S11 Ep03 Pilates at the Intersection, with PAA President Kimberley Garlick

In this third episode of Pilates at the Intersection, Bruce Hildebrand and incoming PAA President Kimberley Garlick explore what truly makes a good Pilates teacher beyond choreography, charisma, social media polish or the ability to perform advanced exercises. Kimberley frames good teaching as the ability to help the person in front of you move better, understand themselves more clearly, and feel more capable in their own body — a skill that requires observation, communication, humility, adaptability, patience and integrity.The conversation challenges the industry’s tendency to confuse visible performance with genuine teaching. Bruce and Kimberley discuss why choreography is not the same as education, why charisma without skill can be misleading, and why social media can create a narrow image of competence that overlooks the quieter skills of observation, cueing, emotional safety and professional judgement. Kimberley highlights that a good teacher sees beyond the shape of the exercise and notices breath, tension, fear, confidence, compensation and readiness.Rather than defining quality teaching by popularity or polish, this episode centres the client, the relationship and the teacher’s capacity to adapt with care. Kimberley encourages teachers to develop their eye, listening, reasoning and patience, while also seeking mentorship and reflective feedback rather than relying on experience alone. The key message is that a good Pilates teacher sees the person, understands the method, and has the humility to keep learning.PAA Course Competency Criteria standardsVisit the PAA website Find us on  Facebook Join the PAA Member Forum (Members  only)Find us on InstagramEmail us at [email protected]