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Ilkley Studio Owner Launches World Class Pilates Training Centre in the North

A local entrepreneur, and Pilates studio owner, who’s been teaching the now booming wellness practice for nearly three decades, and has travelled the world teaching celebrities, athletes and royalty, is celebrating the announcement of her opening a new internationally recognised Pilates teacher training centre in Ilkley.

Following years of intensive training, monitoring and evaluation whilst running her own studio, Kirstin Ferrie, 46, founder of Pure Pilates, has achieved global recognition from one of the most respected and traditional forms of Pilates, Romana Pilates, the world’s oldest and most authentic practice developed by founder Joseph Pilates.

Romana Pilates was born as Romana Kryzanowska, one of Joseph’s students, dedicated her life to preserving his original work exactly as he taught it, and Kirstin has now been mentored and assessed by Romana’s daughter and granddaughter, to become one of the few teacher trainers endorsed and qualified to deliver the world class training in the UK, the majority of which are based in the South.

Kirstin, who has been practicing Pilates since 1997 and teaching it since 2001 said: “Romana Pilates training is recognised worldwide as the epitome of excellence in the industry, and as we continue to see a boom in the uptake for Pilates with over 12 million people now practising it, I’m passionate about helping to keep the standards high, as we read about more and more horror stories of people sustaining injuries when their teachers have not been professionally trained. We’re working with the human body, which is complex and unique to each person. Without proper training, there’s a real risk of injury. High-quality education isn’t optional, it’s essential, and for too long the only place available for this has been down South. How amazing is it that a Yorkshire town is now leading the biggest wellness trend!”.

For her training, Kirstin undertook a vigorous assessment process, and continues to train weekly with Romana’s Granddaughter and other leading teachers in the U.K. and Europe, embodying and continuing to improve and deepen her own physical knowledge, passing this onto her students.

Kirstin said: “At this level the smallest tweaks make the difference, the attention to detail and the understanding of how the equipment works with the human body is intricate. There really is nothing like this level of training and I’m so proud to now be able to provide it through my own Centre of Teaching Excellence. “

She added: ‘There is no central body for the Pilates industry. There are no regulations around teaching it and no Government guidelines in place around best practice and standards. With the surge in popularity people can now buy equipment easily and set up as a teacher - this is SO dangerous”.

Becoming a certified teacher within the Romana’s Pilates system is not a quick or easy process. It requires years of intensive training, mentorship, and practical experience. Kirstin, a mum of 2, is now a Level 4 Romana’s Pilates Teacher Trainer, one of the highest qualifications in this method. She trained through internationally recognised studios and has taught around the world, including in New York, the Caribbean, and Australia. This level of training places her among a small group of teachers globally who are trusted to pass on the method at the highest standard.

Romana Pilates is a classical method of Pilates that was originally created by Joseph Pilates nearly 100 years ago. His method focused on building strength, improving posture, increasing flexibility, and helping the body move efficiently, without strain. Unlike many modern Pilates classes, which can vary widely in style and quality, Romana’s Pilates follows a structured, time-tested system, where every exercise, sequence, and teaching approach is rooted in the original method. “This is what makes it so respected, and so demanding to learn”, explains Kirstin.

Until now, most Romana’s Pilates training in the UK has been based in London and the South. Kirstin’s new centre in Ilkley aims to change that, giving people in the North access to the same elite training without needing to relocate. Her goal is not just to train instructors, but to raise standards across the industry and she is passionate about the ripple effect this can have on communities.

“I want to build a community of teachers who are not only highly skilled, but also thoughtful and compassionate,” she says. “When we teach well, we can genuinely change how people move, feel, and live.”

Having already had the privilege of helping others progress through the training programme, including Antoinette Brooks-Daw, previously Principal Ballerina at Northern Ballet, she is now excited to continue nurturing the next generation of teachers into the world of Romana's Pilates.

A workshop and information day will be announced in due course to invite people interested in exploring the training and experience the difference of how Romana's Pilates works. 
 

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Chocolate PR .