Archival vs Classical Repertoire: In Their Words
Back in September we teased you with this: two clients, six months into working through archival Pilates repertoire alongside the classical repertoire they already know, in a case study Becky's been running since March. We described what changed as unglamorous but real — more confidence in their own reformer sessions, quicker progression than Becky expected and a fair bit of humility once the harder exercises turned out harder than either of them thought.
We promised their side of it deserved its own space rather than a couple of lines. Here it is. (Catch up on the original piece — "What Is Archival Repertoire?" — first.)
One client wrote:
"I've really enjoyed the archive work with Becky and have gained so much more from it than I expected.
It has made me much more aware of how I use my body, where my strengths and weaknesses are, and the areas I need to work on to improve my overall movement and strength.
It has also encouraged me to push myself further and focus on parts of my body I hadn't previously considered. For example, I've become much more aware of the importance of opening my chest and improving my posture, rather than simply focusing on my shoulders, which I've always considered my biggest issue.
The experience has made me want to do more one-to-one sessions, so I can develop my technique further and get even more out of my Pilates journey. It's shown me how much more progression is possible when you go beyond the regular lessons and really focus on the specifics, and it's been nice to widen my base knowledge and learn additional exercises we don't get to do in class on a regular basis.
Overall, I've found the experience incredibly valuable. I feel more aware of my body and more focused on my progression. Many thanks to Becky for helping me push myself and develop my abilities on the reformer."
The other client wrote:
"I've really enjoyed doing the archive work. I feel stronger and I think I'm starting to understand the principles behind some of the movements. I like that with the archive work I feel trusted to do things badly while I'm learning them, rather than feeling like I should already be able to do them properly.
And I love that I get to have a go at all the fun, exciting things I probably wouldn't be considered ready for in a regular class yet. There's something really empowering about being given the opportunity to try them, even if I can't do them properly yet.
I've also learned that your body takes the time it needs to learn a new movement. Sometimes I struggle with something for ages, and then suddenly it just seems to click. It's made me much more aware of how I'm moving, and a bit more patient with myself when I can't do something straight away."
What stands out reading both together is how differently this experience has been for each of them — one talks about posture and awareness, the other about permission and patience, despite going through exactly the same six months.
The case study itself isn't finished either — chair and matwork are being added into the mix over the coming six months. And longer term, Becky's thinking about turning the idea into an ongoing class- Joe's Gym: a private lesson first, then joining a class where you work through what you've learned at your own pace, with more added as you progress. Nothing to book yet, but if either of those quotes sounds like where you'd want your own practice to head, that's the direction.
