PILATES DIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP
Together we can increase diversity in the field of Pilates
The Pilates field should reflect our larger society and be a leader in creating diverse, inclusive, and equitable spaces for movement.
Mission:
The goal is to begin breaking down the homogeneous composition of the field so that everybody, every shape, every size, and every color, can fully participate. Based on the premise that the Pilates field should reflect our larger society, the Pilates Diversity Scholarship seeks to support and develop racial diversity and inclusion in the Pilates field. Pilates is for everybody, and we feel it is not currently reflected in the field’s training programs, client base, and certified trainers.
Goals:
Inspire other Pilates Training Programs to join Equilibrium in offering a teacher training Diversity Scholarship based on The Pilates Diversity Scholarship project, whose Founding Members were Ashlee Johnson, Holly Furgason, and Lorlelei Lee-Haynes.
Stretching Access
Scholarships for Pilates Teachers of Color
by Meekie Inman
Digital Media Intern @ Equilibrium Studio
meekie@equilibriumstudio.com
Is it a good idea?
Yes, and yes! (two because it’s a two-part reaction)
Firstly, acknowledging limits to expendable wealth to invest in education means an opportunity like this can be life-changing for the individual teacher. Now I am not being hyperbolic, at least I don’t think so. As seen with first-generation students in colleges/universities, economic boundaries are the main limitation of the experience of higher education. Offering scholarships to find teachers of color opens up opportunities for people of color to further their education and working towards a new job field, which is a great idea.
Secondly, representation is king!
Pilates Teachers of Color = Better Health for BIPOC
When has more exercise hurt? Also, as mentioned before, representation is more than people give it credit for. Feeling included or being able to see oneself in a leader has been shown to be beneficial to want to participate. For black students, for example, racial tensions may keep them from feeling comfortable in settings that appear predominated by whiteness. Opening the floor up to teachers of color may give BIPOC the opportunity to try new ways of caring for their physical and subsequently mental health. Pilates is a welcoming form of exercise that may seem inaccessible to some simply because they do not see people who look like them doing it. With Pilates teachers of colors, there may be a “new” kind of exercise for BIPOC to look to.