Certification & Continuing Education

"When all your muscles are properly developed, you will, as a matter of course, perform your work with minimum effort and maximum pleasure."--Joseph Pilates

For more information on teacher training and/or workshops call or email the Studio!

Penelope Wyer Barrow

Penelope Wyer Barrow has over 28 years of teaching experience and 14 years of teacher training experience, most notably as an assistant to Romana Kryzanowska in the development of the first certified national training center in the Southeast. Her instructors teach all over the metropolitan Atlanta area, as well as throughout the state of Georgia, the Carolinas, Nevada, Oregon, New York and Florida. Her strength as a teacher trainer lies in her ability to closely mentor each student, offering a hands-on approach to the entire certification process.

Penelope began her Pilates studies during her dance career in New York City over twenty-five years ago. Although she taught throughout her years of performing modern and classical ballet, Penelope decided to pursue a formal certification through the Pilates Studio in New York City to work with world renowned Pilates master teacher Romana Kryzanowska, Joseph Pilates' protegee, and her staff at Drago including Sari Mejia Santo, Bob Liekins and Juanita Lopez. Immediately following her certification, she was chosen by the Pilates Studio to direct the first national certifying program in the southeast at the Atlanta Ballet in Atlanta.

As the first certified instructor in the state of Georgia, Penelope launched Atlanta as a top Pilates destination. In 1999, she opened Body Central, in Atlanta, where she trained and directed a staff of over 20 Pilates instructors. At Body Central, she began her own certification program in 2002 to train teachers traditionally as she was trained in New York. Penelope joined the staff of Urban Body Fitness in the spring of 2004 where she avidly helped with the creation of Urban Body Studios, a 17,500 square foot state of the art Pilates and Yoga Studio. Penelope served as the Director of the Pilates Program for Urban Body Studios and once again began a classical training teacher training program to provide classical Pilates instruction for the Atlanta area. She has written her own 300 page teacher training manual, and is now at work on a book for teachers on classical matwork and the art of the transition.

Penelope's work has been featured in The Atlanta Journal Constitution, Atlanta magazine, Fox News (both local and national) and CNN's Healthwatch, and has been quoted in Time Magazine, among others. She specializes in core training for athletes and has instructed members of the NBA, NFL, the Olympic Rhythmic team, the Olympic Basketball team, the WWF and the Atlanta Ballet, as well as competitive runners, triathletes, golfers, cyclists and divers. Her background includes a BA from Middlebury College and a MFA in dance performance from the University of Arizona. Her 20 year dance career includes professional work as a dancer, choreographer and teacher in both modern and classical ballet. Most notably, Penelope served as Director of the Professional Dance Program for Merce Cunningham Dance Company in New York City.

Penelope currently owns her own studio, Pure Pilates in Ashville, with her husband, Hunter, her step-daughter Hannah and their three Boykin spaniels, Belle, Boone and Roscoe.

Teacher Training

with Penelope Wyer Barrow & Andrea Chesek

The Classical Pilates Certification Program is a 700 hour seminar program with Penelope Wyer Barrow covering the complete authentic method of Pilates training, including matwork, the reformer, the Cadillac, the chairs, the barrels and the Ped-a-pol. This comprehensive classical Pilates training program includes 80+ hours of seminar instruction and will require a total of 700 hours, including observation, instruction, classwork, apprentice meetings and student teaching. In addition to learning the over 500 traditional Pilates exercises, the program will also focus on Pilates based anatomy, exercise modifications for injuries and special needs, and the ability to teach at both the private level and group level. Upon successful completion of the seminars, apprenticing requirements, and all exams, students will receive a Classical Pilates Teacher Certificate through Penelope Barrow, owner and teacher of Pure Pilates Asheville.

Penelope also offers a bridge certification program which is available for those students previously fully certified who wish to deepen their Pilates training with a classical certification. Full certification is classified as a 500 or more hour program covering all Pilates equipment.

Course auditing is also available for the serious intermediate to advanced student that wishes to understand the method for their own self advancement.

For further information and interest on the Teacher Training please email info@properpilatesstudio.com.

Weekend Workshops & Teacher Training Certification

Offering throughout the year various workshops taught by Classical Master Teacher Trainers. Join this unique Pilates experience for only a day or immerse yourself for the entire two to three day journey. Available for all certified teachers, enthusiast and practitioners alike! All certifications and/or workshops require a minimum number of people to register to insure that the series is held.

ProperPilates Studio's first certification program with nationally acclaimed 2nd generation instructor Penelope Wyer - Barrow has gone off with a hit! We will be offering our next authentic certification program in September 2018. More information available! Call or email the studio!

We will be also offering workshops with Joel Crosby from Vitality Method Studio in Duluth, GA soon!! Joel has been teaching Pilates for 17 years and is passionate about re-educating as many people as possible how to move, exercise, and generate power correctly. After teaching Pilates for 14 years Joel finally met and worked with first generation Pilates instructor Jay Grimes in 2013. This meeting put him on a course to learn even more about Joe’s original work from Jay. Joel graduated from the highly selective master program “The Work” with Jay Grimes at Vintage Pilates in 2016. Stay tuned for dates on workshops being offered!

For information and interest on certifications/workshops, email info@properpilatessudio.com to receive more details on workshops or interest in becoming a Classically trained Pilates instructor!

Workshop Dates with Joel Crosby:

Joel is coming back for part II of "Working Outside the Frame"!! Sign up for this event you don's want to miss happening August 12th!

Click here to sign up!

"Working outside the frame" (Part II)

Cadillac exercises outside of the apparatus. The standing exercises can give you a lot of information about the body in front of you. The exercises you will learn can challenge the strong, and assist with correcting alignment and balance.

These also make for a strong finish to a complete Pilates session. In this workshop, you will learn to get even more out of standing arm springs series, leg springs, roll down bar series, and push-through bar outside the frame.

(PMA CEC's available)

For inquiries or more information email the Studio at info@properpilatesstudio.com or give us a call at 678.561.3872.

Don't miss out!