THE HUMAN DYNAMO KNOWN AS MARI WINSOR WAS BORN IN MARSHAL, MICHIGAN IN 1950. A passion for movement led her to study modern dance at Michigan State University. After graduation, she headed to New York after she was awarded a scholarship to the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center.
During her long career as a professional dancer, she appeared in music videos for Michael Jackson and Huey Lewis, among others, and was also a successful choreographer and teacher. After being introduced to Pilates by Sarita Allen, her close friend whom she’d met while at Alvin Ailey, she studied with Romana Kryzanowska, That launched a new career, one that enabled her to transform millions of lives
Stars, including Emma Stone, Drew Barrymore, Samuel L. Jackson, Vanessa Williams, Maria Shriver, Sharon Stone and Miley Cyrus, flocked to her three Los Angeles-area studios. She introduced Pilates to a much wider audience through her videos, which sold more than 50 million units, her infomericals and books.
But it was after she was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease), in 2013 that Winsor’s true strength was revealed. She took on a new role as an extraordinary activist and advocate to raise awareness and money to find a cure for the disease; she also taught Pilates to other ALS patients.
Mari Winsor died on April 28 of complications from ALS. She was 70.
Here, some of her closest friends share their favorite memories of her.
SARITA ALLEN
Denne historien er fra July - August 2020-utgaven av Pilates Style.
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Denne historien er fra July - August 2020-utgaven av Pilates Style.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Finding New Momentum
Overcoming obstacles caused by the pandemic, the virtual version of this popular festival still achieved its goals.
Carola Trier's Extraordinary Journey
In his authoritative biography of the first woman to open a studio, Reiner Grootenhuis delved into her personal papers to tell the harrowing story of her time in a prison camp during World War II.
Racism in the Pilates Industry
Incidents of police brutality and the ensuing Black Lives Matter protests have shed a bright light on systemic racism in the U.S., including in the Pilates industry. Here, Black instructors share their experiences.
For Self-defense
Moves of the Month
Comfort Food Made Healthy
This fall, cozy up to tantalizing comfort food that’s also healthy. A new cookbook from Kristin Cavallari shows you how.
Pilates Postcard
A Pilates teacher shares how the method is making waves abroad.
The Ultimate Gift
One year ago, Kahley Schiller’s life was completely upended by an extreme health crisis. But thanks to her 20-year Pilates practice, the 40-year-old was able to recover quickly.
Revelations
For Sarita Allen, a star of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and a protégée of Kathleen Stanford Grant, Pilates was key to her decades-long career.
Meaning WITHIN THE Movement
The Five Elements of Chinese Medicine help you go deeper into your practice, promising plenty of play along the way.
PILATES IN THE HOOD
Though she’s trained many top stars, Kim Carruthers says she’s most proud of her work as the founder and director of a nonprofit bringing the method to underserved communities.
