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The West CoastPeople came…
...this was a new thing for them to discover and try, and talk about. It was in the "right" location and “Ron Fletcher” had done some good work, and was a “real character.” Judith Krantz, Ali Macgraw, Candice Bergen, Dyan Cannon, Steven Speilberg, Striesand, Gabor… all came. They recognized it as “good stuff.” They liked the change in their bodies, they felt good, they told their friends, and they came and the place became an oasis for these people to gather and chat and work and behave like the real people they are. I became very close to several of these people and we remain friends today. That first studio in Beverly Hills became a singular, warm, fine, friendly place to work and teach and learn for many years. I was strongly supported by Diane Severino and Michael Podwal, dancers from NewYork who had been led wondrously up those stairs, intially to “see what was going on.” Both stayed to study with me as teachers. They learned very fast and they understood what it was really about. They were gifted and they moved beautifully. They became tough, loving, inspirational teachers (still are!) and they helped me to keep that studio “zinging” with learning and laughter and they also stayed on and ran the Ron Fletcher Studio for many years after I began traveling the world presenting workshops.
The issue of a Certification Process for Training in the Ron Fletcher Work first arose in June of 1983 when Diane, Michael and I were asked to participate in a prestigious Los Angeles Dance clinic. A key speaker at the clinic was Dr. James Garrick, an eminent surgeon and head of the Sports Medicine Department and Dance Rehabilitation Division at St. Francis hospital in San Francisco. Dr. Garrick was intrigued by our demonstration of the Pilates Work, and he sent his assistant, Patrice Whiteside, to our studio to study Body Contrology with emphasis on the therapeutic aspects of the work. Shortly after, a Pilates facility was opened at St. Francis Hospital under the direction of Patrice Whiteside, and Diane and Michael returned often in order to add to/update the curriculum. We were asked by the hospital officials for a certificate of sorts to add credibility and “weight” to the program and our first certification, given to Patrice Whiteside, stated simply: Ron Fletcher Company “Pilates Technique” This certifies that Patrice Whiteside The success and popularity of the Beverly Hills Studio and the St. Francis Hospital facility brought in more and more people interested in teaching the work. They came to our studio for lengthy periods of time, learning the basic concepts of the work and serving as apprentice teachers before receiving certifications like the one described above. |
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