Beyond Classical: Ron Fletcher's Pilates Legacy With Kyria Sabin

"The body floats on the breath. Without the breath, we don't have a core. We don't have a centre." - Kyria SabinIn this episode, we are joined by Kyria Sabin, director of Fletcher Pilates International and one of the most respected custodians of a first-generation Pilates lineage in the world. Kyria worked directly with Ron Fletcher - a first-generation teacher who studied with Joseph and Clara Pilates and danced with Martha Graham - and has dedicated her career to preserving and evolving his approach to the method. Her path into Pilates was never planned; she was heading towards law school when a session at the Ron Fletcher Studio changed everything.Kyria and Nic explore what it truly means to carry a lineage forward, why the "classical vs contemporary" debate misses the point, and what made Ron Fletcher's approach so unique - from his movement-based philosophy to his breath-centred teaching.They take an honest look at the current state of Pilates education, the dangers of watered-down training, the rise of reformer-only studios, and what it actually takes to establish meaningful standards for the industry. And they go deeper into the spiritual dimension of Pilates - why client transformation so often shows up in relationships and sense of self first, and what Ron Fletcher would likely say if he saw where Pilates is today. (Spoiler: it's one word.)Timestamps00:00 Introduction to Kyria Sabin00:10 Carrying Ron Fletcher's legacy - responsibility and blessing04:47 What makes the Fletcher approach unique08:31 Classical vs contemporary - why the conversation misses the point12:42 Kyria's journey: from art world to Pilates15:38 How Kyria trained - the apprenticeship model17:24 Life in Tucson and accidentally staying for 35 years18:39 The gift of seeing bodies and learning to teach21:57 Taking over Fletcher Pilates International23:13 Building a cohesive studio culture and team26:35 Creating the Fletcher Pilates teacher training programme28:39 What goes into a quality Pilates education32:39 The 12-step framework that underpins the Fletcher programme34:02 Why Pilates transformation shows up in clients' lives, not just bodies38:45 What defines a high-quality teacher training programme43:55 Should reformer teachers still be comprehensively trained?56:29 What excites Kyria about the future of Pilates58:21 What concerns her about where the industry is heading01:00:22 Quick-fire questions01:02:26 Where to find KyriaIf you're enjoying the podcast, make sure you're following along so you don't miss future episodes. And feel free to share this one with someone you think would take something from it.Connect with Nic:Beyond the Reformer InstagramSoul Pilates InstagramSoul Pilates EducationNic's InstagramJoin Soul at HomeBook a Pilates ClassSign up to Our NewsletterConnect with Kyria:Fletcher Pilates InstagramFletcher Pilates WebsiteFletcher Pilates FacebookKyria’s Instagram