It was 1989 in Australia when I recognized the beginnings of the explosive growth the Pilates industry was about to experience. Of course Joseph and Clara Pilates had begun developing their exercise method many years before and it had always had strong supporters. But this was different. A surge of interest in this forward thinking method could be felt; with its emphasis on core strength, functional muscle development, body alignment and the mind-body connection. As one of the Pilates method's staunch advocates, I realized the need for a structured teacher-training program. Until that point, most people (including myself) were trained by being an apprentice in a studio. The process often took years. This was not negative, quite the contrary, but the growing demand for teachers was making this process impractical. The industry needed teachers. Either future teachers were going to be trained well in a structured curriculum-based program or they were going to go out into the community with minimal training and wing it”. Few would have the luxury of spending the years previously needed to serve an apprenticeship. And without proper training they would not be able to honor the integrity of the method.

I had been involved in Pilates for quite a few years by that time. As a lecturer at the Wingate Institute of Physical Education in Israel, I was already teaching potential teachers and involved in curriculum and program development. I had danced for many years and recently completed my Masters Degree in Dance Studies. I had been an avid and competitive athlete since my youth and had been practicing yoga since my early teens. Given my experience in Pilates, my teaching credentials and requests from people to train them, I channeled my passion for the positive growth of this industry into creating my first teacher-training course. Since then, BASI has become an industry leader in top-level, name-recognized Pilates teacher training and education worldwide.

I believe our name, Body Arts and Science International™, speaks volumes about the course and organization. We are a true amalgamation of the art and science of human movement relating to the works of Joseph Pilates. We honor the purity and maintain the legacy that has been handed down. As such, the entire original repertoire is addressed and all the equipment is studied. (I myself have spent many years mastering this repertoire from the most fundamental movements to the most advanced - some of which are performed by very few people.) We are committed to providing our students with a solid foundation in the Pilates method. This basic grounding is imperative in doing justice to the method, to the client and to you. Yet, as science teaches us more about human movement, as the needs of modern society change and as equipment manufacturing progresses, I recognize the need to evolve. I strongly believe that if Joseph Pilates were alive today, he would agree with our approach, integrating respect for tradition with openness to scientific advances. This unique approach has fueled our growth across ten countries on five continents. It has created excitement in the industry as BASI enters the new areas of instructional DVDs, publishing high quality Movement Analysis Work Books and participating in the design of a new line of Pilates equipment. Yet never have we sacrificed quality for growth. Compromising our ideals is not an option.

We believe that upholding the standards of individual and personal attention is the key to protecting and expanding upon the groundbreaking work of Joseph Pilates. And it is through this excellence in teacher training that we ensure not only BASI’s growth, but the growth of our students, our alumni and Pilates itself.

Rael Isacowitz