Kerry Shea Pilates

09/20/2026

“Above all, learn to breathe correctly.” ~ Joseph Pilates

The first week back in the School of American Ballet Pilates studio was all about establishing and reviewing the Pilates Principles.

One of the most important principles we focused on was Posterior Lateral Breathing. This breathing pattern is incredibly powerful and profound in our work. Every Pilates class begins with a moment of posterior lateral breathing before we start moving.

Breathing into the back and sides of the ribs helps calm the nervous system, allowing the brain to better receive and process the information we’re giving it. It helps us ground and focus, can support deeper stretching and more efficient muscle recruitment, and helps prevent the tension that often creeps into the neck and shoulders when we fall into anxious or shallow breathing (just to name a few benefits of posterior lateral breathing).

But for dancers, there’s another important piece: alignment.

Breathing into the back ribs can help us maintain a more optimal alignment for ballet by encouraging the back ribs to stay anchored rather than flaring forward — something many dancers naturally tend to do.

I’ll never forget MarikaDanceRX introducing me to this concept of truly breathing into my back ribs for better placement. I was toward the end of my professional career, and it was one of the biggest epiphanies I ever had in my dancing. Suddenly, dancing felt easier and more successful- my posture, balances, pirouettes, jumps… everything felt different.

Now, I hope to share the power and significance of this breathing pattern with the next generation of dancers.

When we train smart, dancing can become easier, more enjoyable, and more sustainable. 🩰

09/12/2026

09/04/2026

I am looking forward to seeing School of American Ballet’s winter term students return next week. And also, welcoming the new students to the school.

This week has been full of meetings, re-connecting with colleagues, planning, and a thorough maintenance check and deep clean of all Pilates apparatus. We are ready and excited for the 2026-2027 winter term. It’s going to be a great year dancers!

08/01/2026

The School of American Ballet summer intensive students brought great enthusiasm to Pilates this summer. It was so fun to teach these talented and eager students.

Each level had a weekly Pilates mat class. Group 4-7 and Adv Men had one small group mandatory class on the apparatus to get an experience on the reformer and chair. They also could sign up for an additional apparatus class once a week.

Most of the dancers had not trained on the Pilates apparatus. I’m so proud that SAB includes this level of Pilates training in its curriculum.

Some of my favorite moments? The smiles when they put their feet in the straps for the first time, the excitement of pushing the carriage out for footwork, and watching them realize just how much Pilates can enhance their dancing. Sharing my passion with the next generation of dancers and seeing them discover their own love for Pilates, never gets old.

Thank you, dancers, for your hard work, curiosity, and incredible energy. Wishing you all an amazing year ahead! ✨

07/06/2026

It is an honor and delight to be a Pilates Mentor of New York. Thank you to everyone who participated in the Instagram live discussions, my 3 hour Foot Health Workshop and the magic circle class. The students were so engaged, asked great questions, and were all around wonderful to teach. Special thanks to Yoshi for organizing all of the PMONY events.

私のクラスに参加してくださってありがとうございました。

06/30/2026

It was fun teaching the School of American Ballet Juniors Program! These young dancers got an inside look at what it’s like to train at SAB. During our Pilates classes, they experienced the attention to detail and fine tuning that are at the heart of our work. Ultimately, this enhances their ballet technique and gives way for more artistic expression. Thank you dancers for coming to Juniors week!

06/26/2026

The final weeks of School of American Ballet’s winter term, the Physical Health & Wellness Team encouraged dancers to come in for an individualized summer program. These dancers will be taking more than their improvements in strength with them to summer intensives.

Along with all the physical improvements made this year, I am just as proud of how they learned to advocate for their bodies. This is paramount. They learned it was okay to be injured, that speaking up when the body hurt a little was better than waiting until it was an injury, that some pain was okay and learning the difference bw good and bad pain, understanding fatigue can lead to injuries, how to describe the pain and sensations in their body, how to navigate and come back from an injury, and the list goes on.

I am thrilled the SAB dancers have these tools going into summer programs. They have agency and are empowered. This is a powerful place for our next generation of dancers to be in to help be the change we need in the ballet world.

06/19/2026

There were many beautiful memories from the final week of School of American Ballet 2026 winter term!

1. Pre-performance warm-up on PhysicalMind Institute®’s Parasetter. I was so happy to hear how effective the Parasetter warm-up was for the dancers. Dancers came back after the first performance requesting to warm-up on it again. The dancers said it helped calm, ground, center and stabilize them.

2. Recovery work post performance on the Parasetter. Shown in the photo is a passive Psoas release supported by posterior lateral breathing.

3. So hard saying goodbye to the seniors! The future is bright for these seniors. I cannot wait to hear their positive impacts on our world.

4. Wrapped up the final week of C1 mandatory classes. It was wonderful having these small group apparatus classes for more individualized programming. I look forward to more next year.

5. The kind words and notes I received from dancers I will forever carry in my heart. Thank you to all! 💗

6. My Adv Men “You Are Enough” keychain goes with me everywhere and makes me smile multiple times a day!

7. Final bows for SAB 2026 workshop. All three performances were spectacular. Bravi Dancers!

06/06/2026

Happy Workshop Day, dancers! It has been such an honor to work alongside you this year. Thank you for your hard work, focus, and unwavering commitment to your artistry. We are so proud of everything you have achieved and can’t wait to celebrate you today. Shine bright and enjoy every moment!

Special shout out to my colleague . Thank you for welcoming me open arms to SAB! It has been an incredible year co-teaching and collaborating with this brilliant, talented and all around awesome woman. I am lucky to be so inspired everyday by my colleagues!

05/22/2026

There is so much excitement in the air for retirement performance this Sunday! To say she will be greatly missed is an understatement. Principal dancer, mother of three, MBA graduate, author…the list goes on for this real-life superwoman.

We had our final Pilates session today before her farewell performance. While Megan remained focused until the very end, I found myself feeling nostalgic- reflecting on how much she has improved over the years and what a joy it has been to work with her. As a fellow mom, I have been continually inspired by how beautifully she manages everything on her plate.

I first saw Megan when she was a student at the Ballet West Conservatory. The conservatory shared studio space with the University of Utah’s dance program, and I remember leaving rehearsals and watching her through the studio window, thinking she was a teenage prodigy.

Fast forward nearly thirty years, and we met for the first time at the Kennedy Center for a Pilates session. I’ll admit, I was a bit nervous to work with her, but I was immediately put at ease by how down-to-earth, kind, funny, and deeply committed to the work she was. Over the next four years, Megan remained incredibly disciplined with Pilates, no matter what life brought her way. Whether in Hawaii, Vermont, France, Hungary, or Utah, she always made time to meet virtually and put in the work.

What has always impressed me most is that she never relied solely on her extraordinary talent, she continually worked to refine her instrument and craft.

Megan, you will be successful in whatever comes next. It has been an honor to work with you, and I cannot wait to cheer you on in this next chapter.