga: You'll need a bath when you get home — but don't let that scare people off, because you don't have to participate. Some people worry they'll be too tired to do everything, but you don't have to — you can observe all three days if you want, and participate where you want, sit in the corner and take notes if that's your vibe. There's no prerequisite that you have to get on the floor or the equipment, but you'll be inspired to get on.

Louise: I'm so excited. Looking ahead, what do you hope the Pilates profession looks like in another 20 years?

Olga: I keep saying this, I'm sounding like a broken record, but I'd like there to be much more in-depth courses — people will realise that these short courses offer little in the way of quality training, and I hope those courses make a comeback, and the quality of teaching improves. It's got to happen, I think it's inevitable, because fashion goes round and round. There's a whole trend now of people wanting to do things that take more time — slower learning. There is a surge of interest in classical Pilates, but what's happening is people aren't actually studying it, they're experiencing it, thinking classical Pilates is just an order of repertoire — they learn a mat order, a reformer order, and think they now teach classical Pilates. Then they think classical is boring because it's repetitive — which is so far from the truth. If people are going to do courses, whether contemporary or classical, study it in depth and really learn the system and what the program is about.

Louise: I think people now have the opportunity to do a short course as a taster before committing to the full course.

Olga: Absolutely, there's nothing wrong with doing a mat course, and some people just want to specialise in that, which is fine. I'm not so enamoured with the reformer course on its own, because then people think they're just a "reformer teacher," and that doesn't embody Pilates. To me, Pilates is not the reformer and it's not just the mat — it's everything Joe invented for the studio: the Ladder Barrel, the airplane board, the Baby Chair, the wonderful Electric Chair — so many wonderful pieces of apparatus at our disposal, which allow us to be creative in the studio with our clients when they need it.

Louise: What legacy would you like to leave for future generations of Pilates teachers?

Olga: I'd like to think I give my students a great foundation and insight into the true method of Pilates, so they can go on to explore and build on it over their lifetime career. It's just a starting block — nobody can teach everybody everything. I say this to my students: whatever you learn, teach everything you know, but teach only what you know — don't pretend any more than you do.

Louise: Very wise — sometimes we feel we have to know everything as Pilates teachers, when really you're better off staying within your scope.

Olga: A hundred percent.

Louise: If you could give one piece of advice to every Pilates instructor listening today, what would it be?

Olga: Continue learning. Continue doing workshops, don't skimp on your training. Look at the different elders, learn about them and their origins and the legacies they've left behind — Joseph himself, and the elders who followed in his footsteps have a lot to offer too. And enjoy the journey, have lots of fun along the way.

Louise: I think it becomes more of an adventure the more you learn — you get so much more out of the method. It's like that old saying: the more you learn, the more you know that you don't know.

Olga: Exactly.

Louise: I've got a couple of rapid-fire questions. Reformer or mat?

Olga: Reformer.

Louise: Favourite piece of apparatus?

Olga: Wunda Chair — for its strength training, and it's very versatile.

Louise: I love the chair too. Favourite archival exercise?

Olga: I love the snake twist.

Louise: Oh, that's so hard.

Olga: I love it — if you find the right technique it's much easier, though never easy.

Louise: One cue you use every day?

Olga: "Enjoy the move."

Louise: Most underrated Pilates exercise?

Olga: Footwork.

Louise: One book every Pilates teacher should read?

Olga: Dynamic Alignment Through Imagery by Eric Franklin — very good book.

Louise: Tea or coffee?

Olga: Coffee — but only one a day.

Louise: You didn't mention wine — I thought it might come a close second.

Olga: Sunrise or sunset — sunrise when I'm on holidays, sunset when I'm working.

Louise: Interesting. What brings you the most joy right now?

Olga: My Pilates students, my clients, and my theatrical endeavours, combined.

Louise: You do have a large platter of delightful things in your life — it's fantastic. Olga, thank you so much for sharing your knowledge, your stories, and your passion for authentic Pilates. It's been an absolute pleasure speaking with you. I think one of the biggest takeaways from today's conversation is that Pilates is so much more than a collection of exercises — it's a method, a philosophy, and for many of us a lifelong journey of learning. Your dedication to preserving Joseph Pilates' work while mentoring the next generation of teachers is truly inspiring.

For everyone listening, I'd like you to learn more about Olga and Authentic Pilates Education International, or attend the APEI Classical Pilates Conference this September — we'll include all the links in the show notes. If you enjoyed today's episode, please subscribe to the Art of Pilates podcast, leave a review, and share this episode with a fellow Pilates teacher or movement professional who'd enjoy hearing Olga's story.

Thank you so much for listening. I'm Louise Taube, and until next time — keep moving with purpose, keep learning, and remember: Pilates is not just about the exercises we teach, but the lives we hope to transform. See you next time.

Links & Resources

• Authentic Pilates Education International (APEI) — Olga Tamara's teacher training organisation
• Authentic Pilates Studio, Lilyfield NSW 
• APEI Classical Pilates Conference, September — annual event with international and Australian presenters 
• Art of Pilates Podcast 
• Taube Pilates

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